Is there a better meal to temper the chill of a Fall evening than a hearty bowl of chili? The classic meaty (or vegetarian) comfort food is often served with accompaniments such as cheese, onions, and even creamy avocado, each contributing its own unique taste to the overall flavor profile. But what if we told you that the most delicious pairing for a robustly flavored store-bought chili is actually cinnamon rolls ? Yes, chili and cinnamon rolls are the unexpected sweet-savory combination that will make your tastebuds sing. The unlikely combination is a frequent Midwestern meal pairing, first gaining popularity in Iowa in the 1960s out of a need to devise a cost-effective school lunch.
Its popularity began extending across several states, cementing its position as a lunchtime classic evoking nostalgia for many Americans. But what makes the double dose of comfort food work? It all comes down to the cinnamon. As with cult-favorite Cincinnati chili — whose recipe features cinnamon along with other spices — the spicy-sweet flavor of cinnamon works to add warmth and complexity to store-bought chili's overall flavor, easily complementing commonly included spices such as cumin, while also keeping the chili's heat manageable.
Thus, serving a bowl of chili with a cinnamon roll will actually boost its savoriness and, since the pastry offers more sweetness than chili's common accompaniment cornbread, it will allow the spiciness of the chili to shine. This pairing offers a delicious,.
