Chili and cinnamon rolls make perfect pairing

Chili.

Just one little word that causes so much controversy.

And no, I'm not talking about the whole "beans-or-no-beans" debate that seems to pit Texas chili purists against the rest of the world. I'm talking about the chili and cinnamon roll combo that so many of us remember from our school lunch days.

In 2020, as were all sheltering in place and more of us were cooking at home than we had in years, I was invited to join a Facebook group that focused on "Eating through the pandemic." It was created by a Lincoln woman and designed to be a safe place to share recipes, food pics and ideas of what to feed our families three meals a day, seven days a week. From a humble beginning, it has now grown to almost 10,000 members from all over the world.

It's that "all over the world" part where it gets controversial. Every time someone posts something about chili and cinnamon rolls the reactions vary from: "As a kid in Lincoln, we all waited for Friday when we would have chili and huge cinnamon rolls as our hot lunch. From kindergarten to senior high, it was the same thing! I am 71, so have been joying this combo for a very long time;" and "Never heard of such a thing until I moved to Nebraska! I always thought it was a strange combination but it's one of those 'gotta try it to appreciate it' kind of things!" to "I live in Indiana and find it hard to believe this is a 'thing,' lol. But why not?? It's good to have some fun!" and finally "Thats like having a banana with a roast beef dinner."

And even Food Network star Alton Brown found himself in the middle of this, when during a recent visit to Lincoln, he tried the infamous combo - sort of. Apparently someone told him the way to eat it was to pour the chili over the cinnamon roll. Oh, the horror! You dunk the small bites of the roll into the chili, Alton, not eat it like biscuits and gravy. From his reaction, you can tell he wasn't impressed. Really? I wouldn't like it either if that's the way it was served to me.

Well, I can say that, as a child growing up in small town western Nebraska in the '60s and '70s, it was definitely a "thing" out there for school lunches.

Our elementary school head cook was Matilda Veeder and she knew her business. For years I never understood the jabs and jokes aimed at school lunches, because well, Matilda.

Most mornings when we walked in the building, we were greeted by the smell of homemade bread in the oven. Except for Fridays when tuna and PB&J sandwiches were on the menu (no meat on Fridays for Catholics back in those days; on alternate weeks we had fish sticks and macaroni and cheese), we had homemade dinner rolls with our meals.

And when we were really lucky, those rolls were cinnamon rolls served with chili. Honestly, I don't remember much about the chili, but I'll never forget about those cinnamon rolls. They were huge (at least they seemed that way to a child), served warm from the oven and covered in a tasty white frosting. I can still smell them!

(As an aside about Matilda, her cooking and baking were so revered in Oshkosh, the local Rotary club met at her house every Monday night and she served dinner. She was the "go-to" baker for decorated birthday cakes. And her contributions to the monthly potluck dinners at the Methodist church were always the first to go. No one ever went hungry when she was around.)

And now, more than 50 years later, I still eat chili and cinnamon rolls. It just seems natural to me. I know there are skeptics out there who still question the combo but trust me! If you haven't yet tried it, take baby steps and try the combo offered during the winter months at Runza restaurants across the state. (I'm a Wendy's chili fan myself). But once you're convinced, dive in and make your own.

(And I have to insert right here, that as I'm writing this, the weather guy just started his segment on the local 10 p.m. news with "it was a chili and cinnamon roll kind of day!" I guess great minds think alike.)

Here are a few recipes to get you started.

This chili is super easy thanks to using bloody Mary mix. It doesn't have a long list of ingredients and comes together in under an hour. You can use any variety bloody Mary mix, but a spicy version adds a little kick.

Use a variety of chili powders for your desired spice level. Check ingredient labels on chili powders. Most are a blend of ground chilies, oregano and cumin. If it's pure chili powder you are after, the ingredients should be "ground chili peppers."

Bloody Mary Beef Chili

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large onion, peeled, chopped

1-1/2 pounds ground beef (such as sirloin) or any diced beef

2 cups favorite bloody Mary mix (spicy preferred)

2 cans (14 ounces each) diced tomatoes with green chilies (or 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice)

2 cans (14 ounces each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed well

4 tablespoons (or more if you like) favorite chili powder, divided

Corn chips

Shredded cheese

Sliced green onions

Sour cream

In a medium pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and sauté about 8 minutes until it becomes lightly golden brown. Add the beef and cook until it browns, breaking it up as it cooks. Stir in the bloody Mary mix and heat on medium-high, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add the tomatoes, beans and 2 tablespoons of the chili powder. Stir well. Bring to just a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover slightly and simmer 30 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of chili powder. Serve with desired toppings.

Makes 8 cups.

Some people dispute that white chicken chili even qualifies as chili. But I disagree. It has chili powder in it, and it is a soupy liquid. To me that means it is chili.

White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 stick butter, divided

2 large onions, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (16-ounce) can white beans

2 (4-ounce) cans whole mild green chiles, drained and chopped

1-1/2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

Heat a large skillet over moderately high heat and add oil. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook - turning occasionally to keep from burning - until done, 10 to 15 minutes more, depending on the thickness.

Remove chicken to a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and cook onions until softened, about 5 minutes.

In a heavy pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, melt remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook this roux, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir in the onion and gradually add the broth and half-and-half, whisking all the time. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add beans, chiles, chicken and cheese; cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add sour cream. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight for better flavor.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls

For the rolls:

3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 packages regular or fast-acting dry yeast (4-1/2 teaspoons)

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick), room temperature

1 large egg

Cooking spray to grease bowl and pan

For the filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick), room temperature

1/2 cup raisins, if desired

1/4 cup finely chopped nuts, if desired

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the salt and yeast with a wooden spoon until well mixed.

In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until very warm and an instant-read thermometer reads 120 degrees F to 130 degrees F. Add the warm milk, 1/4 cup butter and egg to the flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, stopping frequently to scrape batter from side and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula, until flour mixture is moistened. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, stopping frequently to scrape bowl.

With a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until dough is soft, leaves side of bowl and is easy to handle (dough may be slightly sticky).

Sprinkle flour lightly on a countertop or large cutting board. Place dough on floured surface. Knead by folding dough toward you, then with the heels of your hands, pushing dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue kneading about 5 minutes, sprinkling surface with more flour if dough starts to stick, until dough is smooth and springy.

Spray a large bowl with the cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place about 1 hour 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if an indentation remains when you press your fingertips about 1/2 inch into the dough.

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 sugar and the cinnamon; set aside. Spray the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch pan with the cooking spray. Sprinkle flour lightly on a countertop or large cutting board. Gently push your fist into the dough to deflate it. Pull the dough away from the side of the bowl, and place it on the floured surface.

Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten dough into a 15-by-10-inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup butter over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture, raisins and nuts. Beginning at a 15-inch side, roll dough up tightly. Pinch edge of dough into the roll to seal edge.

Stretch and shape roll until even and is 15 inches long. Using a sharp serrated knife or length of dental floss, cut roll into 15 (1-inch) slices. Place slices slightly apart in the pan. Cover pan loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Remove plastic wrap.

Move the oven rack to the middle position of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove rolls from pan; place right side up on a cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth, adding enough milk so glaze is thin enough to drizzle. Over the warm rolls, drizzle glaze from the tip of a tableware teaspoon, moving the spoon back and forth to make thin lines of glaze. Serve warm.

Recipe from: Betty Crocker

Don't want to go to that much work? Here's an easy version from columnist Mary Hunt. All you need is 43 minutes.

Magnificent Cinnamon Rolls

"You'll need a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, two cans of Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls, light brown sugar and heavy whipping cream. That's it.

Open both cans of refrigerated dough. You'll find five rolls and a little tub of icing in each. Set the icing aside for later, and then arrange the rolls in the baking dish - four down the middle and three on each side (yields 10 total).

All of those open spaces will fill up, so do not be concerned about this arrangement.

In a 2-cup or larger measuring cup, combine 1 cup light brown sugar and 1 cup heavy whipping cream.

Mix well until the sugar and cream are fully incorporated and look like melted ice cream. You'll be tempted to take a sip, but do not give in. You need every drop for these amazing cinnamon rolls.

Pour this thick liquid over the rolls - every last drop of it.

The rolls will appear to be swimming in liquid, and you will be certain this cannot possibly be right. Do not fret. This is right. And for the record, up to this point, you have spent five minutes prepping this recipe.

Place the baking dish into the oven. Set a timer for 36 minutes.

Note: Five plus 36 minutes equals 41 minutes.

Once the timer goes off, make sure the rolls are golden-brown. They may look slightly underbaked, and this is right. However, not every oven is the same, so use your good judgment. Just be careful not to overbake! I have determined that 36 minutes at 350 degrees F is the perfect amount of time.

While baking, remove all evidence (those cans of cinnamon dough, for starters) by pushing it way to the bottom of the trashcan. I am not suggesting that you lie - not at all! I do suggest that you simply clean up to avoid any hint of negativity or chiding.

Remove the rolls from the oven, and allow them to cool only as long as it takes to open those little tubs of icing.

Spread the icing over the hot cinnamon rolls, and there you have the last 2 minutes, to make it 43 minutes start to finish.

Serve hot, and enjoy!"

Recipe from: Mary Hunt, http://www.everydaycheapskate.com

Terri Hahn of Osceola has worked in food media for more than 30 years and has won numerous state and national awards for her writing. Email her at [email protected]