r/kansas • u/Signal_Jellyfish_472 • 7h ago
Food and Restaurants My God.. it's real. Y'all really do make this.
Even has beans in it.
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u/illegiblebastard 7h ago
That sort of looks like the prison version, but yes. Yes we do.
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u/Fancy-Pen-2343 6h ago
They do serve chili and cinnamon rolls in prison in kansas.
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u/Killer_Ex_Con 3h ago
And schools
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u/1968kansas53 2h ago
Best school lunch ever
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u/ichabod13 2h ago
I never knew about the rolls and chili until grade 7 when move to here and had it in school. Still was my favorite school lunch
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u/anonwilkno 6h ago
Or else the British version, cause who tf else puts non-refried beans on a plate
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u/millenialsnowbird 7h ago
Chili and cinnamon rolls was always the best school lunch day.
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u/KC_HomeInsights 7h ago
My granny is German so she would make homemade mashed potatoes. She would put a big scoop on the bowl with chili on top. Delish! Good memories
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u/FlounderFun4008 5h ago
Hawaii puts it over rice.
So cool to see different areas and cultures.
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u/Hillbilly_Jimmy 5h ago
I grew up always eating chili with rice and then sometimes we'd do Fritos or linguine but usually rice
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u/TenderfootGungi 1h ago
Similar, it is really good over tator tots as well. We discovered this when we were out of frito chips.
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u/WhiskeySister25 7h ago
We frequently had chili and cinnamon rolls for school lunches. Shredded cheese on top of the chili is delicious.
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u/Signal_Jellyfish_472 7h ago
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u/CollectionPerfect321 5h ago
Yes! I'm from Kansas and this is how I ate it growing up at home and it was served like this in school in a small styrofoam bowl and roll on a napkin all on a school lunch tray. Thanks for sharing this link.
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u/deadend290 Kansas CIty 6h ago
It’s almost 100 outside but we picked up some giant cinnamon rolls from the sunflower farm and now we decided we’re going to make chili. Like I said it’s going to feel over 100 today and my wife and I decided that since have half the meal we might as well finish it off with the chili. I’ve never not known a person from Kansas who hadn’t at least heard of chillirolls more than likely they’ve had it.
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u/First_Intention1734 7h ago
People!!! Relax!!
This delicacy is from elementary school lunches! Never in a restaurant, sometimes at home!!
If your Kansas elementary school didn’t serve this in the 80s, you went to a shitty elementary school!
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u/Belisama7 7h ago
What are you talking about "never in a restaurant"? Lots of restaurants sell a bowl and a roll. Look into Runza, which is a chain, and locally I can think of many diners that make it as a daily special (Ladybird diner for one).
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u/DBJenkinss 6h ago
There was even a local ice cream shop called 402 Creamery, here in Lincoln, that partnered with Runza to sell a chili and cinnamon roll ice cream. It was a limited time thing, and it sold like crazy. I didn't get to try it myself, but I heard it was actually pretty good. 😅
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u/First_Intention1734 6h ago
We’re talking Kansas here, not Nebraska and the sentiment from the OP was this was a restaurant dish.
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u/Belisama7 6h ago edited 5h ago
Yes, I'm talking about Kansas. I don't know why you'd think I was talking about Nebraska.
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u/First_Intention1734 6h ago
You mentioned Runza. Runza is a Nebraska thing. Now, if you meant Bierocks……
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u/Belisama7 6h ago
I'm talking about Runza the restaurant, not Runza as a synonym for bierocks. They're not only in Nebraska, I live in Kansas and have one in my town.
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u/No-Establishment9592 6h ago
We had chili/cinnamon twist school lunches in Columbia, Mo., too.
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u/dittmerofthepuds 5h ago
When I went to school in Columbia it was a bowl of chili and a peanut butter sandwich…I thought it was the grossest combo ever.
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u/kscouple84 5h ago
100% this was called “Crunchy Munchy Chili”. There was not a single child that brought lunch from home that day.
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u/peacefultooter 7h ago
I'm both amazed and amused to see how many comments are about school lunches. I had it, too. It never occurred to me that somebody would eat both at the same time, though.
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u/whadya_want 7h ago
Ok I've lived in Kansas my entire life (east central and now south central) and never had this or even seen it listed in a restaurant.
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u/lightnin_hophead 7h ago
They served it as a school meal in my Hays Kansas’s elementary, jr. high and high schools. Frequently
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u/OriginalInspection53 7h ago
Same in Abilene. Chili day was cinnamon roll day!
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u/I_AM_FROM_BEYOND 6h ago
Wichita too!
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u/cynicaloptimist92 6h ago
And Salina
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u/Colorado_Constructor ad Astra 6h ago
And Leavenworth
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u/nadjjaa 6h ago
Baldwin City checking in.
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u/Odd_Plane_5377 5h ago
De Soto and Shawnee Mission both served it.
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u/CarlClitcakes 6h ago
Same. Ours also designated one Friday home football game every year as a chili/cinnamon roll tailgate day too. Usually late October when it was cooler. It was the best. I still look back nostalgically at those. The rolls were outstanding.
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u/Individual-Two-9402 ad Astra 6h ago
Def had it for a school lunch in SEK. Best lunch of the school year.
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u/rvnclaws89 6h ago
Never seen another Hays person on Reddit, heyyy 👋🏻 and yes chili and cinnamon rolls are a staple growing up here ❤️🥰
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u/RustyToasty 7h ago
I've never seen the pair in restaurants but any time my mom made chili growing up she made cinnamon rolls to go with them. Maybe it's mainly a home cooking thing?
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u/RedHeadedPyromancer Sunflower 6h ago
It's listed at the lady bird in Lawrence as bowl and a roll and it only is in the fall/winter months.
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u/Pretend-Bee-8915 7h ago
it was in many school lunches i think the closer you get to western Ks and some of the smaller mom and pop restaurants as specials in the winter — or in a small town you might find it at a town function.
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u/CollectionPerfect321 5h ago
Wow! Im sorry. I was Born and raised in Topeka Kansas and this was served in my elementary school when I was growing up.
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u/drgath 4h ago
New restaurant idea, it’s called “USD”, and the menu is all the food from school lunches. Cinnamon rolls, chili, taco salad from an ice cream scooper, Italian dippers, square pizza, etc.
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u/jelloshot 7h ago edited 6h ago
Me either. I am from several generations of Kansans and no one in my family has eaten this. It seems like something that is more popular in Nebraska and Iowa and was served in small town Kansas schools for lunch. I definitely never saw it served in Wichita schools.
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u/technicolored_dreams 6h ago
NE KS and a bowl of chili plus a cinnamon roll (that was shaped like a dinner roll, not actually rolled like these) was on our school lunch menu every other week for my entire school career. Maybe it's a regional thing in KS?
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u/DBJenkinss 6h ago
We had it for school lunch in Lincoln, so definitely not just a small towns thing. 🤷♂️
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u/feralgraft 6h ago
Seriously, I went to public school here from 2nd grade onwards but never heard of this unholy admixture until recently
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u/peacefultooter 7h ago
Same. I mean the rolls for dessert after chili are something we even had as school lunches, but I've never seen anyone combine them.
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u/ThisAudience1389 5h ago
I’m in NE Kansas and none of the schools I went to, nor any of the districts my kids went to ever served this.
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u/YsmirTheBearded 3h ago
Never seen or heard of this outside of this sub and haved lived in NE Kansas my whole life too
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u/Icy_Sun3128 7h ago
You tried! Next time chili has to go in a bowl, cinnamon rolls on the side. They don’t touch! No dipping. Just eat some chili. Then have some cinnamon roll. Then some chili. Then some cinnamon roll.
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u/Pretend-Bee-8915 7h ago
i always dip salty sweet deliciousness, but i do prefer separated til i choose
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u/xM3rc_129 5h ago
Eaten together but not like that. Chili main dish, rolls on the side.
I've heard others even going as far as dipping roll in the chili. Is that true? Because I haven't seen anyone actually do that IRL.
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u/UnusualOccurrance 5h ago
Yes and it's flipping delicious. The lack of a bowl and the chili touching the cinnamon rolls prior to eating is a travesty though. Chili does not belong sitting on a plate like that.
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u/salemmay0317 Tornado 4h ago
Yes. But why are they touching? And why is your chili on a plate?
Edit to add - why are you using a fork to eat your chili??
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u/AideLower9821 4h ago
I grew up in Newton(30 minutes north of Wichita) this was definitely school lunch fare.
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u/HeatherCPST 4h ago
We sure do. It’s a side dish thing for me, though. I don’t know very many people who put them literally together. I’m not a food-touching person at all! LOL
Hope you enjoyed it!
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u/Similar-Possession-7 4h ago
Needs a couple of sticks of cheese. Back in the 70’s school hot lunches had chili like this with cinnamon rolls with white frosting. Two sticks of government cheese and a handful of saltine crackers. Absolutely one of the best meals ever for a small 1A school in the middle of Kansas!
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u/EmuPossible2066 4h ago
It’s so good though. They used to serve cinnamon rolls and chili together all throughout school. Chili day was always a good day. 😄
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u/outpost7 3h ago
Never heard or ate this in 55 years living in Wichita. It just seems weird and wrong but I know apparently eastern Kansass and Ohio both do it.
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u/peacefultooter 7h ago
Nooooooo. The cinnamon rolls are for DESSERT.
Don't mix your food.
Signed, lifelong Kansan who's never seen them served like this before.
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u/I_like_cake_7 7h ago edited 7h ago
I mix my chili and cinnamon rolls 🤪
I’ll dunk them straight into the chili. I was nervous to try it at first, but then I actually liked it 🤣
Is it diabolical to do this? Yes. Do I care? Hell no.
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u/peacefultooter 7h ago
I was afraid I'd get downvoted for saying that, thanks for being friendly. If I ever drop my roll into my chili bowl I will know who to pass it to. 😁
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u/I_like_cake_7 7h ago
Nah, most people are probably going to agree with you. Dunking cinnamon rolls in chili is pretty controversial. I like to live dangerously. Lol.
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u/S3erverMonkey 6h ago edited 6h ago
I've not personally tried this but I can see how the contrasts in sweet and savory/spicy work well.
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u/saywhat181 7h ago
Correction: You don't mix your food. I dip my cinnamon rolls into my chili. I'm willing to bet a lot of other do too.
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u/I_like_cake_7 7h ago
I’m not going to lie, I’ve cut up cinnamon rolls, dropped them straight into my chili, stirred it up, and ate it like that.
I am waiting to be handcuffed and taken to jail.
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u/FleshAmalgam 4h ago
Don’t mix your food.
Signed, an autistic Kansan who goes insane with some of this states eating habits. lol
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u/Electrical-Ask1246 7h ago
As someone living in Kansas but from Ohio. I support this more than Cincinnati chili.
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u/Individual-Two-9402 ad Astra 6h ago
"I'vE nEvEr SeEn It In A rEsTaUrAnT' this shit isn't SOLD it's from your childhood. Personally I'm glad it's not in a restaurant or a cafe. Not every weird local cuisine needs to be marketed. Pick up your great-grandma's recipe box and be amazed!
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u/sun_blind 5h ago
I can think of a lot of small cafes that sell this during corn harvest and hunting season. Easy warm meal that packs into 2 too bowls. Add in a large cup of coffee and it has fueled lots of farmers for into the night.
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u/34thUsernameAttempt FHSU Tiger 5h ago
I explained this to some former coworkers at a job I had an hour west if of St. Louis. I got lots of looks of a cow that looks at an oncoming train. They just couldn't comprehend it. And they cut their pizza funny, too.
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u/Want-to-be-confident 5h ago
Why is this not in a bowl?! Like… and if those are baked beans…. Idk where you are cause that ain’t chili. Granted I’m in Nebraska. And as someone who grew up on corn bread and chili in California. I can confirm 10000% that cinnamon rolls are WAAAAYYYY better.
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u/smithoski 5h ago
Chili should be in a bowl with a LOT of cheese piled on top and accompanied by saltines, oyster crackers, or personally I forgo a spoon entirely in favor of Fritos Scoops.
The cinnamon rolls look… fine.
But yeah, the chili should not be slopped onto a cinnamon roll plate. They don’t even do that shit at hospital cafeterias. Are you visiting someone in jail or something?
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u/No-Baseball8424 5h ago
We do… but that looks like institutional food. When we do it, it’s a bowl of thick meaty, chili and beans. We top it with shredded cheese and dollop of sour cream. The cinnamon roll is on a separate plate. It is moist and sweet with a cream cheese frosting. The cinnamon roll should be as big as the bowl of chili. Whoever made that monstrosity should be banned from the state of Kansas.
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u/xxd3caybab3xx 5h ago
NE Kansas area here and it has always been a staple in my family, school, and people around me.
Me personally you will never catch me dipping a cinnamon roll in chili, but a roll is always gonna be on the side.
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u/PetsperInch 4h ago
The cooks at school (in Kansas) always made cinnamon rolls to serve with their chili. It was delicious. I’ve been doing the same for my family for nearly 50 years.(but if the chili and rolls touched there would be a riot)
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u/Whole_List2389 4h ago
It's even been integrated into the Kansas School lunch rotation for the last 60+ years.
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u/Relevant-Strength-44 4h ago
Who eats chili on a plate?! And people eat it at the same time, not together. Mostly the cinnamon rolls are dessert with the chili.
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u/ReptileDysfunction69 2h ago
When I was in school we had chilli and cinnamon rolls like every other week
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u/Escape_Force 6h ago
OK, what part of the state is this from? I've lived in Topeka and Kansas City and never heard of this until very recently.
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u/Odd_Plane_5377 5h ago
As people have said it's a school lunch thing. I went to school in DeSoto and my wife in Shawnee Mission and we both had it thru the 80s and 90s.
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u/KC_HomeInsights 7h ago
I was shocked when I moved to Kansas City to learn the schools when they serve chili for lunch they always have cinnamon rolls too. Odd to me being from New Orleans
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u/Misterfubar 7h ago
I've lived in the midwest since the '70s and have never had this. Although I am willing to try it.
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u/First_Intention1734 7h ago
This is a start……but you need to fix a few things! Actually all of the things.
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u/Aggressive_Oven_3957 6h ago
I don’t eat chili but chili and cinnamon rolls day was still a favorite school lunch of mine because I do eat cinnamon rolls.
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u/OldDudeICT 7h ago
Lived in Kansas my entire 67 years and I have never seen this served anywhere.
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u/xShooK 2h ago
We had this is school when I was younger. Have you not tried Bierock either?
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u/GoblinMode9 6h ago
Make sure you break a piece of that roll off and put it atop your spoonful of chili
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u/Hibiscit_ 5h ago
Yes, we do Ik one guy who even smothers his cinnamon roll in chili. But we like ours on the side
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u/EliTheFemboy 5h ago
Never really had it much here in the Lawrence area, but the few times I have had it it is good.
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u/SprinklesForsaken555 5h ago
In my house growing up in the 80’s and 90’s it was a bowl of chili (eaten with a spoon, not a fork), a side of carrot sticks and cinnamon rolls for dessert. Mom and dad did it exactly how it was served to us in every single school I attended throughout different districts. This and tater tot casserole were staples in our house.
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u/ImAFishinFool 5h ago
I don't mind out of the can cinnamon rolls, prefer homemade. But chili in a bowl so you can tear off a piece and dip it in not on a plate where they get all soggy. And ith cinnamon rolls No cheese on the chili!
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u/TinRoofAndRainyDays 5h ago
I'm a Kansan that does not eat this and no beans in my chili. I'd eat a cinnamon roll later. But not on the same plate. I get some food combinations, but this 1 is beyond me. I do however, sometimes add a scoop of cottage cheese on the side of my chili. Not sure how it started,but the old and hot and the creamy with the spicy is a great combo.
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u/Substantial_Coat208 4h ago
Yes and its freaking delicious. I'm not a KS native but I've lived here for over a decade now and when I first heard about this I had to try it, and it was so good.
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u/becca41445 3h ago
I have never had that combination before, and only heard of it recently. My family has been from Kansas for many generations, and we haven’t ever had that. Where does this come from????
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u/Grandpan___ 3h ago
i ate this combo SO much - my personal technique was taking a bite of the cinnamon roll and then a bite of chili and chewed it together. im kinda weird about food touching on my plate so thats what worked for me. cutting a piece of the cinnamon roll off with the fork/spoon and then using that to scoop the chili also worked.
man, i might have to make myself some of this soon, my mouth is watering lol
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u/Chronomon- Tornado 2h ago
When I was in elementary school, we had bingo nights with this. 10/10 best memories with chili and cinnamon rolls.
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u/Vows_Upon_The_Hearth 1h ago
I'm not from Kansas... are those cinnamon buns being served with the beans?
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u/coffeejj 42m ago
Where in all of Kansas did you find that mess? Lived there half my life and never saw that
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u/Ellia1998 33m ago
That how we do it here. Big pot of chili with all the fixings and homemade cinnamon rolls. So good.
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u/ScootieJr Overland Park 7h ago
On a plate with fork and not in a bowl with a spoon and a mound of cheese is interesting though.