History

The cinnamon-roll-with-chili pairing came out of Kansas City school cafeterias in the 1960s, where chefs scaled bakery-counter rolls for school lunch programmes and paired them with chili as the protein. Stroud's, which had been serving cinnamon rolls with fried chicken since 1933, helped cement the format. The combination spread to truck stops and lunch counters across western Missouri and eastern Kansas.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 45 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the chili: 1 lb ground beef, 1 onion diced, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can crushed tomatoes, 1 cup beef stock, salt, pepper.
  • For the rolls: 3 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 packet yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt.
  • For the filling: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup softened butter.
  • For the glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla.

Method

  1. Make the chili: brown the beef with the onion and garlic. Add chili powder, beans, tomatoes and stock. Simmer 60 minutes.
  2. Make the dough: bloom the yeast in warm milk with sugar. Combine with flour, butter, egg and salt. Knead 8 minutes. Rise 90 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Spread softened butter, sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly.
  4. Roll into a log; cut into 6 rolls. Place in a buttered pan; rise 30 minutes.
  5. Bake at 375F (190C) for 22 to 25 minutes until golden.
  6. Whisk the glaze ingredients; drizzle over the warm rolls.
  7. Serve a bowl of chili with one cinnamon roll on the side.

Tip from the editors. The combination is regional and divides eaters; the trick is to alternate bites of chili and roll rather than mixing them. The chili should be on the sweeter, beanier side of the spectrum, not a Texas-style bowl.

Where to eat cinnamon roll with chili

Cinnamon roll with chili in Kansas City

Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor ★ 4.6

$$ Fried ChickenNorth Kansas City

Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor in Kansas City sits inside a restored 1840s log-cabin homestead, the second Stroud's location since 1983; the original 85th.

OrderPan-fried chicken with mashed potatoes, country gravy and the cinnamon rolls.

TipMon to Sat dinner, Sun lunch. The line wraps the porch on Friday nights; call ahead.

Directions

McLain's Bakery ★ 4.3

$ BakeryOld-school cakes, doughnuts, sweet rollsWaldoWalk-in only

McLain's Bakery in Kansas City's Waldo has run since October 1945, making it the city's longest-running independent bakery. At 201 E Gregory Blvd.

Worth the queueCake doughnuts

TipCake doughnuts and birthday cakes are the must-orders; the kitchen closes at 14:00 daily.

Directions

Heirloom Bakery and Hearth ★ 4.8

$$ $10 to $18BrunchBiscuit-based breakfastBrookside

Heirloom Bakery and Hearth on 63rd in Kansas City's Brookside is Scott and Kate Meinke's destination breakfast. Open tue to sun 7:00-14:00 or 15:00.

OrderCheddar-herb biscuit sandwich with bacon and the Pop-Tart for the table.

TipArrive before 09:00 to skip the wait; the breakfast burrito and Pop-Tart combo is the move.

Directions

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