Inside The Midwest's Infatuation With Cinnamon Rolls And Chili

Pineapple on pizza? Pickles and ice cream? Cheddar cheese and apple pie? Some of the nastiest internet wars have been fought over strange combinations, with some cringing at the thought of eating them and others vehemently defending their unique taste. However, sometimes these combos become household meals in different parts of the world, including the controversial combination of chili and cinnamon rolls.

Spend a day in Iowa, Nebraska, or any other Midwestern town, and you may come across restaurants that serve this sweet and hearty combo. Some people are completely appalled by this combination. Others reminisce about their childhood when they smell those freshly baked cinnamon rolls walloped with icing and warm chili to go along with it. 

Though nobody is precisely sure where the combination originated, some suspect it dates back to the mid-20th century in rural schools across the Midwest. Cafeteria workers tried to make food last as long as possible while simultaneously filling the hungry stomachs of hundreds of children.

Doug Wordell, RD, an Iowa-based dietitian, told Smithsonian in 2022 that the cinnamon roll and chili combo gets its origin from the creation of the National School Lunch Program in 1946. This program helped schools cut costs by using funds from the federal government. States had discretion over what foods they purchased with federal funds, as long as they abided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) meal plan requirements, which included one milk, two servings of either fruit or vegetables, a grain, and a meat option or a protein alternative.

Oftentimes, schools would request certain foods, and the USDA would deliver them in bulk. This created a problem for cafeteria workers: How do we make enough meals to last without using all of our food? This is what most likely led to the combination of cinnamon rolls and chili. Cinnamon rolls constitute a grain, and chili is filled with ground beef, kidney beans, and other proteins. On top of this, students loved the combo, and it was not uncommon for them to take their large, icing-drenched cinnamon roll and dunk it in their bowls of chili. 

Everyone was happy with the ordeal, and the meal became a staple in many Midwestern communities.

Today, many Iowan restaurants carry on the tradition with their spins on the dish. The Boulder Tap House, a restaurant in Ames, Iowa, is famous for its chili burger, served on a cinnamon roll bun. Runza, a fast-food chain in the Midwest, also serves the combo as a meal. But the dish hasn't just taken off in restaurants. It was a cultural staple in the Bike Ride to Rippey, which starts in Perry, Iowa, where bikers travel 24 miles to Rippey every February.

In the late 1990s, Ethel Correy was mentioned in the Des Moines Register for her hospitality during the annual event. Correy would bake cinnamon rolls and cook her homemade chili to serve to bikers after they finished their ride, but only if they were well-behaved. Although Correy died in 2005, she was beloved by her community and all the bikers she fed throughout her life. 

If you ever find yourself in Iowa, Nebraska, or any other Midwestern community, ask around to find some nice, warm chili and sweet cinnamon rolls.