What do you serve when you’re serving chili? We ate the last of our Crusty Rolls with the first serving of New Year’s Day Chili; and only had bread sticks and Oyster Crackers left tonight. Those options didn’t appeal to me, so I visited Kroger and bought a six pack of Take And Bake French Dinner Rolls from La Brea Bakery to serve as the dunking delivery system for butter.
What do other HO correspondents make sure they serve with Chili?
Cornbread or rice, when I make it at home. A local chain used to serve it over a baked potato, with cheese and sour cream. That was quite good. I know that in Cincinnati it’s elbow macaroni, but the chili there is atypical as well.
Cornbread sometimes.
Frito pie sometimes, esp with Texas red/chili colorado:
So top with Fritos, cheese, onion and picked jalapenos.
Or chili goes on an all beef wiener with onions, yellow mustard and cheese.
Cornbread.
I wish I loved Cornbread. Or, even liked it. Was never served at my parent’s table as I grew up. First exposure to it was restaurant dining. Always dry–never transcendent. So, I realize, I’m missing something.
I’ve never heard of macaroni served with Cincinnati Chili. Spaghetti for sure.
As for my options, either tortillas or corn chips, pickles, raw chopped onions, cheddar & other cheese, various hot sauces and ketchup. 
DH is a big fan of cornbread with chili but that doesn’t do much for me. As a kid, my parents always served Ritz crackers with it (or Saltines, etc., if they happened not to have Ritz in the house), but I have never cared for any crackers in my soup. I would eat Cheez-its alongside, but never crumbled in. Personally, I like chili as a meal unto itself, but I don’t mind Fritos or tortilla chips with it, especially if guacamole is served as a side dish.
I like chili over rice, garnished with grated cheese, sour cream and chopped onion. I’ve had it with Frito’s and that’s fine - just feels more like a snack than a meal to me. My Father likes it with potato salad which actually works rather well.
One of my best friends always serves it that way - in fact it’s kind of a signature dish for her, one she serves at parties. And of course it’s very good.
Hmmm. Chili served over something makes it not chili. My contraian side speaking up.
Chili is much like BBQ in there being strongly held personal/regional preferences!
Chopped jalapenos are nice too!
True. Frito Pie is a main dish.
I used to eat chili over rice but now white rice drives my blood sugar through the roof. So these days its usually saltines. However, my neighbor gave me half a bag of French fried jalapenos she got at Costco & those are very good on top of the chili. They were pretty good in the green bean casserole too.
I did not grow up eating chili very often- i still only have it maybe five times a year or so, but i like it topped with raw red onion or scallions and if i’m at home a good scoop of (nondairy) sour cream with either Fritos or those fantastic corn chip scoops from trader joe’s that are really thick and have the right amount of salt.
In a pinch some oyster crackers. Cornbread always seems to be to dry for me and i don’t like it soggy and in the chili itself-i need that crunch texture with the chili.
I’ve heard of all those things, but I only recall chili as being served on a hot dog or French fries, or in a bowl with packets of saltines.
Cornbread. Specifically Jean Owens recipe, none other, from a James Beard cookbook. Not dry, not wet. Perfect cornbread.
Never, ever, crackers.
Otherwise it depends on the style. Beef chili with beans gets topped with cheddar, sweet onion, and sour cream. Usually nothing else but maybe with corn tortillas. Texas/all beef chili can be as the above, or with a real cornbread. (The non-sweet type that is all corn and no sugar or wheat flour.)
Pork chili depends upon the recipe. If it’s nice and fatty I like a dinner style roll, or either sweet or traditional cornbread. Maybe corn tortillas. As does white/green chicken/turkey chili; which I eat very rarely.
I don’t eat vegetarian chili. I don’t even believe there is any such thing. Gack!
In NC chili for hot dogs is a specific style “chili” but not a sort that you would want a bowl full. A dog with chili, mustard and onions is the default. Slaw on top is tradional.
