What goes with Chili?

[Claire]

Someone already mentioned rice, but in Hawaii that was it, period. Chili-rice, almost one word, and the preferred was from a fast food place called, if I remember right, Zippy's. American chop suey, as Mom made it, was more spaghetti sauce on macaroni, not really chili.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I don't usually need to serve anything with chili for it to be filling. But sometimes, you ust want something more than chili. Fortunately, it goes well with almost anything. Make a thick version and serve it over french fries, along with mleted cheese. Or serve it in a bread bowl. A good, crusty French or Italian bread goes great with it. Chili is great with a side salad. It's good in burritoes and tacos. It can be put in Enchiladas, and tamales. Serve it with a side of green beans, or steamed carrots. It's great with grilled or roasted corn on the cob.

Just don't sppon it over my blueberry pie.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

French fries would be good.

 

[Addie]

Someone already mentioned rice, but in Hawaii that was it, period. Chili-rice, almost one word, and the preferred was from a fast food place called, if I remember right, Zippy's. American chop suey, as Mom made it, was more spaghetti sauce on macaroni, not really chili.

My kids loved American Chop Suey. I made it with elbow macaroni, a large can of crushed tomatoes, and sauted ground meat with onions. If I was in a real hurry I would use a couple of cans of Franco Spaghetti. Either way there were never any leftovers. Even today, I will make it for myself. Quick, inexpensive and easy.

 

[FrankZ]

I also like to smother my personal bowl of chili with finely chopped lettuce.

That's a new one on me...

 

[CharlieD]

Gee, this whole site has been on chili kick lately. We have few threads as of late about chili. I guess I need to get of my ars and learn how to make chili. Will make my wife happy too.

 

[FrankZ]

Tis winter time Charlie.. in case you forgot, and ifn' ya did look out the window. I am sure there will be a reminder or three out there.

 

[CraigC]

Native American fry-bread.

 

[CharlieD]

Tis winter time Charlie.. in case you forgot, and ifn' ya did look out the window. I am sure there will be a reminder or three out there.

Nope, no reminder here, everything got melted. Yesterday and this morning too was so beautifull and sunny (or is it sonny?) if it was not a bit on the colder side, I'd say it was summer or at least spring day.

I'll get to it.

 

[LoveThatFood]

Not sure if this has already been mentioned, but I know some people who enjoy chili on top of pasta. I'm like most of you - I love chili with a side of cornbread, though I like to make mine with some natural bran. It makes the cornbread heartier and a bit healthier & very tasty! Of course, I have to top it with butter & a good amount drizzled honey...

 

[Kayelle]

I have an odd way of heating tortillas. I just toss them on an open gas burner under high flame, quickly flip them a few times until lightly browned.

Not odd to me Greg, actually I thought everyone did that.

I don't use a high flame though, I use the lowest possible flame. I keep them moving every few seconds till they look the way I like them.......slightly toasted and pliable with a few chard spots. I must have buttered flour tortillas like this with my chili.

 

[Zhizara]

I haven't done this lately, but mac & cheese on one side of the bowl, chili on the other. You can mix or not as you eat.

 

[Addie]

When I lived in Texas, the Mexicans used the flour tortillas as their "bread." A stack of them had been warmed and they would take one, tear off a piece and use it as a food pusher or to sop up the juices. My neighbor across the road, made tortillas every single day. Come four o'clock you would see her sitting outside making a pile of them.Then she would take them inside and toast and warm them over an open flame on the stove. If they were having a BBQ, she had a home made built oven and grill that she would do them there. I never mastered the art of slapping the tortillas back and forth in my hands. I gave her a lot of laughs trying.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Not odd to me Greg, actually I thought everyone did that.

I don't use a high flame though, I use the lowest possible flame. I keep them moving every few seconds till they look the way I like them.......slightly toasted and pliable with a few chard spots. I must have buttered flour tortillas like this with my chili.

Maybe I'm just odd then. I never heard of anybody else doing that (heating tortillas over an open flame burner). I can't even remember how I started doing that since it was decades ago at least. Maybe I'm impatient. I use a high flame and just flip it quickly several times. I prefer if there's a bit of scorching involved.

I wouldn't dream of serving chili without tortillas.

When I lived in Texas, the Mexicans used the flour tortillas as their "bread."

Here in California too. Tortillas are pretty much served with all Mexican food and we've got plenty of Mexican food here.

 

[Kayelle]

Maybe I'm just odd then. I never heard of anybody else doing that (heating tortillas over an open flame burner). I can't even remember how I started doing that since it was decades ago at least. Maybe I'm impatient. I use a high flame and just flip it quickly several times. I prefer if there's a bit of scorching involved.

I wouldn't dream of serving chili without tortillas.



Here in California too. Tortillas are pretty much served with all Mexican food and we've got plenty of Mexican food here.

Actually my mom always did flour tortillas on the open flame of the stove top and my mother would be 110 years old now. As you know, it's really a wonderful way to prepare them and for people who think the best way to heat them is in the microwave, they're wrong.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Thanks Kayelle. In fact steaming (I presume microwave is some version of that) is distinctly different than open flame. An open flame caramelizes patches on my flour tortillas. No amount of microwave or steaming will accomplish that. It's also a bit labor intensive since it would be quite an effort to keep a party of 6 in hot tortillas this way. Perhaps you could heat them over the flame then wrap in aluminum foil to keep at serving temperature in a warm oven.

Flame toasted tortillas are perhaps analogous in some respects to toast as opposed to warm bread. Not that warm bread isn't good (particularly just out of the oven) and not that fresh tortillas aren't good too.

 

[jonnyjonny_uk]

I like to serve my chilli in different ways depending on the mood:-

On a plain bed of rice (go to fancy with the rice and it detracts from the flavour of the chilli imo)

With a nice crusty garlic bread and cheese to mop up the lovely sauce.

Or, my favorite - serve the chiili in large shallow bowl covered with layers and layers of nachos and covered with melted cheese and finely chopped peppers, tomatoes and olives...................LUSH This way you can forget cutlery and scoop up the chilli on the nachos

I love the sound of all your ideas and making me feel hungry now and looks like chilli is on the menu this weekend seeing as it's so cold outside!!

 

[wilkette]

We serve ours with cornbread. A match made in heaven.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Last night, I grilled 9 hamburgers over charcoal. The chili was already made but meatless. I broke up 3 of the burgers and added them to the chili. The chili was on the hot side, as I had chopped 5 frozen cayene peppers into it from last year's garden. It also had 3 kinds of beans, diced tomato, garlic, sliced onion, chili powder, cummin, and corriander.

Our guests weren't expecting a medium hot chili, which to them was a little hotter than medium hot. They weren't from Michigan and one of them stated that "Michiganders don't know how to make hot chili." Teh chili was an eye opener for him. He needed a large glass of milk.

Sides included my juicy, KFC style cole slaw, chicken egg rolls with pineapple sweet & sour sauce, and grilled burgers (over charcoal of course, and with home made buns and all the condiments).

My guests walkes away saying that they were full and that everything was great. They loved the food and said it was gourmet fair (their words not mine (is there a smilie for big head?)).

My point is, you can serve just about anything with chili. In my case, the chili was the appertizer for the other foods, Each food was served to showcase a particular food type for my gurests. They loved the meal.

Chili rules!

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[MrsBlueEyzz]

We serve ours with cornbread. A match made in heaven.

Same here I love a good cornbread with chili Although I like some of the other ideas (tortillas) too.