slo’s TUESDAY 10/22 poll - Chili Mac vs Chili

[slo]

Many of us are pretty picky with our chili in regards to what’s in it, and one of those items is macaroni noodles. Some of us really like chili mac and have a hard time eating chili without noodles. Some of us don’t like noodles anywhere near our chili. So give us your thoughts on this today……

When eating chili - do you like chili mac or plain chili?
If you are a chili mac person, do you like your noodles mixed into your chili or do you like you chili poured over the noodles?
Do you specific noodles or do you not care what type of noodles are used?
(multiple choice)

*I know some of you may think…. Doesn’t the name chili mac come from only using macaroni noodles? Technically it does, but there are some people that do use spaghetti noodles and still call it chili Mac. Some people may just use whatever noodle is in their cabinet and call it chili mac. Kinda like calling tissues Kleenexes when they’re not Kleenexes, it’s whatever brand is in the house.


For Me……I’m a plain chili girl. My DH loves chili mac so when we have chili we always have elbow noodles for him. I’ve tried chili mac more than once, keep thinking I may change my mind, and nope….don’t like it . He will eat chili without noodles, the noodles are not something he has to have.His parents are also chili mac people, so he’s been eating chili mac his whole life. He likes the chili poured over the noodles and it has to be elbow macaroni noodles.

 

[loves to dive]

Plain chili for me, truthfully, I've never heard of chili mac. Is it a regional thing?

 

[Kitty 34]

No pasta in my chili.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I only eat plain chili. Chili mac doesn't sound good to me.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I hate mac & cheese with a passion. Makes me gag. So there will absolutely be no chili mac for me.

Now, reading your description, it sounds like your idea of chili mac is just adding noodles into the chili? The chili mac I've been aware of is actual mac & cheese plus chili. I could deal with plain noodles mixed in. I could not eat what I know as chili mac.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I do enjoy chili Mac but where I live they like it with spaghetti and a few other things on top - like how Steak N Shake does it I don’t care for anything more than my chili the noodles and maybe some cheese I will eat it with spaghetti but prefer macaroni noodles
When I make chili first night is plain chili / next night is chili Mac / after that anyway you want - I usually have it on eggs after that

 

[NYCgrrl]

I think I’ve heard of chili Mac as Cincinnati chili but don’t hold me to it. I just learned about Texas red chili in the last decade or so so what do I know?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Marie makes chili, usually as chili mac with either an elbow mac or a spaghetti pasta. Sometimes poured over, sometimes mixed in. I like it anyway she prepares it.

 

[Meriweather]

no noodles in my chili

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I do not like macaroni in my chili. I will cook spaghettie separarely and put it in the bottom of the bowl and pour the chili over, however.

 

[bobbiwoz]

No noodles for me usually. I did eat Chili with spaghetti in Cincinnati at Skyline a few times when we lived in Ohio. It was just OK.

 

[hertamaniac]

Plain chili for me. To bean or not to bean.....that is the question.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I've never been a big fan of chili, in general. While I don't remember it during my Cincinnati years, I know the area does serve chili on pasta. It just doesn't make it any more appealing for me. If anything, calling it Chili Mac makes me think mac & cheese vs. chili and pasta. I MIGHT be OK with chili over a bowl of mac & cheese, but still would not be my first choice. I will say that chili WITHOUT beans (see below) would be my preference if I were to have it. The beans just give it this odd flavor and starchiness for my liking.

Something else to consider are regionalisms in chili itself. Some of the country, especially places that put it over pasta, use beans in their chili. While I can't speak for every Texan, I know a lot of people here that are anti beans in chili. You'll hear everything from it being a cheap filler to cut down the meat expenses to it messing with what they consider to be a proper chili taste. I don't really care as much because I won't go out of my way for any of it, but DH and DD15 love chili. If they see it on a menu and we're out of our region, they're pretty much programmed to ask "Are there beans in your chili?" They were in Ohio a few weeks ago and they just knew to avoid it altogether.

 

[ronandannette]

Yeah, no. Chili is a stand-alone thing, not a pasta sauce.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Plain chili for me. To bean or not to bean.....that is the question.

We live in a 'no bean' region. DH and DD15 pretty much consider it inedible if it has beans

 

[design_mom]

I’ll take the noodles minus the chili please. I don’t like chili. Chili Mac seems like a way to ruin perfectly good pasta!

 

[soccerdad72]

I don't know if I would consider chili mac to be the same as Cincinnati chili - Cincy chili just pours the chili (more of a thin meat sauce) over top of the spaghetti, not mixed in with the noodles. Chili mac, IMO, is more like Hamburger Helper.

Personally, I just prefer chili by itself. I'm not even a fan of meat sauce on my pasta.

 

[tvguy]

We live in a 'no bean' region. DH and DD15 pretty much consider it inedible if it has beans

Chili has no beans.
Chili Beans have beans.
Both are fine.

 

[amcnj]

I rarely have chili. Not sure why, as I do like it. And I would be open to eating any type, with or without beans, or macaroni, or….

 

[Meriweather]

For us, no beans in chili