My husband likes the Chili-5 way at Steak and Shake. But this isn't just any chili.
It's served over spaghetti and extra onions.
Can't say I've ever really had it, since I've only been to Steak and Shake post-celiac diagnosis. I had a coupon for the new gluten free Barilla pasta, so I thought I would try to make a homemade version of the Chili 5-way. He was pretty excited about it.
I had also purchased the new Hunt's Dinner Starter for Chili. From the label, there is no distinguishable gluten, and ConAgra states that they will always disclose any source of gluten. So I figured it was safe. And the idea of simply opening a few cans, browning a pound of ground beef, and being able to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes is great during this busy time of the year.
I will say that I really enjoyed the Barilla pasta. Admittedly, I haven't eaten "regular" pasta in over a decade, but this pasta was nice in the fact that it didn't have a strong taste. It was mild, simple, and acted as a great backdrop for whatever sauce you would want to put on it.
I really enjoyed the dish in total. While I didn't add any of the extra onions, I did add extra " No Salt Added Diced" tomatoes while it cooked, and topped it with some shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of Dannon 0% fat Greek Yogurt. It hit the spot on a cold winter's night.
And it warmed me up....in more ways than one.
While sitting in a meeting after dinner, my face started to feel hot. It felt like I had an instant sunburn. And for me that usually means MALT. This has been my tried and true malt reaction ever since I was in college. By the time I got home and talked to my husband, he could literally put his hands on my face and feel the heat radiating off of my cheekbones.
My guess is that there is undeclared malt in the Hunt's Dinner Starter or the Dannon yogurt.
I have not called either company to verify. And in all honesty, my fiery cheeks could be caused by something else. But needless to say, my husband gets to eat the leftovers.
So my suggestion is make your own chili from scratch, ladle a good portion on top of some Barilla pasta, and top it with some cheddar cheese and Chobani plain yogurt.
It's a great taste sensation during these winter months!