I feel bad for those that didn’t get to experience chili day with cinnamon rolls. I grew up in not rural Iowa and we got it (graduated 2001, as it may be more of a period of time thing than a location thing).
But to clarify a few things. You didn’t have a cinnamon roll bowl with chili in it. The cinnamon roll was on the side, like a dessert. There were also usually two other vegetable sides. The chili was in a regular bowl with crackers. It’s just that the cinnamon roll was the most delicious cinnamon roll and would only come on chili day (or so it’s remembered. My school district also gave them during taco day. It was just every Wednesday and chili day and taco day alternated Wednesdays.)
Some people did dip the cinnamon roll in their chili, but those kids should be ashamed and embarrassed.
Side note: as a future entrepreneur, I grew up poor and got free lunch, but would sell my cinnamon roll to a rich doctor’s kid for $5 bucks.