Coat the bottom of a big pot (6 quarts or so) with oil or melted shortening. You don't need much, just enough to keep the meat from sticking. Add the meat and let it cook for a few minutes over medium heat. When the meat is starting to cook and is breaking apart, add the chopped onion and stir in. Add powdered ingredients and stir them in. Stir this a few times while cooking. When the meat is almost done, add the beans. Rinse the cans with a little water to get all of the sauce out of the cans.
At this point your chili should be slightly watery. If it's not, add a little more water (or beer). Let this simmer for about 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. After about 20 minutes, taste it! If you think it needs more flavor, add more seasoning, like chili powder. The most common reason I've seen for having a flavorless batch of chili is not enough chili powder. So if it's bland at this point, add some more. DO NOT BE AFRAID! Let this cook for about an hour and a half, stirring and tasting occasionally.
~ It can be ready to eat any time after the meat is cooked but gets better after about an hour or so. And it is better still the next day. Here are some other things to try. Try one at a time or all at once. Experiment! Have fun with it! ~ Add a 15 oz. can of whole tomatoes when you add the beans. (Smash them up some with a fork first.) ~ Add or substitute top sirloin steak to/for the ground beef. Cut it up into small pieces. ~ Add some chopped up fresh garlic, 2 or 3 cloves should do it. Or even 6 or 8 if you like garlic. ~ Kick up the heat with some ground red pepper (cayenne) or a couple of chopped jalapenos. ~ Add a beer. Not light. Not flavored. ~ Try a tablespoon or so of Worcestershire sauce. ~ A couple of chopped chipotle chilies (without the sauce if you are using canned) will add a nice smokey flavor as well as a little heat.
