From: Heather MacDonald, Fountain Academy

1 pound (ish) of ground hamburger.
1 cup of diced onions (or 1 decent size onion)
1/2 cup (ish) of diced green peppers (about 1 green pepper)
1 or 2 minced garlic cloves
1 pkg. of store-bought Chili spice (found in the aisle with taco stuff)...Any kind will work.
1 big can of diced tomatoes (plain, not with Italian spices)
1 bottle of chili sauce (I usually end up using just 3/4 of it.
    This time I used the no-name brand, which said "sweet and spicy," but any kind will do).
red chili flakes (this is to taste, but I use about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon)
1 can mushrooms (pieces and stems)
1 can of red kidney beans
    (OR you can just buy one can of mixed beans or any type you like. I vary it up: sometimes
1 can white kidney beans
     I use both full cans, sometimes just 1/2 a can each, sometimes just one kind of bean).
salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown the hamburger in a large pot or frying pan.

2. As the hamburger gets about 1/2 cooked, add the garlic, onions
and green peppers (you can brown the meat and saute the veggies
separately and then add them together--I do that if the meat is
medium ground beef and has a lot of fat. I cook the meat, drain
most of the fat, and then cook the veggies in the same pot. Then I
add the meat back in. If the meat is leaner, I cook them
together).

3. Once meat is cooked and veggies are soft (onions translucent),
add in the Chili spices with about 1/2 cup of water (just to keep
it moist). Mix and cook for a few minutes (3 is enough).

4. Then add the tomatoes, chili sauce, chili flakes and mushrooms (I
often add the water from the mushroom can in too). Heat it up well
(until bubbling) and then turn the heat down and let it simmer for
a while (I usually let it go for an 1/2 hour to 1 hour--ish).

5. Then add in your beans and let it heat through again (20 mins).
At the end, taste it and add salt (sometimes pepper too) to suit
your tastes. I usually add about 1/2 teaspoon, but lots of people
prefer a little more.