I don't use recipes, but my chili won an award at the lab where I worked before starting this career. My secret is that I don't use ground beef, I chop a steak into small bite sized pieces. And I add super sharp cheddar cheese and lots of chili powder and smoky cumin or paprika. I like my chili to be colourful so I chop red, green & yellow peppers, onions, and use lots of fresh tomatoes and garlic, nothing canned. I use dried black beans that turn out perfectly when you use the slow cooker, but I soak them for hours and dump the water before adding them.