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So I buy this "Wick Fowler's" 2 Alarm Chili Kit for $1.88 that uses 2lbs of meat.
It's not bad but it's not to good either. I used all 7 packets in it and did the basic, not adding onions or beans. Only meat, tomato sauce and water.
I didn't drain the meat that good because I like fat/oil in my chili. How much difference does it make to taste, good or bad, to not drain the meat? I drained about a 1/3 cup of fat off and that looked to be a little less than half.
I only used half the red pepper spice for a "medium chili" according to the directions.
Everyone else seemed to like it. We all pretty much ate Frito Pies with cheese.
I think you'll find any chili "kits" will be put together for mild taste buds. You'll have to do quite a bit of experimenting to get it to come alive. And you're really better off just doing it yourself from scratch and forgetting about the kit.