That's interesting to hear...I mean I kind of just went from imagination...I knew chilli, more often than not some kind've minced meat right? Just thought about how you'd cook that well and what would go with it?
Seems a bit like a "stew" with chilli to me.
I agree that the legume family would be good there too, lentils (do you guys call 'em split peas?), b.i.p's and definately kidney beans for substance...I would probably throw the lentils in first for maximum diffusion and texture, and then the larger items periodically later in the cooking process - kidney beans would probably be better whole, eh?

Kidney beans definatley go in later, and whole, why of course... but with the beans I used tonight they where dried, so after soaking them all day they also went in at the start as they neede a lot of cooking.

Split peas and lentils are actually 2 different things.

Just want to bump this one to see if anyone has anything to add.

I've never attempted cooking chili before, but I've got a couple pounds of ground beef that I have to do something with very soon...and thus I've decided to try my hand at one of my favourite dishes.

Some great suggestions here already, and I've found some good recipes/tips online - but I'll fully admit I'm not much of a chef and I'll take all the help I can get :)

When in doubt...add more beans.

Hmmm Chilie, I might cook some later...

And so it begins again...

It so happens I soaked some kidney beans the other day.... they are just sitting in an air tight container in the fridge, waiting to be chillified! ;)

Out of curiosity, what type of rice do you use. I'm not sure what it's called, but the one my mum makes is always kind of, I don't know how to put it...fluffy.

I use basamati .... like you get in Indian restraunts.

Mmmmmm....mine turned out wonderfully, if I do say so myself - used a pretty straight forward Chili con Carne recipe, but made some alternations based on some suggestions in this thread and elsewhere.

A successful experiment :D