Whether you're making real Texas-style chile con carne (no beans, please!); a quick weeknight ground-beef-and-canned-bean chili; or even a vegan or vegetarian version, the best thing you can do to up your chili game is to leave those jars of pre-ground chili powder on the shelf. Starting your chili with real, honest-to-goodness whole dried chilies will save you money, while adding layer upon layer of complex flavor that you never thought was possible.