Chili is a very personal thing -- so many people do so many things with it, but I'm happy to share my very "generic" chili recipe:
One quart canned tomatoes
3/4 lb ground beef
One can kidney beans
One onion (chopped)
Chili powder (I use at least a tablespoon), salt and red pepper flakes to taste.
Brown the ground beef in a large pot with 1/2 of the onion. Drain the fat from the beef and return the beef to the pot with the tomatoes and rest of the onion. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and add those as well. Add about one quart water. Add spices to taste. Let it simmer forever (until it cooks down to the consistency you like it).