While every country has its meat sauce, American chili has been a backbone staple for many communities in different states. From Chili Queens serving cowboys in the flatland frontiers of Texas to frugal counter service chili parlors staving off the strife of the Great Depression, chili has been front and center affordable good eats. Mirroring the rich sauces of northern Mexican cuisine, chili relied on the deeply developed sauce to provide satiety, when in reality, there was very little meat in the chili itself. During the Great Depression, many places added bulk by substituting some or half of the ground meat for cheaper ingredients like oatmeal. While Chili Queens are long gone, and very few Depression-era chili parlors stand, the memory of smooth and saucy chili still rings loudly in everyone’s memory. Luckily, now you don’t have to reminisce about it, you can make this chili.