Pro tip: my sister said my chili tasted like a can of tomato paste, and she was right
I was dumping in two full cans of paste every batch, so I cut it to one spoonful and browned the meat way harder first, and now it tastes like actual chili for about $7 a pot. She said it straight to my face too, no sugarcoating. What's the one cheap ingredient you were overusing without knowing it?