Not to toot my own horn, but I make a really good chili (toot! toot!). But I never gave it any additions – no noodles, especially no beans. It just wasn’t my preference.
To me, basically chili is a good sauce and some ground beef. From there you can add whatever you would like to the top – sour cream, onions, crackers, cheese, the lists go on and on. But I’ve always wanted to enhance those flavors.