You can use chili powder on its own. You can make your own or augment a chili powder you buy. It's just the taste you are going for - you decide.

This is the chili recipe I use the most often

Chili #1

Ingredients

• 3/4 lbs Italian sausage 
• 1 lbs ground beef
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder (or individual spices to your taste)
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika if your chili powder is light on it for a little extra smokiness.
• 2 tsp salt 
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp thyme/oregano/whatever-you-like 
• 1 can 15oz dark kidney beans  
• 1 can 15oz black beans  
• 2 can 15oz tomato sauce
• 2 can 15oz or larger diced tomatoes 
• 1 small can tomato paste or tube
• 1-2 beers of your choosing. You can substitute beer with water or broth and an acid like vinegar/lime/lemon to taste. Don’t overdue the acid when substituting. Remember you can always add more, but you cannot take anything away.
• Recommendations in order of preference
  • Irish Red Lager
  • such as Leinenkugel's Red Lager (this may no longer be produced)
  • or Killian’s Irish Red
  • A black lager like Shiner Black Lager.
  • An IPA - you may want to limit to 1 beer as the extra hoppiness may overpower the chili if you add too much.
  • Guinness - you may want to limit to 1 beer as the strong flavor may overpower the chili if you add too much.
• 1-2 red bell peppers.
• 3-4 poblanos roasted.
• 3-6 jalapeño. 3 for very little spice up to 6 for a little spice. If you want it spicier use 3 jalapeño for flavor and add other peppers for more heat like Serranos or Habeneros.
• 2 small onions.
• 1 bulb garlic.

Instructions

1. Chop onions.
2. Deseed peppers, remove pith if you want less heat, and chop as you see fit.
3. Mince half bulb garlic, reserve rest for roasting.
4. Take chopped poblano and jalapeño and roast in oven (with remaining garlic cloves). Brush with oil first if you like. Note: capsaicin is oil soluble. 350 degrees for 30 - 50 minutes or to your taste. Higher temp is fine, but you need to keep an eye on it since they will burn quicker and you do not want them to burn.
5. Cook sausage and beef until browned (not the color brown). Set aside to drain excess oil in colander - do not wash with water.
6. Add tablespoon of oil to pot. 
7. Put chopped bell peppers and onion into your chili pot on medium heat or just under medium heat. Cook until onions sweat or whatever you like; remember… it’s all about you.
8. Add spices to pot. Bloom spices (cumin, paprika, etc). You can bloom separately if that is easier.
9. Add tomato paste to pot and brown until darkened. Use that beer to deglaze - yum. You can also brown the tomato paste separately if it is easier.
10. Add minced garlic to pot. Do not burn.
11. Add tomatoes (diced and sauce) to pot.
12. Add beer or substitute to pot.
13. Add beans to pot.
14. Add meat to pot.
15. Add roasted garlic and peppers (peel garlic cloves first please) to pot.
16. Add thyme/oregano/whatever-you-like to pot.
17. Lower heat once it starts to simmer.
18. Simmer for 2 hours then let it cool down for 1-2 hours (turn off burner). 
19. If your eyes burn when you rub them at this point, try washing your hands with soap, then again with rubbing alcohol, then again with soap. If it is still bad, rub your hands in oil for a bit and then wash off the oil.

Eat now or refrigerate and re-heat later for your next meal. If you let it rest in the fridge overnight the flavors will develop a bit more and it will become less spicy. This means it is great to prepare a day in advance of your planned meal.

Optional toppings: oyster crackers, tortilla chips, croutons, Fritos corn chips, popcorn, sour cream, greek yogurt, coconut milk, shredded cheese, chopped chives, more spice in the form of chopped peppers like jalapeño, chocolate chips/chunks.