I used Pancetta instead of American bacon, and it was wonderful. I was out of chili powder so instead I used about 1 tbsp of ground cumin, and added 1 tbsp of tomato paste to thicken it, as one user suggested. Because I was scared of this being too "soupy", I only added 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth, and still it was too watery, so I ended up having to use about 2 tbsp of corn starch, which evened it out. I also agree with the user who said the cilantro was crucial to this recipe! The end result for me was outstanding, even with the pancetta and without the chili powder. Highly recommended. My husband was a non-believer of "chili without beef" until now!

I added a pound of ground beef, used habanero chili powder, and substituted white kideny beans for the northerns. It was great!

Maybe I just don't like bean chili, but I didn't think this was very good - rather bland in fact. I doubt I would make it again, but if I did, I would add hamburger, cumin, and hot pepper flakes. I did add grated cheese and that was the only thing that saved it for me. Also, I had to cook it for about an hour in order to get it thick, rather than the soupy consistency it had with just 15 minutes of cooking.