Ultimate 'chili board' is your fall feeding fantasy come true

Emily Schmidt of the Gathered Living website shared her recipe with Fox News (Emily Schmidt/Gathered Living)

There's something so comforting about a bowl of chili. The trouble with making it for a crowd, however, is that everyone like it served just a bit differently. 

Enter the ultimate chili board: A giant tray (available on Amazon) brimming with chili and all the fixins' for a mix-and-match, DIY masterpiece of fall entertaining. It's the creation of Emily Schmidt, who told Fox News the board is the most popular of all her boards every fall. 

Schmidt, who is from Versailles, Kentucky, and the woman behind the Gathered Living website, shared her step-by-step instructions on how to build the chili board. 

Pro tip: "I always recommend getting a small bowl to start so you can try several different topping combinations and not fill up with just one," she said. 

How to make the chili:

- 1 lb. Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef

- 1 15 ounce can mixed chili beans or tri-bean blend (kidney, pinto, and black beans)

- 1 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes

- 8 ounces tomato puree

- 1/3 cup chopped white or yellow onion

- 1/3 cup chopped red and/or green peppers

- 4 tablespoons chili powder

- 2 tablespoons garlic powder

- 2 tablespoons cumin

- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

- 2 teaspoons paprika

- salt and pepper to taste

Everything you need to create the board:

- sour cream

- shredded cheese of your choice (I used a cheddar mix and a Monterrey Jack)

- pasta of your choice (angel hair and ditalini pasta pictured)

- diced red onion

- guacamole

- diced green onion

- sliced jalapeños

- chopped cilantro

- oyster crackers

- Fritos (I used scoops)

- Doritos

- tortilla strips

- crispy fried onions

- cornbread (premade or make your own)

Instructions - for the chili

Cook the ground beef with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large skillet until browned, stirring constantly. Drain grease from skillet and add the beef to a large stockpot.

Add the beans, diced tomatoes, onion, peppers, and tomato puree to the stockpot as well, then top with all the spices. Stir to combine all ingredients.

Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through and bubbly, then reduce to a simmer.

For the best flavor, simmer for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, but you can also serve immediately if needed.

Instructions - for the board

Start by placing your chili in the center of the tray/board first. I used a smaller cast iron crock to hold mine and keep it warm, but you could use any kind of pot, bowl, or crock.

Next, I surrounded the chili with my cornbread (cut up into bite-sized pieces).

After that I started arranging the bowls around the chili and cornbread center. I placed all the ingredients minus the chips, crackers, crispy onions, and tortilla strips in their own individual bowls. Try to evenly disperse to balance out color where you can (for example I put my two kinds of pasta across from each other, as well as my two kinds of cheese).

Now you can fill in the remaining space in between the bowls and edges of the tray with the chips and crackers. I kept mine in piles/sections of each type. You can sprinkle everything with a little cilantro for color at the end! If you can’t fit everything, just keep it to the side to refill as people eat!

Build your own bowl of chili with all the delicious toppings and enjoy.