How to Host a Winning Super Bowl Party
When we think of Super Bowl Sunday, we imagine fans everywhere gathered around their televisions eating . . . and drinking . . . and rooting for their favorite teams. When the top two teams challenge each other on Super Bowl Sunday, why not host your very own party? Nina Swan-Kohler, culinary professional and cookbook author of “Tailgates to Touchdowns: Fabulous Football Food,” has developed a “game plan” and a “play-by-play” for hosting the perfect Super Bowl party in front of the TV set at home, where most football fans enjoy watching the game.
Playbook: Determine your list of invitees. You may want to use this party as a way to meet and make new friends so ask your friends to invite their other friends, too. Next, select or create football-themed invitations. You can purchase football invitations at your local party store or better yet, make your own invitations on the computer using available clip art and borders. The nice thing about making and printing your own invitations is that you can make something totally unique for your group of friends. Invitations should be mailed (or e-mailed) one week prior to Super Bowl Sunday.
Winning Line-Up: Show your colors—and pull out all the stops. Fly your favorite team colors and a team logo flag, if you have one. Use small team flags to line the street to your home. Dress appropriately, wearing football sweaters or your favorite team’s colors. Use inexpensive fleece blankets with football designs in your team colors as table cloths. Drape one over the coffee table and another over your serving table (likely located in the kitchen or dining room). Use any and all football serving pieces you have collected through the years or purchase new ones. Depending on your party, you may want to use your dishes, or you may wish to use paper or plastic products (plates, napkins, etc.). This will give you even more opportunities to use team colors.
Play-by-Play: Greet your guests at the door, and make sure they know that you’re glad they came to your party! Let your guests know the “game plan” for the party (tell them what the basic plan is so they know what’s going on and so they will feel like they are part of the group). Give every guest a name tag so everyone can easily make new friends. Offer your guests something to drink and direct them to the food . . . and by all means introduce them to your other guests.
"Easy-to-Tackle" Menu: Choose foods that can be made ahead, when possible. As the party progresses from pre-game to post-game, bring out various foods to keep your guests as excited about the party as they are about the big game. For example, serve assorted drinks and the Sweet and Salty Snack Mix as your pre-game appetizer.
Bring out the Honey-Glazed Pigskins during the first quarter. Your guests can all “huddle” around as they watch the kick-off. During the halftime show, serve Herb-Rubbed Pork Loin with Honey-Onion Barbecue Sauce and Game Thyme Biscuit Squares. Add crisp and crunchy coleslaw or raw veggies on the side, if you like. The cook may want to kick back and announce a “time out” from eating during the third quarter, but the fourth quarter promises to score big when you serve Football Snack Bars.
The memories your guests take home will truly be sweet—whether your team was victorious or not.
To get all the recipes suggested, order your copy of the “Tailgates to Touchdowns” tailgating cookbook at: www.tailgatestotouchdowns.com. This book provides a full menu of options for all your football parties. Plus, there are serving suggestions throughout the book. The recipes are quick and “easy-to-tackle.” Beautiful photography is provided of nearly every mouth-watering recipe so cooks can see what the recipes look like when they are prepared.
Sweet and Salty Snack Mix
Serve as a healthy snack.
6 cups corn and rice cereal (Crispix recommended)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup pure clover honey
1 cup salted mixed nuts
Coat a large shallow baking pan (15x10x1-inch) with cooking spray. Spread cereal in pan. In a 1-cup glass measure, melt butter. Whisk in honey to combine. Drizzle over cereal; gently stir to coat cereal. Bake at 325º for 20 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven; stir in mixed nuts. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes about 7 cups.
Honey-Glazed Pigskins
1 jar (12 oz.) chili sauce
1 cup (12 oz.) pure clover honey
2 tablespoons prepared country-style Dijon mustard
1 package (8 oz.) mini pork sausages (Little Smokies recommended)
In small saucepan, combine chili sauce, honey and mustard. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add pork sausages; heat through. Makes about 50 sausages or 12 servings. Microwave Directions: Place chili sauce, honey and mustard in 4-cup glass measure or 1-quart microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High for 3 minutes or until bubbly. Drain liquid off sausages; add to honey mixture. Microwave on High for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.
Crock-Pot Directions: Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on High setting for 2 hours.
Football Snack Bars
These bars are so full of “nutritional stuff,” they make a great snack on the run.
1 cup pure clover honey
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chunky peanut butter
8 cups crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup white chocolate (vanilla) chips
In large microwave-safe bowl, stir together honey and brown sugar. Microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes, or just until mixture begins to bubble, stirring every minute. Stir in peanut butter until well combined. Stir in cereal to coat. Coat a 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. Firmly press mixture into pan. When cool, cut out football shapes using 3-inch football cookie cutters*. Place white chocolate chips in a heavy-duty plastic bag. Seal bag; microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes (or until melted), massaging the bag every minute. Snip off one corner of bag and decorate footballs as desired. Makes 16 to 20 football bars.