In case you hadn’t heard, the Superbowl is rapidly approaching. Although our Carolina Panthers didn’t make it, watching the Superbowl is the perfect excuse to eat and drink with friends. Mr. Fo and I have thrown quite a few Superbowl bashes in our day and for this reason I think I’m qualified to offer a few tips on how to throw a Superbowl party.
1) Food: This should really have its own post. Between the cheese, dips, wings and football shaped treats, Superbowl food is an institution. Here are a few of my favorite things when it comes to Superbowl food:
In the Cheese Category:
Combining my 2 favorite foods, pasta and cheese – these Mac and Cheese Bites are amazing. I have made these before (without ham, because I don’t think it’s necessary) and they are a party pleaser.
Winning the Award for Dips:
Not into onions in your dip? These individual 7 layer dips spooned into low martini glasses should do the trick.
And finally, football shaped treats:
The simplest football-themed dessert is the classic football brownie. We’ve all seen it and with store bought brownies and frosting, anyone could whip up these sweet treats! Don’t let those iced laces scare you away either since I know that even those without a steady pipping hand could ice on those laces pretty respectably. That said, here are a few variations on the classic football brownie:
Spiked Football Brownies – Add a little bourbon to your brownies for celebrating when your team wins or drowning your sorrows if they lose!
Another twist on the classic brownie? These Mason Jar Brownie treats are a real showstopper and a great take home dessert!
These pop in your mouth Brownie Bar Bites with chocolate footballs on top are simply adorbs.
2) Decorations: This is not the time for a fancy tablescape, overdone florals or tons of sparkles. It’s football, so think sporty and casual. If you must create a tablescape (Ahem, talking about myself) you can’t go wrong with a football field table. Here’s one I did a few years ago using astroturf I picked up from Home Depot. You can see the full party post HERE.
If you can’t find astroturf, brown craft paper will also do the trick:
Image Credit
3) Big TV: This is a pretty obvious one, but I thought I’d throw it in there. Whether you are watching the game for the commercials or the football, you can’t watch the big game with bunny ears. I’m talking to you Mom (her TV is ridonk small).
4) Booze: I happen to think that this is a key ingredient to any party, but especially for the Superbowl. Despite the Superbowl being on a school night (whose idea was that??), Superbowl is a drinking event. The main ingredient – Beer! Luckily for me, I happen to thoroughly enjoy beer (not as much as wine, but close). With the wide variety of beers available form around the country (and the world!) find beers that match up with the teams city. I did this at my Superbowl party a few years ago:
5) Comfortable dress code: Men should rejoice as this is one of the few times where a jersey is an acceptable thing to wear outside of the house. For the ladies, please don’t be that girl that shows up to the Superbowl party in heels. Heels + Buffalo Wings don’t mix.
6) Activities for kids: If you’re like me and everyone in your life is having babies, you might want to have some activities for them so you can watch the game in relative peace without kids saying “I’m booooored.” (Side note, I think I coined the phrase “I’m booooored” when I was a child.) My personal favorite activity for kids is to stick them in another room with the latest Disney movie, but if you’re looking for something more creative check out these ideas:
Set up a craft table and let the kids create!
If the kiddos are old enough to watch the game, this Bingo game will be fun for them and even the adults!
Here’s a article with a slew of ideas to keep kids occupied during the big game – http://www.parentmap.com/article/super-bowl-activities-for-kids
Finally, there’s always the good old fashioned outdoors. Bundle up your kiddos and send them outside to make their own football memories!
I hope these tips help you throw the Superbowl party of your dreams. Remember, just put out a little cheese and beer and have a larger than average sized TV and I promise everyone will have a good time!