By Karen Bloom
And while there may be a game on the big screen, a lot of the action takes place around the food – fueling football fans is a sport in itself!
Make it a super day with a game day party that really scores with guests. Keep them cheering with finger-friendly foods for a game-winning strategy that will help you make your big-game party a champ.
Set The Game Day Stage
Decorate with fan favorites by topping the table with a piece of artificial turf, found at your hardware store. Then, use white athletic tape to add yard lines and white self-adhesive numbers, found at the craft store, to finish your themed tablescape with yardage
markers.
Score With Sweets
After the all those appetizers and main entrees, don’t forget dessert. Display cupcakes on a platter and add green “turf” and “yard lines and markers” with frosting.
Send Your Guests Off In Style
Create sports-themed gift bags for guests, featuring team-colored tissue paper and small prizes, such as a freezable plastic mug, bottle koozies and a team bottle opener or coasters. These gift bags also make great prizes for any contests you have during the party, as well!
Brat Super Party Sub
Prep: 30 minutes
Grill/Bake: 35 minutes
Sauce:
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper, optional
Sub:
1 package (19.76 ounces) Bratwurst
1 loaf (1 pound) French bread
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
In a bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
2. Grill brats according to package directions. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4-inch bias slices.
3. Slice bread lengthwise and transfer to baking sheet. Arrange brat slices on bread bottom. Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes or until bread is lightly browned. Remove from oven.
4. Top with sauce, onion and tomato. Cut and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are a great party food. You can make batches and batches in advance, then keep them warm in a chafing dish, or re-heat in the oven. This recipe is close to the Original Buffalo Chicken Wings, from Buffalo's famous Anchor Bar. Serve with raw celery sticks and blue cheese dressing for dipping.
2 pounds chicken wings
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 - 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
1. Prepare chicken wings by cutting off wing tips and separating the wing at the elbow joint (discard tips or save for making stock). Don't get intimidated at this process, it's very easy.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. In a large skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 F. Fry wings for approximately 8 minutes (turn once during cooking if using skillet). Transfer wings to a paper towel, and let drain. Season with salt and white pepper.
4. In a small saucepan, melt butter then stir in hot sauce and vinegar.
5. Place the drained wings in a large mixing bowl. Pour butter mixture over chicken wings and toss to coat. Place wings in a baking dish and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until wings are completely cooked.
6. While the chicken wings are baking, and cut up some celery sticks.
Cheesy Cheddar Roll-Ups
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 tablespoons coarse ground mustard
1 package (16 ounces) Cheddar Sausage
1. In a skillet, saute onion in oil until light golden brown; cool slightly.
2. Unroll crescent dough and separate into triangles (bake or discard two extra triangles). Spread each with mustard and top with onions. Place one sausage on wide end of each triangle; roll up.
3. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Makes 6 servings.
Fajita Quesadilla
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1 cup quartered, sliced onion
1 cup green or red bell pepper strips
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
1 (1.25-ounce) package Fajita or Taco seasoning mix
/3 cup water
10 (6-inch) flour tortillas, divided
2 1/2 cups 4 cheese Mexican blend,
divided
1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken; cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in seasoning mix and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture thickens.
2. Spread 1/2 cup fajita mixture on one tortilla; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Place second tortilla evenly over mixture.
3. Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Place quesadilla in skillet; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Makes 4 servings.
Photo: Pedicure
Party on!
Super Sunday for girls only
By Megan Baldwin
Who says ladies don't love football?
Are you ready for some football? We didn't think so. You may not have wanted to admit it, but you knew it was coming...
The Super Bowl, that most venerated day in the life of the American male. But forget beer, chicken wings and nachos, this year it's time to even the playing field. After all isn't the end of football season reason enough to celebrate?
Whether you're single or attached, take a cue from our playbook and go on the offensive by rallying the girls for gender bending Super Bowl party.
Play 1: The Single Girls Shuffle
Invite all your single girlfriends over for a Gender-Bender of a Super Bowl party.
Ask all your guests to dress (and impersonate) their favorite (or least favorite) stereotypical guy. Great examples include: The Overgrown Frat Boy, The Work-a-holic or The Super Fan. Extra points are awarded for faux facial hair.
No salads allowed! Make like a Skinny B++++ and girl-ify red-blooded, All-American male staples for a guilt-free menu of appetizers and finger food favorites.
If you can't stomach a light beer, serve cans of champagne like Sofia's cute four-pack. Straws are included, but remember to set out trays of chocolate cigars.
Hold the yawns. To get the testosterone pumping while the game is on, plan a few 'mock' male bonding rituals like card games.
Play 2: The Football
Widow’s Reverse Tackle
Why fight over the remote? If your better half has won the coin toss and has called home-field advantage, rally a few fellow "football" widows for an away game.
Choose a fun location. If you're in the mood for some friendly competition, stage an All-Girls Bowl-Off at a local bowling alley or take off your cleats and treat your toes to a “Foot Ball” at a nail salon or spa.
For a stress-free post-game meal, find a local BYOB. Make sure to remember to tell your guests beforehand that you plan on rallying at a restaurant. Bring along a bottle of champagne and toast the end of the season.
Play 3: The Kiddie Corner-Back
If Dad has plans to go out for the big game, invite a few moms (and kids) over to stay in.
Get into the spirit by telling the kids to dress up in their favorite jerseys. Plan to paint faces and set the scene for some chearleading with pom-poms and mega-phones.
To keep kids entertained throughout the game, set up an activity station with blank poster board, stickers, markers and construction paper cut-outs. Encourage the kids to create their own broadcast-worthy "Super Bowl" posters.
If you've got some performers in the crowd, have the kids choreograph their own half-time show routine to music.
In addition to kid-friendly finger foods, make sure to set out a few healthy appetizing options for the moms.
During the fourth quarter when the kids are getting restless, set up a "Super Bowl Sundae" bar with vanilla ice cream and a variety of themed toppings.
Top Five Super Snacks for Girls
Game on! Here are the top five waist-friendly snacking options for a girls-only Super Sunday party.
Chilled cocktail shrimp
Turkey lettuce wraps
Veggies and lowfat ranch dip
Kabobs
Salsa
