Gearing up for Super Bowl XLVI? We certainly are. If like most people, you are a long way from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, it’s likely that you’ll be watching the game on TV in February enjoying some football treats. If you are the long established host of the super bowl party (or you’ve been roped into the role by your partner), now is the time to start planning for the big day. If you usually watch the game at home with your cat and a TV dinner, get into the spirit this year, and join in the American tradition of the Super Bowl party!
Even if you’ve shown only a vague interest in the game all year, and on the morning of February 5th, have to ask the question, “so, who’s playing?” this is the day to have fun getting your football on! The quantity of food consumed on Super Bowl Sunday is trumped only by Thanksgiving Day, and even if you don’t understand what an interception, fumble or first down means, with commercial airtime during the Super Bowl broadcast at its most expensive for the whole year, at least you’ll enjoy the ad breaks.
Approach the super bowl party with the same enthusiasm you would for any other special holiday. Super Bowl Sunday is a de-facto national holiday after all. In fact, if you think about it, this day is much like Thanksgiving Day for all intents and purposes - family and friends gather, eat too much, and sit around watching football. If you are hosting the Super Bowl party this year, impress your guests with the ultimate game day treats, and leave them wanting to return next year. Let us show you how to make Super Bowl XLVI, the party of the year come February 5, 2012.
You’re going all out this year, so the whole house has to be in football mode. Decorate your home with football paraphernalia, by hanging streamers, flags and masks in team colors. Tie balloons on the letterbox and stick your team mascot to the door. Create a nice ambiance for nightfall with lanterns (also in team colors) strung up around the BBQ area or patio. Anything you can think of that creates splashes of team colors around the house will get people in the mood for football.
If you are entertaining adults, make pitchers of cocktails in team colors. For example, a pitcher of Cosmopolitan or anything with cranberry juice makes a great red cocktail. A good blue cocktail is the Blue Lagoon, featuring blue Curaçao. For green, mix up a punch bowl of Japanese Slipper; make Tequila Sunrise for orange, Long Island Iced Tea for brown and so on.
Based on Shari’s Berries nation wide customer base, chances are your home team will not be playing in the super bowl this year. Even still, you’ll probably have a favorite from the teams that did make it, and you will have a few fans of both contending teams at your party. Keep in the competitive spirit of the game, but make sure everyone feels welcome. Even if you are a diehard fan of one of the teams playing, don’t exclude the fans of the other team - we know you want to, but it’s impolite. A great way to include everyone is to serve the hometown cuisine of both teams. You needn’t hide the fact that you are going for the Packers while making all your guests feel at home (you can wear your cheese-head hat while you serve up Boston baked beans to the New England supporters).
The Super Bowl party in synonymous with hearty, casual food. Offer some favorites that you like to make, and add interest with some local cuisines from the contesting teams’ hometowns. It depends on who’s playing of course. A few favorites at last count were the Green Bay Packers (Go Cheese, Go!) the New England Patriots (clam chowder, anyone?) and the New Orleans Saints (get your Cajun on!) However, some surprising contenders are causing a stir amongst gamblers across the nation, like the San Francisco 49ers, who opened at 100/1, and are now at 7/1, and we can’t ignore the Denver Broncos’ winning streak that’s been causing a stir lately. We might just be grilling trout for our guests come February!
So for arguments sake (and we’re not suggesting anything here), let’s say the New England Patriots make it through. Provided you have Pats fans at your party, put out candy Boston Baked beans in bowls pre game, or buy red, white and blue candy and put it in finger bowls around the room. Do a clambake if you are particularly enthusiastic, or serve New England clam chowder (be sure to refer to it as “chowdah” as you dish it out), and lobster rolls that you’ve made or had brought in. Serve a sweet cranberry loaf or cake for dessert, or bake some maple sugar cookies.
If Green Bay does it again this year, and it’s looking like they just might, there is no end to the cheesy delights you can make for your Packers fans. Get a cheese fondue party started, or fry up some cheese curds and get a Wisconsin cheese soup on the boil. Or you can put a little gourmet spin on grilled cheese sandwiches by throwing a little prosciutto and Brie, grilled veges, or Gorgonzola and pear into the mix.
If you can’t easily find a cuisine that is synonymous with a team that is playing, make pizzas in the team colors. (Pumpkin and blue cheese go surprisingly well together and solves the problem of not knowing what to serve your Denver Broncos fans.) Home made pizzas are hearty and appeal to almost everyone. Make them the day before without cooking the toppings, so you can take them straight from the fridge and crisp them up in the oven on game day.
Shari’s Berries are in full Super Bowl swing, and our hand-dipped Football Berries are a great way to kick off your football party. Gourmet, dipped strawberries are decorated like little footballs, down to the white stitching. Serve them as guests arrive, or bring them out as a delicious surprise for dessert!