Are you planning on having some of your rowdy football-fan friends over on Super Bowl Sunday? I’m not a big professional football fan, but I like any excuse for a party! We’ve hosted several Super Bowl parties over the years, along with a plethora of other types of parties, and I’ve learned a few Super Bowl party tips.
For one thing, a Super Bowl party is different than most parties. At most get-togethers, the guests move around. They wander over to the snack table or the buffet, then they mingle with the other guests. At a Super Bowl party with diehard fans in attendance, there isn’t a lot of mingling. They’re focused on the TV. They want food, but they prefer eating it from the couch so they don’t miss a play.
With that in mind, you need to have food tables in the room with the television. Use your coffee table, your end tables, and card tables. If you’re serving real food or even heavy hors d’oeuvres, I suggest inviting guests early, before the pre-game show. Then they’ll have time to eat and visit before the action starts. Set the foods up on the dining room table or in the kitchen. That’s a great thing about the typical Super Bowl party – it’s very casual. Make as much of the food ahead of time as possible, then zap it in the microwave or warm it up in a crock pot.
Of course, the guests are still going to want to snack while watching the game. This is where non-messy snacks come into play – munchies that don’t require plates and forks. If you’ve already fed the guests a meal or substantial finger foods, you can get by with less during the game. Place big bowls of chips, pretzels, nuts, and snack mix around the TV room. Supply napkins, but don’t worry about plates. I’m including some links to my recipes for snack mixes and other party foods – see below.
Other Super Bowl party tips to consider: How much drinking will be going on? Most guys expect to drink beer at a Super Bowl party. If you’re supplying the brew, you’ll save money by buying a keg. If you do, set it up in the kitchen on a floor that’s impervious to liquids. There will be leaks and spills and dribbles! Also, if your living room coffee tables and end tables are wood, you might want to cover them with cheap plastic tablecloths – not to look pretty, but for protection. Even if you supply plenty of coasters, ardent fans often get so involved in the game that they become careless.
Some other Super Bowl party tips to think about: Will any non-football-fan spouses be coming to the party? If so, you need to think about them, too. There needs to be an area either inside your home or out on a deck or patio (if you live where it’s warm) where the non-fans can visit. Someone needs to play hostess to them, too.
And what about kids? Will any guests be bringing their children? If so, set up a bedroom or basement as a playroom for the little ones. Hire a babysitter to keep them entertained. You might want to pop a kiddie movie in the VCR, and be sure to have juice boxes and kid-friendly snacks on hand.
If you plan your Super Bowl party far enough in advance, it’s sure to go off without a hitch. You can find more Super Bowl party tips online. Also, adequate planning will ensure that you get to enjoy your own party!
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