The Super Bowl. What does it mean to us as college women? Personally I love football and wings, and food and fun, so I enjoy this big sporting event. For those of you who also enjoy it, or maybe some of you are trying it out and want to plan a GREAT Super Bowl party, LOOK NO FURTHER. I’ve got you covered as far as main course, snacks and decorations. Since we’re all busy, I’ve broken down each category based on time commitment, so you can see what you might be more willing to spend time on or go for the quick choice.
Food:
Main Courses—It’s your choice to have one or a few, but definitely make one item you serve an actual meal so people don’t feel like they’re just snacking and not eating.
o WINGS—how could you not eat wings on this glorious day?
Time? Try out a new recipe with a kick of flavor like these Honeyed Sriracha (link here) for something new or make your own Honey BBQ wings (link here) for a sense of pride
No time? Bull Run Inn, The Towne Tavern, Big Andy’s, Dean’s Wings (which is NEW) plus multiple others can take care of your wing-need.
o Hot Dogs—Even if it ain’t summer, there’s nothing like an All-American Hot Dog
Time? Make a Hot Dog Bar: load up a table with all the possible toppings you and your friends might want on top and get creative! Also, if you can, hot dogs taste way better grilled than boiled.
No time? If you have a slow cooker, you can cook all of your hot dogs ahead of time. If you still want to do the hot dog bar, prep work can be done ahead of time. Or, you can keep it simple and stress free.
o Chili—It’s really not the Super Bowl until you eat wings or chili. Or both. We’re not opposed to that idea, but maybe try something new this year.
Time? Similarly to the hot dogs, create a chili station with all of the great toppings already pre-chopped. Also, maybe test out a new recipe, a healthier recipe, like swapping out for a vegetarian or vegan option.
No time? Make your standard chili, but do try and err on the healthier side of things. Chili is delicious, but one bowl too many can make for caloric disaster. And a stomachache.
Snacks and Sides—you gotta have the finger foods that you can munch on instead of biting your nails with anxiety, so here are some tried and true and some new ones too!
o Chips and dip: The standard chips and salsa is awesome. Don’t doubt that for a second. People will always eat chips and salsa. Got more time? Try making a seven layer dip or even a three layer dip that incorporates salsa, sour cream, cheese, chili and maybe add some guac to the mix, too (if avocados are looking ripe—or as ripe as they can be in February). No time? Everyone loves Bull dip/dragon dip/whatever involves cheese, spinach and artichokes. And that can easily be purchased ahead of time.
o Pull Apart Bread: Along with the cheese & carb theme, if you haven’t heard of pull apart bread or have not experienced the magic that is pull apart bread, you should. It’s so easy, it’s practically criminal. So just make it. NOW. And then…call me.
o Fruit and Veggie plate: This snack gets a bad rap for being “healthy” but you should DEFINITELY have one if not just for yourself to munch on carrots instead of chips all day long. Time? Head to the farmer’s market here in town and select in season fruit and veggies and cut them yourself. Add a yummy yogurt dip for the fruit and chive and sour cream or ranch dip for the veggies. No time? Walmart and Weis supply similar versions of these.
o Nachos: Melted cheese. Salty chips. Other delicious items. Enough said. Time? Try making individual nacho stacks in the oven so that each guest can personalize their nachos and to keep them fresh and not chewy. No time? Make a nacho station with all the usual accoutrements, but leave the actual nacho making (aka microwave usage) up to each guest.
o So much time you can make all of these and more? MAKE A SNACKADIUM and take a picture and send it in. The best snackadium will win a prize from HerCampus!
Desserts—I’m all about spreading the love and knowledge of great recipes. So, I will share with you the greatest possible dessert you can make for a crowd. And if someone doesn’t like it, you should probably stop being friends with them. Too harsh? Not really.
o Slutty Brownies: Maybe you’ve heard of them or think the provocative name suggests a weird image but you will never make another dessert that will do as well as this one does. It’s cookie dough with a layer of Oreos on top, covered with a layer of brownie batter all baked into ooey-gooey deliciousness. Time? Make every part (minus the Oreos) from scratch. Maybe even put your own twist on it. Substitute the oreos for your favorite treat. No time? Store bought mixes will work just as well.
Decorations:
Theme! It’s important to know whether or not you will need, want or even care if there is a theme to your party. If you are a fan of one of the teams playing, I would suggest generally using those colors and images as your theme. You can get really creative with that idea as well.
o Team Specific Theme: Use the team colors for napkins, paper plates, maybe even food! If there’s a way to incorporate the mascot or team name into anything throughout the day try it out! Like make Gold Miner’s Chili or funny signs like Ray Lewis approves of your chili toppings.
o Non-Specific Theme: Grab those silly football shaped plates and the napkins that look like a football field because as silly as they look, they do add a pleasing aesthetic to your party. Anything you can personalize with a hint of football adds just a little something extra to your party. Need inspiration? Pinterest has all your decorating needs. And more.
For this great Sunday affair the most important thing to do is to relax and have fun. When it’s all over, don’t think of who won or lost; focus solely on which commercial was funniest.