VERSUS 
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALLLLLLL?
I certainly am, but more importantly than that I’m ready for some wings n’ things.
That’s right, ladies and gents, it’s that time of the year. The time of the year when you can’t flip through TV for five minutes without catching about 20 beer commericals, 40 pizza commercials, and at least 15 different bikini-clad women who have no business being in either.
For me, this Sunday will be less about the two titan teams of the northeast battling it out for bragging rights for the next year and more about whether I’ve ordered enough bulk packs of raw chicken wings.
This is the menu I’ve designed for my Super Bowl party this year:
-
Spicy Buffalo wings with blue cheese and celery (naturally)
-
Honey BBQ wings (for those who appreciate a little less heat)
-
Turkey chili cheesy nachos (because I can’t drink copious amounts of beer without nachos; well, I can, but I’m not happy about it)
-
Baked spinach artichoke dip with tortilla chips
-
Pizza with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and parmigiano reggiano cheese
The menu needs little explanation. To me, chicken wings are staples of not only Super Bowl parties across the country, but also staples of any event where there is a lot of beer swigging. Buffalo sauce is classic and mindbogglingly simple since it consists of literally just butter and hot sauce. Follow the recipe on the back of the Frank’s Hot Sauce bottle, it’s the original and it’s perfect just the way it is.
The addition of bbq wings was for those few moments when you need a bit of a break from the fire of the buffalo, for when you need some sticky sweetness to coat the back of your searing throat.
I plan to use a technique of Food Network’s Ina Garten’s for oven fried chicken, because I can’t deal with standing there frying up drummettes in batches of 3-4 while my guests pile in and hug me, wondering why I am still dressed in a robe and why I smell like I just got home from working a shift at KFC. But at the same time, I can’t get away from the delicious texture that frying imparts on a wing so Ina’s technique is my solution. I will lightly season and flour the wings, par-fry the wings for about 5 minutes a couple of hours before the party, then finish the cooking in the oven for another 30-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Then I’ll keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until I’m ready to toss, sauce, and serve them.
I perfected making nachos last summer when I discovered that they’re best done in the microwave, not the oven and that I like to use a cheese sauce in addition to real shredded cheddar and jack cheeses for a flavorful, but gooey combo. I add the “turkey chili” (just ground turkey spiced with cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder cooked with tomato paste in a pot) for some heft and depth. To lighten the overall heavy dish, I like to sprinkle salsa or chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, pickled jalapenos, and cilantro on top. I garnish it with dollops of sour cream and sometimes guacamole.
The baked spinach artichoke dip, which I’ve never made before, is a little experiment I’m doing out of curiosity. It could come out fantastic, it could come out oily and disgusting. Who KNOWS? That’s the charm of the dish. I’m excited to make it though because, if all goes according to plan, it’ll be delectable.
The pizza may seem to stand out a little. I was pretty close to cutting it out altogether just to make my life simpler (and my wallet a little less empty), but then I realized I needed another dish that didn’t involve fried components, yet still has a place at a Superbowl party. That’s why I chose pizza and why I kept the dish simple with just fresh chopped tomatoes and a sprinkling of cheese.
I wish all other Super Bowl party hosts and hostesses lots of luck.
Here are some tips to keep the day just a hair less anxiety-inducing:
-
Plan out the cooking/timing of your dishes: This is the only time I’ll say this, but think Rachael Ray here. How does she cook those 30 minute meals? Aside from using disgusting ingredients and shortcuts, she meticulously plans the sequence in which she’ll cook things so everything is ready at precisely the same time. If there are components of dishes you can make ahead of time, by all means, make them ahead of time (like my turkey chili which I’ll be making Saturday). If you have certain dishes that can only be made right when everyone’s ready to eat them, make sure you have at least a few things out (even if it’s just chex mix and pretzels) on the table when your guests arrive so they have something to munch on and don’t notice that you’re still putting the final touches on the more high maintenance dishes (in my case, the wings).
-
Get help from the freezer if you need it: Buy frozen franks in a blanket (Hebrew National brand is best, TRUST ME, I’ve tried many others), get frozen bagel bites, make some frozen dumplings, if you need some assistance. They are great additions to a Super Bowl party menu. No one will notice. Your guests will just be so ecstatic that someone else shares their appreciation of Totino’s pizza rolls.
-
Make more of a few dishes than a little bit of a lot of dishes: This will save you the fear of running out of food since it will be easier to estimate how much you’ll need of 2-3 dishes than 5-6 and, in terms of prep time, number of ingredients, and dirty dishes, your life will be just that much simpler. You will notice I did not follow my own advice here, but then again, I’m a masochist.
-
Don’t forget the non-alcoholic drinks: Not everyone will be drinking beer, so roll that keg aside and make room for some soda and waters.
-
Lastly, relax and have a good time: You can fret and freak on New Year’s or Thanksgiving. This party is a time for friends and family to get together in sweats and jerseys, cheer savagely, eat horrendously unhealthy food with zero guilt, and have an excuse to call in sick the next day.
And one last thing…
GO BIG BLUE!
