by Jennifer Anderson

Besides a television, all you need for a successful Super Bowl party is plenty of food and drink. It’s okay to keep the food simple for this occasion—remember that most of it is going to be scarfed down while everyone’s eyes are glued to the television and not to your painstakingly prepared refreshments. Choose snacks that can be eaten with your hands or with a single utensil—you won’t want to be sawing at a steak on a paper plate in your lap while you balance a beer bottle between your knees.

Kick Off the Festivities Early
Start the party a couple of hours before the game is scheduled to begin—keep the pre-game show on in the background while everyone socializes, loads up their plates, places their bets and gets settled into a comfy spot on the couch. Set up plenty of tables or TV trays in the living room so that food can be set down quickly, in time for everyone to leap to their feet and scream at the television during key moments, as every dedicated fan does throughout an important game.

Let Everyone “Build their Own”
You may wish to serve an array of snacks and allow everyone to graze to their heart’s content. If you want to go the extra mile and offer a full-fledged meal to your fellow football fans, a buffet-style meal is by far the best choice for the occasion. Everyone loves a “build-your-own” buffet, whether the main attraction is hero sandwiches, burritos and nachos, baked potatoes or pizzas. Use your slow cooker to keep the warm items at just the right temperature on your buffet table. Whatever you decide to serve, though, remember that the best refreshments are those that can be prepared ahead of time, requiring a minimum of last-minute fuss.

Here are some crowd-pleasing recipes to help you get the “bowl” rolling!

Recipes

Some of our best-loved munchies
• Restaurant-Style Potato Skins
• Bacon and Tomato Cups
• Bacon Cheese Puffs
• Best Ever Jalapeno Poppers
• Restaurant-Style Buffalo Chicken Wings
• Florentine Artichoke Dip
• Hummus
• Seven Layer Taco Dip
• Kettle Corn

For your baked potato bar
• Easy Chili
• Maria's Broccoli Rabe
• Sun-Dried Tomato Butter

For your pizza bar
• Exquisite Pizza Sauce
• Pesto
• Jay's Signature Pizza Crust
• Italian-Style Sausage

For your nacho and burrito bar
• Mijo's Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
• Nacho Dip II
• Monterey Jack Salsa

For your sandwich bar
• Dark Rye Bread
• Simply the Easiest Beef Brisket
• Portobello Sandwiches
• Wisconsin Bratwurst
• Sauerkraut Salad

And finally, for dessert
• Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
• Caramel Brownies
• Vanilla Ice Cream IV
• Lemon Bundt Cake