You may have thought you were done with entertaining a crowd now that the holidays are over, but if you’re a football fan, you still have one of the year’s biggest holidays coming up: the Super Bowl! If the thought of hosting yet another big get-together so soon after the holidays makes you nervous, take a deep breath and stop worrying—throwing a great Super Bowl party doesn’t have to be difficult at all. The tips below can help you plan a stress-free occasion that any football fan would enjoy:
Go crazy with color
It’s not necessary to go over the top with decorations for your Super Bowl party since the main focus will be on the TV and the snacks. One easy way to make your house a little more festive though, is to use team colors as much as possible. Adding food coloring to any white dips, buying colorful plastic cutlery, hanging strings of lights and using colorful tablecloths are all easy ways to show support for your team.
Arrange seating ahead of time
Before guests arrive to watch the game, make sure you have enough seating for everyone and be sure to arrange it so that everyone has a view of the screen and easy access to food. If you don’t have enough couch space, place throw pillows or bean bags on the floor so everyone has something to lean against. Another tip: make sure to leave a path to the bathroom!
Have a separate food table
Instead of cramming drinks, trays of appetizers, pots of chili and plates of desserts onto your coffee table, set up a buffet table somewhere that’s not directly in front of the TV, such as behind the couch or off to the side of the room. This will allow people to focus on the game without worrying about knocking someone’s hand away every time they reach for a snack and will help prevent food being knocked to the ground.
Make easy-to-eat apps
When you’re cooking for a crowd, especially during the Super Bowl, avoid making foods that require a fork, knife or spoon. Instead, cook big batches of bite-size appetizers that people can easily grab with their fingers or a toothpick. Making miniature versions of party appetizers also makes it easy for you to serve many guests at once and reduces the amount of dishes you’ll need to make.
These Sloppy Joe Bites are perfect game-day treats that you can make in just half an hour. Sloppy Joes are meaty and messy—putting them into the definite category of “Super Bowl food”—but these bite-size versions make them incredibly easy to eat.
Creamy Sloppy Joe Bites from Manwich®
Prep Time: 30 min
Serves: 20 (2 bites each)
- 2 long baguettes, cut into ½-inch slices
- PAM® Olive Oil No-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground sirloin beef (90% lean)
- 1 15 oz can Manwich® Original Sloppy Joe Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup shredded smoked or sharp cheddar cheese
Spray both sides of each bread slice with cooking spray. Toast in the toaster oven or under the oven broiler until slices are golden brown; set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add beef and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until crumbled and brown. Add Sloppy Joe sauce and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and salt.
To assemble:
Spoon a spoonful of Sloppy Joe mixture on each toast piece and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Don’t worry if a little Sloppy Joe spills off the side—it’s supposed to be messy!
Author Bio: This is a guest post written by Meredith K. on behalf of Manwich®. Visit www.manwich.com to find more Super Bowl recipes along with quick and easy recipes for dinner.
