Food & Recipes, Friendships, Home Entertaining
How to host an EASY and fun Super Bowl Party
Two big tips and one great recipe idea for #Superbowl #SB52 – Good Food, Good Friends, Great Times.
I have hosted a ton of Super Bowl Parties at my home and, I’ve been a guest at quite a few of them as well. I’ve tried doing it a lot of different ways but a casual affair like this should always be fun – for everyone. And that calls for my “go-to” Super Bowl party plan – a tiny bit of variety along with an easy setup. Everything is set up with what a friend of mine calls a ‘quick snap’: one cup, one napkin, one plate (or bowl), and you’re back to the game.
It goes without saying that we want cold beverages that go best with whatever it is that’s on the menu. I think a good set for the icebox will include sodas, beer, and bottled water. But don’t forget your friends who like mixables. I’ll keep it simple this year – I’m serving Mexican food so we’ll be mixing margaritas with Casa Sauza Tequila Reposado, Jose Cuervo Salt, and a big bottle of 1800 Tequila Margarita mix. But for those of us that like our tequila “neat” (no mixers or even ice!) it will be Don Julio 1942.
And to go with that margarita or sipping tequila, a favorite recipe from bon appétit – Chili con Queso – basically a layered dip with taco meat, queso (cheese!), with guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo on the side. Watch me cook up this easy recipe on video.
Check out the bon appetit website for the full recipe. This is an easy one, but there’s always room to make a few things better. These are my recommendations:
- Make sure that you read the recipe through. I often go over a recipe two or three times just to make sure that I didn’t miss anything.
- Chop and cut everything ahead of time (mise en place – or ‘everything in its place’). You can usually put all the wet ingredients that will be added at the same time in one bowl, all the veggies that are added at the same time in one bowl, and any dry ingredients (spices, etc.) that are added at the same time in another bowl. Fewer bowls equals less clean up!
- I “seed” my tomatoes – simply pull off the seeds from the middle of the tomatoes before I chop. It adds less water to the finished product. The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I like to do it anyway.
- Use Kosher Salt as it is less ‘salty’ than table salt and easier to control. It comes in a big box and can be found in any grocery store.
- I used sharp cheddar cheese instead of mild for more flavor.
- I used finely shredded cheeses because they melt almost instantly.
Now, if you’re only using your taco chips for something light like a simple salsa dip then any of the thin fresh tortilla chips will work, BUT if you want to dip into this layered Queso, you will need a thicker chip that won’t break. You can make your own, but why go through the bother and mess when really all you need is a sturdy chip like Mission Tortilla Triangles.
Finally – my tip of tips for entertaining at home – don’t use china for a casual get together like the Super Bowl. But, you do want to use something much sturdier than regular paper plates so they will hold up well under the weight of the food. If you’re dipping into this Queso, arm yourself with sturdy stuff that will not fold up on people’s laps. I like the disposable bowls, plates, cups, and utensils by EMI Yoshi. I’m even using platters from them for the chips. They look really great and you can find them on Amazon.
May the best team win!
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