By Bill “Go Pats” Whetstone
Good friends, good food & good football!!!
First, determine who will play host. It will likely come down to who among your friends has the biggest TV, or better yet, an outside TV. A couple of years ago, Jolene and I wintered in Quartzsite, Arizona. We had full hookups and access to a 42-inch outside television, which proved to be a perfect combination for a Super Bowl party.
Once the party site is determined, it’s time to put together a menu. What are the ingredients a great event? Start with an appropriate culinary theme. Consider the Super Bowl host city, and the competing teams’ home cities. For Super Bowl XLVI, we have the New England Patriots and the New York Giants playing in Indianapolis. This gives us three areas from which to draw local food favorites. Following are my recommendations:
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
Host city: Indianapolis — I had to do some research on this city’s cuisine, as I have only driven through and haven’t actually dined there. Breaded pork tenderloin is one dish that repeatedly popped up in my searches. And of course, since “Indy” is in the middle of beef country, steaks are also a good option. So for an Indianapolis-inspired Super Bowl menu, I would suggest breaded pork tenderloins. If you’re having a buffet, you might want to consider something along the lines of a London broil. Sliced nice and thin and served with au jus, this is a very tempting option.
AFC Champs: New England Patriots — New England is known for its seafood, including “chowdah” and “lobstah” (as they would be pronounced in local parlance), as well as baked beans. While lobster may be a little high-end for a Super Bowl party, langostino has a similar taste and a lower price. I think a langostino salad with soft rolls would be a big hit. If you’re planning on clam chowder, remember that the New England version has a cream base. For authentic baked beans, you should start from scratch; but for expediency, you can simply open some cans and heat. You can always add a special ingredient to make it your own — perhaps bacon, maple syrup or BBQ sauce.
Buffalo wings are a Super Bowl staple
NFC Champs: New York Giants — New York is known for Buffalo wings. OK, so maybe Buffalo has their own team; but what Super Bowl party is complete without wings? New York City, a little closer to the Giants’ home turf, offers a great selection of deli food. Think corned Beef, pastrami, blintzes and other classic dishes. Another good option is a deli tray consisting of meats, cheeses, assorted breads and the like.
These menu suggestions should give you a good start for planning a party. You’ll also want to add in other traditional Super Bowl snacks like potato chips, dips, soft pretzels with hot cheese or mustard for dipping, relish trays and a good coleslaw. For recipes, my go-to resource is allrecipes.com. It’s a great site that is free to use; in addition to countless recipes, it also offers a built-in tool that allows you to adjust recipes for a specific number of servings.
Champagne to toast the victors!
However you celebrate the Super Bowl, have fun cheering on your favorite team. And for those of you with “no dog in the hunt,” just think of all the great food you’ll get to eat while your friends are paying closer attention to the game.
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