by Tierney O'Hara

Created on: August 31, 2009   Last Updated: January 25, 2013

When it comes to Super Bowl parties simpler is better. Sports fans are very excited about Super Bowl Sunday and don't want to miss a minute of the game or the intermission for that fact.

They want to see all the great commercials that come on TV and discuss them with the other guests. They'd rather not have to get up for anything but if they do have to get up to get a beer they'll grab it quickly and hurry back to their place, which they don't want to lose either.

So how do you best feed sports fans who are glued to their seats yet getting hungry?

Start with the simplest of snacks: open up a bag of chips, pretzels, cheese doodles and pour them into one huge bowl or separate bowls.

If you use the idea of one large bowl, the bowl should be fairly shallow so you can pour the different snacks into a section of the bowl and present them that way. At least for the first few minutes of snacking, they'll be separated and no one will mind when a chip manages to find its way to the pretzel area, for example.

Sure you can make tiny meatballs or appetizers with puff pastry, but if this is a party for real sports lovers, they'll be very happy with their beer and chips or wine and pretzels.

Your inexpensive and easy appetizer will keep guests happy for a while, but they will want something more substantial. They won't want a sit down dinner nor will they want to leave the TV viewing area for any length of time.

So bring the main meal to them. Grill up hot dogs and hamburgers and serve them on a tray with squeeze dispensers filled with catsup, mustard and mayonnaise. Bring in plenty of napkins and your guests should be just as thrilled as they are at the ball park or football stadium when they're munching on the gold standard of sports foods: hot dogs and hamburgers.

If you want, you can also individually wrap the burgers and dogs in aluminum foil, pile them up on a tray and bring them into the room like a vendor at the stadium. This is good if you want to make the hot dogs and hamburgers right before your guests are expected, or if you want to keep them warm until other guests arrive. Just put them on a cookie sheet into a low oven at 200 degrees or less, and they'll stay nice and warm and the rolls will stay soft.

Dessert snacks should be something easy to eat, a finger food, like what you might buy from a stadium vendor: how about ice cream bars?

Easy for you, and not that expensive to buy if you stock up when they are on sale. What's better than a chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bar? Ice cream sandwiches are another winner as are Fudgsicles.

The above menu will please 999 out of 1000 sports' fans. You don't need to buy anything else.

But, if you want to add a whimsical twist to the party, and feel you must or want to spend more money on your guests, then offer shrimp cocktail on a platter of lettuce leaves with thick wedges of lemon and a hot red dipping sauce.

A few bottles of inexpensive champagne in a tub with ice can be a special surprise and tastes great with the shrimp, but most people will be just as happy with a beer and a burger.

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