by B. B. James

Created on: January 23, 2012

With the Super Bowl just a few weeks away, everyone's attention turns to the most important part of the game: the food.  What will we be eating during the 5 hours that we'll be in front of the television to watch the game, the new commercials, and the over-the-top, overproduced halftime show?

Selecting football food is a matter of taste (pun intended).  You need food that's tasty and goes well with a variety of drinks.  To be sure, many people will be drinking beer while watching the game, but many other fans are wine drinkers or teatotalers (and kids).  Variety is the spice of life (and other pun), and variety is crucial for football game enjoyment.

Start with the basic finger snacks: chips, pretzels, peanuts, etc.  This gets things off on the right foot and provides the classic backdrop for beer drinking.  If you want to go a little further, add something like corn-nuts, pistacchios, or other flavored snacks.  This stuff is easy to eat and can be grabbed from bowls without a mess.

The next level is to add dips.  Nachos and guacamole and salsa is a big favorite, much more interesting than chips-n-dip.  You can also drop ground beef and cheese over the nachos and warm it in the oven.  Easy and tasty.  However, think about whether you've got carpet or furniture that can't stand a couple of drops.  A spill is pretty much inevitable if you've got a crowd of 10 or more.

With the snacks out of the way, you can think about table food for halftime hogs and the folks who are staying all afternoon.  In the early fall or in a warm-weather city, go for the grill.  Hotdogs, hamburgers, and chicken.  There's nothing that says football more than a grill and beer.  You've got to start early or have a spouse who doesn't care about the game, as you won't want to miss the action while doing the cooking. 

The real gourmets will go further on the grill.  Try some salmon or barbeque ribs.  This takes some real attention (and the ribs take planning ahead), but people will be blown away by your hospitality.  And these are more substantial meals that create a real festive occasion if the point is to have friends who will stay after the final whistle.

For those who lack the ability to grill or live somewhere they can't grill, then go with the old standby of pizza.  Provide large, strong plates (don't want pizza to flop onto the floor) and lots of napkins.  It's easy finger food that everyone enjoys.  These days, many towns have gourmet pizzas, so you can spend a few dollars more and get something that's better than the greasy, flavorless stuff from the chains.

Dessert doesn't matter.  Football is for people who want beer and salty or savory food.  Don't bother with dessert unless there are a bunch of kids at the party.  If there are kids, go with brownies and cookies - simple stuff that will send them home happy or, better yet, keep them out of the way while the serious fans watch the game.

Have a great time!

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