The biggest entertainment days of the winter season might be behind us, but there’s still one amazing party day left before spring and summer entertaining begins.
Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 2!
Invite your family, friends and neighbors to celebrate a rare New England Patriots-less Super Bowl.
In honor of the “final four” teams, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers, select unique regional foods and hors d’oeuvres to serve your guests.
A fun way to decorate is to include streamers and balloons in the colors of all 32 NFL teams. Party stores offer a variety of football themed decorations. Include a few Nerf footballs for guests to toss around, as well.
Kansas City, Missouri Charcuterie
Considered by many to be the best barbecued meat in the world, Kansas City Burnt Ends is the iconic Kansas City dish, however, spending 10 hours cooking a brisket in a smoker might be a big ask for a Super Bowl party. Nearly 200 years of German, French and Italian influence make for an eclectic food history in Missouri. A charcuterie board can reflect the best of Kansas City food heritage.
Assemble your board using a combination of cured deli meats, a variety of cheeses, different kinds of olives, nuts, dried fruit, crackers and fig jam.
San Francisco Sourdough Crostini
San Francisco is known for seafood, including abalone, Dungeness crab, sand dabs and bay shrimp, but crusty sourdough bread may be its true claim to fame.
3 sourdough baguettes
4 heads of garlic
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup spreadable goat cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 400 F. Chop 1/4 inch off of the top of each head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap garlic in foil, bake 30 minutes.
Slice thin pieces of the baguette and place on cookie sheet. Toast in oven at the same time garlic is roasting.
Spread goat cheese over warm baguette slices. Spread roasted garlic over goat cheese. Top with chopped walnuts and serve warm.
Nashville Fried Pickles
with Comeback Sauce
Tennessee is known for Southern favorites like Nashville Hot Chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato fries and banana pudding, along with a large assortment of fried food. Try this Southern favorite: fried pickles with Comeback Sauce for dipping, (because you’ll surely come back for more).
Fried Pickles
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups drained dill pickle slices
Oil for frying
In one bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. In another bowl, beat eggs and milk. Blot pickles with paper towels to remove moisture. Coat pickles with flour mixture, dip in egg mixture; coat again with flour mixture (this makes the pickles crispy). In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375F. Fry pickles, about 10 at a time, for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain well on paper towels.
Comeback Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tbsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Mix together. Serve with warm fried pickles.
Wisconsin Booyah Stew
Wisconsin, home of the Green Bay Packers, is famous for its cheese and other dairy products, such as frozen custard. Other notable foods unique to the region include bratwursts, beer, Old Fashioned cocktails, butter burgers, fish fries, fish boils and “Booyah Stew.”
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs
1 lbs. beef stew meat
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
4 cups beef or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
2 1/2 lbs. diced potatoes
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp. soy sauce
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat olive oil then add chicken, stew meat and onion. Brown the meat, then add salt, pepper and stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer two hours.
Add celery, carrots, potato, cabbage, tomatoes, frozen vegetables, bay leaves, water, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Cover pot, simmer for an additional two hours. Serve with crackers or garlic bread.
