The Super Bowl is in Atlanta on Feb. 3, and although the Falcons won’t be there this year—they didn’t even make this year’s post-season—having the game in Georgia ought to be a good enough incentive to host a Super Bowl Party.
Whether you’re watching the Super Bowl in your RV, outside your RV or in your home, there are some things you should make sure to do so you can enjoy the party and the game.
Decorations
You can go three ways here:
Generic. Decorations that use football themes—goalposts, yard line markers, footballs, officials in striped shirts signaling a touchdown—are cheaper than items with team names. They can be reused every year and for college games, too. Try windycitynovelties.com for a mind-boggling assortment.
Team colors. Get the colors of your favorite team or both opponents and have at it with colored plates, crepe paper, balloons and beads. Make sure your plates are good and sturdy.
Insignia decorations. You’ll pay more for these, with either the Super Bowl LIII logo or with team-specific logos. If you buy team logos, and one is New England, at least you know they have a good chance of coming back every year to use up your leftover items. Seriously, check out Party City.
Bonus idea: Get yellow paper napkins, and lots of them, so guests can toss them like penalty flags every time somebody jumps offside or interferes with a pass. Some may even wipe sticky fingers with them.
Seating
Have a comfortable seat for everyone. Arrange chairs so everyone not only has a good view of the TV, but also can get up and down easily to get more food and drink.
Plates, Cutlery, Cups
Make sure everything is sturdy. Cups should be plastic and big enough to hold a full beer or mixed drink, but not the flimsy red cups—not with all the fist-clenching that’s done during this game. Cutlery should be functional—probably the clear deluxe types, or even the heavy-duty coated versions that look like metal utensils but are really strong plastic. Plates should be resistant to grease and sturdy. You’ll have fewer accidents—like food falling off a fork onto a guest’s sweater, or plates and bowls collapsing under the strain of your chili and staining a carpet or upholstery. Chinet has a good assortment of disposables that get the job done stylishly.
Convenient Menu
You want to see the game (and the commercials), not spend three hours at a stovetop, even if you have a couple of hot dishes. Look for recipes that cook up well in a slow cooker, which will not only cook the food with minimum fuss but also keep it warm. Slow cookers are compact and efficient. These days, they’re also surprisingly inexpensive. Buy an extra one if need be. Slow cookers take up a lot less space than a chafing dishes and sterno heaters, and they come in different sizes. Fox Sports has good Super Bowl slow cooker recipes online. Serve an assortment of cheeses, crackers, chips, dips, pretzels and sandwiches. Today.com has 50 suggestions for all types of Super Bowl Party foods.
Emergency Kit
Stuff happens. Make sure you have these on hand: extra paper towels and stain-lifting wipes in case of fumbles, and antacids, just in case someone decides your chili was a bad call.
Image Credits: American Heart Associates, Party City