The Super Bowl is this Sunday night, in case you are still tucked away inside your COVID bubble. The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Philadelphia Eagles. And that is the extent of my sports update. Otherwise, I am all about the snacks, and how to be polite until I can slink off to watch The Last of Us in the other room.
We haven’t been to a Super Bowl party for years, mostly because of COVID. But what about you? Are you packing up some nachos to heat up in a friend’s kitchen, or are you going to throw open the windows and host a little gathering of your own? Or are you going out to a well-ventilated bar where the televisions are super duper high res Samsung S95B OLEDs, and the crowd convivial?
You will need to think about tasty nibbles, if you are hosting, or if you are merely enduring the Super Bowl ritual. There is almost nothing that can’t be improved by snacks. Think of the solace brought by a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. Stashed in our freezer, along with last week’s emergency Stouffer’s Family Sized Lasagne, is a bag of pigs-in-blankets. Life can come at you fast, and having a stash of hot, fatty snacks can soften the harsh blows.
Now, at Martha’s house you can probably expect all sorts of fancy treats, probably served on platters with doilies. Our treat presentation isn’t quite so tony, but we like her ideas. Yay, Martha! Team neutral treats: pigs in blankets, chicken wings, and nachos, with fresh dips and maybe some crab croquettes: https://www.marthastewart.com/7995029/super-bowl-appetizer-recipes
If you are a Philadelphia fan, Food & Wine has this variation on the irresistible Philadelphia cheese steak: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/philly-cheesesteak-queso
If you are a Kansas City Chiefs crowd, then here are some ideas for you – including some ribs that are almost-as-delicious-as-Bryant’s: https://www.purewow.com/food/super-bowl-chiefs-recipes
At our house, which is leaning toward Philadelphia, we are eschewing the meat, and going for homemade hot, soft pretzels, which should be appealing to any Super Bowl attendee. I first tried the pretzels from The Great British Bake Off, because the episode was so amusing, but the conversions were a nightmare. https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/recipes/all/paul-hollywood-pretzels/
A much easier recipe to follow was from our friends at Food52: https://food52.com/recipes/88416-best-soft-pretzel Once you have made a couple of batches of pretzels, you will be immensely proud of yourself. Just remember to share with others. And don’t forget the mustard.
If you are lucky enough to visit Philadelphia you can enjoy the handiwork of the professionals: https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/pretzels-soft-philadelphia/ Or you can always stop by a Wawa, a good, dependable source of hot, soft pretzels.
I love this website: Matchup Menu. Their slogan: “If you want to beat the enemy, you’ve got to eat the enemy.” They make football fun for those of us who would rather cook than watch. https://matchupmenu.com/
For Kansas City fans, here are some of their favorite foods: https://matchupmenu.com/afc-recipes/afc-west/kansas-city-chiefs/
And for Philadelphia fans: https://matchupmenu.com/nfc-recipes/nfc-east/philadelphia-eagles/ I do not suggest the Philadelphia Fish House Punch – you have to go to work on Monday.
Have a jolly time on Sunday, whether you are watching sports, or trying to get to Joel’s brother out west to save mankind.
“All of life is a continuous state of wonder interrupted by bedtime and light snacks.”
― Joyce Rachelle
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