Football Fever!
Fun Recipes for NFL Playoff Games
& Superbowl Parties

Updated with New Recipes & Party Ideas!


Who knows all the February holidays? The shadow of Groundhog Day, the romance of Valentine's, the Washington and Lincoln birthdays, sure. But the Superbowl is February's favorite "holiday" with a rowdy, enthusiastic, go-Chiefs! go-49ers! fanbase, when even genuine football stars and what's-a-punt? clueless fans convene before the big-screen. Here's a special collection of fun, football-friendly recipes. Party on!

Football Fever! ♥ KitchenParade.com, a fun, football-friendly collection of game-changing recipes for Superbowl parties. Party on!

Whole Food, Fresh & Fun. Potluck & Party-Friendly Fare. How to Throw a Great Superbowl Party.

How to Throw a Superbowl Party
That's All About
the Football
the Food
the Football AND the Food

  • KNOW YOUR FANS Our usual crowd is a mix of season-long football fans and "I'm Just Here for the Party" Superbowl folk. Make room for both!
  • PICK UP FOOTBALL THEME PARTYWARE like tablecloths, napkins, paper plates, etc. at a party store, a dollar store, even the grocery store. If your local team is playing, you'll find tons of special products that are extra fun.
  • TIME THE PARTY to start about an hour before kickoff, giving people a chance to visit and snack before the game starts.
  • THINK THROUGH where folks are going to put plates and cups while watching. I pull small tables/stepstools from other rooms, making sure that one's within easy reach of every seat. You can even re-purpose medium-size shipping boxes or bankers boxes as seat-side tables, filling them with something kinda heavy, then wrapping up in that festive partyware.
  • SET UP AN APPETIZER BUFFET NEARBY BUT NOT TOO CLOSE You want the food handy to "grab a bite" during commercial breaks. But you also don't want to block the TV with people walking by or the buffet so close that chitchat around the buffet means real fans can't hear the announcers.
  • BUT KEEP THE BEVERAGES IN THE KITCHEN with an appetizer or two. This is a good way to limit alcohol intake but it also gives non-fans a good reason to congregate away from the TV. If there happens to be a small TV in the kitchen at low volume? All the better.
  • KEEP THE FOOD COMING! I like to set out cold appetizers just before people arrive, then put out series of hot appetizers during the first half, then time the "main course" for halftime, it's served from the kitchen. During the second half, I leave out a few leftover appetizers on the buffet and put out a couple of small sweets, cookies and bars.
  • AIM FOR FINGER FOOD OR TOOTHPICK FOOD And stock up on napkins! Forks just make everything more complicated. I try to confine any forks/spoons to a halftime "main course".
  • FAN FAVORITES Forget diets, forget carrot sticks, nobody's expecting healthy food at a Superbowl party. Just go with the chips & guacamole, wings, mac 'n' cheese ball flow ... it's just one day a year.
  • WHO NEEDS TO COOK? Absolutely nobody. One year, I stocked up on Trader Joe's hot appetizers and just kept 'em coming. It was really fun to try so many new things and the only effort was keeping track of oven temps and times and afterward, carrying out all that dang packaging! Or join the throngs who make pizza delivery either the busiest or second busiest day of the year for pizza joints!
  • MORE IDEAS? Let me know how you throw a great Superbowl party!



Ya Gotta Have Gwoc. Lots of Gwoc.
You Know. Guacamole!

Did you know that Superbowl fans consume 80 percent of a year's avocado appetite? So let's kick off this party with real guacamole, really, really GOOD guacamole, the family favorite, My Guacamole. It disappears in a flash at all the family parties!

And grab the big bag of chips because between guacamole and Best Quick Tomato Salsa (Red Salsa)? What a kickoff!


My Guacamole, the restaurant-style house recipe ♥ KitchenParade.com. Very Weight Watchers Friendly. Unusually Low Cal. Low Carb. Vegan. Gluten Free. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special.
  • THE RECIPE My Guacamole Restaurant-style guacamole, our house recipe.

Avocado Dip ♥ AVeggieVenture.com, a Middle-Eastern guacamole, laced with tahini and cumin.



Healthy Snacks for Hungry Fans

Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts Bites ♥ KitchenParade.com. A surprisingly popular vegetable appetizer at parties and potlucks.

Buffalo Chicken Dip ♥ AVeggieVenture.com, an easy-easy appetizer with a surprise ingredient, spaghetti squash. WW Friendly. Low Fat. Low Carb. High Protein.

Cucumber Dip with Feta ♥ KitchenParade.com, super easy, great for serving with vegetables and grilled steak.



First-Down First Bites

Best Quick Tomato Salsa ♥ KitchenParade.com, 10 minutes start to chip. Budget Friendly. Low Carb. Vegan. Great for Meal Prep.

Easy-Easy Triscuit with Cheddar & Basil ♥ KitchenParade.com. A quick last-minute appetizer.

Five-Minute Shrimp Cocktail Sauce ♥ KitchenParade.com. An easy DIY, just six ingredients, mixed to taste, sized to use.



Warm Up the Team with Chili!

Chocolate Chili ♥ KitchenParade.com, my oldest (and still best!) recipe for homemade chili with lots of spices and yes, cocoa powder. Weight Watchers Friendly. Whole30 Friendly. High Protein. Gluten Free.

White Chicken Chili ♥ KitchenParade.com, spicy-but-not-too-spicy, just chicken, spices, chilies and white beans.

Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle ♥ AVeggieVenture.com, a confetti of colorful vegetables and beans warmed with chili spices.

CHILLIN': Favorite Chili, Chowder & Cornbread Recipes

Yes, another collection of recipes, just my favorite chili and chowder recipes with a side of cornbread, thank you very much. Here you go, Chillin': Favorite Chili, Chowder & Cornbread Recipes. It's football friendly!


Chillin: Favorite Chili, Chowder & Cornbread Recipes ♥ KitchenParade.com, a collection of cold-weather, football-friendly favorites.



Half-Time Fare

Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos) ♥ KitchenParade.com, easy, healthy build-your-own crispy baked tortillas.

Chicken Nachos ♥ KitchenParade.com, quick 'n' easy with rotisserie chicken, black beans, grilled peppers, jalapeños, cheddar and more.

Minnesota Sloppy Joes ♥ KitchenParade.com, sloppy joes made from scratch in the crockpot.



Soups that Make Crowds Stand Up & Cheer

Gumbo ♥ KitchenParade.com, a classic Cajun gumbo except that the roux is cooked in the oven. Let the oven do the stirring!

Homemade Lentil Soup ♥ KitchenParade.com, a classic homemade lentil soup, just inexpensive wholesome lentils, spices and vegetables plus a special touch, a splash of sherry. Vegetarian or easily vegan. Weight Watchers Friendly.

At Last Black Bean Soup ♥ KitchenParade.com, Laurie Colwin's recipe, just dump in the ingredients and cook it on the stove, in the oven or in a slow cooker.
MORE IDEAS
~ more soup recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade

~ Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup ~
~ Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup ~
~ Lasagna Soup with Fresh Spinach ~
~ more soup recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog



Salads that Score

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad ♥ KitchenParade.com. A real hit with pickle fans, served warm or chilled.

Bloody Mary Salad ♥ KitchenParade.com, a vegetable-packed jello salad, perfect for potlucks, dieters and healthy eaters. Low Carb. Weight Watchers Friendly.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad ♥ KitchenParade.com, a great make-ahead salad recipe. Hearty with quinoa and crunchy with vegetables, bright with lime.



Sweet Endings & Winners

Sugar Cookie Bars ♥ KitchenParade.com. All the colorful deliciousness, none of the cookie cutter and decorating fuss.

Homemade Caramel Corn ♥ KitchenParade.com, made in the microwave in a paper bag so no mess, no fuss. Fun for kids!

Big Fat Chewy Molasses Cookies ♥ KitchenParade.com. Mix and bake in one hour!

Bookmark! PIN! Share!

How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this collection of fun, football-friendly party recipes hits the mark, go ahead, save and share! I'd be honored ...

Football Fever! ♥ KitchenParade.com, a fun, football-friendly collection of game-changing recipes for Superbowl parties. Party on!


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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture.

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2010, 2014, 2015, 2020 & 2023

Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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