A Cultured Pearl

Super Bowl LI

Posted on February 6th, 2017

Super Bowl LI is in the books, and while I may not love the outcome of the game, I am definitely pleased with the outcome of our little Super Bowl Party. Much like an elite athlete, I train for the championship. The Super Bowl is only once a year, and I see it as my duty to make sure my guests are satisfied with their decision to spend the annual game food gorge with us.

Besides the activities I do to stay in shape (cooking and baking nearly daily throughout the year, routinely hosting smaller dinner parties, weight training so I can effortlessly wield cast iron skillets, etc.), preparation starts with menu planning several weeks prior. I build out a menu that offers something for everyone with several courses and careful thought into how execution works when they are all prepped and served together in an open concept kitchen with one oven. There is a time and place for julienning, French pastry, and seventeen ingredient spice rubs, but the first weekend in February is not it. All of these recipes are simple and made with grocery store staples.

Once the playbook is built out, we head to the grocery store under the assumption that if we’re out in fewer than two hours with a bill under $300, we’re emerging victorious.

Pro tip: Go early on Saturday. If you wait too long, they may be out of the good stuff that everyone wants. You simply cannot make guacamole without avocado.

There is always a heavy focus on appetizers– people arrive excited to stake out a prime couch spot, crack open a beer, and dig in. This year, we had five offerings. Pizza pretzels (served with marinara for dipping) were assembled in the morning and popped into the oven just before kickoff, while sweet and spicy meatballs bathed in the slowcooker for four hours. Hummus and guacamole with both chips and carrots for dipping are always popular, and a friend brought Loaded Tater Tot skewers that were everything you would expect in a Super Bowl app.

Living on the west coast means halftime coincides with dinner, so once we picked our jaws up off the floor after Gaga’s performance (I was tired just watching her!), we headed back for round two. I had seen the recipe for French Dip sliders a while ago, and knew they would be absolutely perfect. We served them with wings (catered, sorry), a cucumber salad, and barbecue brussel sprouts that had just the right amount of char. You may be stuffing yourself with all manner of other rich delicacies, but at my house, you will eat your vegetables.

We set out lemon bars and mini pecan pie tarts for second half dessert. The citrus in the lemon bars strategically offered a bit of freshness, and Ina’s recipe has a particularly noticeable and welcome tart flavor to complement the sweetness. Truthfully, the pecan pie tarts were not my favorite– I don’t know that I would make them again.