icon for podpress  Superbowl Audio Class: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Carmen is looking for some quick and easy dish ideas for her super bowl party menu for 10 guests.

Although the ChefsLine what she had in mind, our chefs have lots of other suggestions. What follows is Chef Kevin’s Super Bowl Audio Cooking Class and some great dish ideas. Our services at ChefsLine include menu planning and recipe selection. We enjoy doing this live, with you by phone, so we can learn more about what you have in mind and how much time you have to prepare your meal. For instance, it really helps to know your likes and dislikes and even what the weather prediction is for game day. We’d be more than happy to find the perfect recipes, provide you with a shopping list, and give you live coaching every step of the way.

From Chef Kevin Weeks:
For Superbowl parties, perhaps more than any other kind of party, guests expect and crave finger foods. Fun and easy finger foods include: sandwiches, chips and dips, of course, and even easy canapes for instance the sausage/cheddar balls that are so popular around Christmas are great for a bowl party.

Half-time is the best time to present a main dish such as soup or chili. Maybe approach game in quarters. First quarter offer snacks such as quesadillas or miniature sandwiches. During the second quarter, refill glasses and freshen up the snacks. At half-time go for the main course. For the third quarter, let your guests digest their food and they can continue to munch, if they want, on leftovers from the earlier servings. Fourth quarter, is dessert and coffee.

Some tips for throwing a great party:

    Do as much cooking as possible the day before

    Also the day before, do those little chores like vacuuming the rec room and making sure there are hand towels in the bathroom,

    Make sure you have enough paper plates and napkins and I recommend getting some of those cheap bamboo trays from Pier 1.

    Set out all the serving dishes you plan to use – and I usually put stick-it notes on them reminding me what they’re to be used for.

As for the menu, here’s what I might have:

If the weather where you are is anything like the weather predicted here on Sunday, then something hot to drink is called for. Heat up a gallon of apple cider in a large pot and add three sticks of cinnamon, about a dozen cloves, and perhaps 1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg. Serve it in mugs with a cinnamon stick and a dab of butter on top.

For first and second quarter snacks, make some of those sausage balls and perhaps mini-Reubens using cocktail rye bread. Chips and dips are always appropriate and you can buy a platter at the grocery store.

For a main dish, and again assuming it’s going to be cold and wintry there, make a big pot of Senate Bean Soup and, if you can find it, offer a rustic rye bread on the side.

Brownies are the perfect finger-food dessert and I have a great recipe on my Web site.

If you want to give us a call, we can help you plan a menu that’s exactly suited to your needs as well as help with serving suggestions, themes, recipes and shopping lists.

Thanks for writing.

* Visit our Spanish Superbowl Menu Page for another great gameplan.