Are you having a Super Bowl Party this year? If so, this is the perfect time to break out your smokers and smoke some cocktails and even smoke an appetizer (or two!)
Decorations, Flatware, and More!
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, be sure to have some festive decorations to get everyone in the football mood! Think about the teams that are playing and how you can incorporate those colors into decorations. This year, it is pretty easy because both teams have very similar colors (Chiefs red and yellow, 49ers red and gold).
Since it is a football game, you’ve got to have the football-themed decorations, too!
Decoration Ideas:
Let’s start with decorating a snack table. During the game, you don’t want to serve a big meal and have to be preparing food. Have a snack table set up that people can grab and go as they please! To protect your table, opt for a table cloth to make clean-up from those cheesy dips and messy wings a breeze. I chose this gold one since both team have gold/yellow as part of their colors. It will add some sparkle and shine to your table and illuminate all of that delicious food! This tablecloth is re-usable, but you can totally opt for a disposable one to just ball up and throw in the trash once the game is over!
Next, let’s decorate the table! I love these football-themed table confetti pieces! These will add a nice touch on top of the tablecloth. Just sprinkle them all around randomly! As I mentioned before, since both teams of the 2024 Super Bowl have red as their main colors, these red confetti stars will be the perfect pop to add, as well!
Next, pick a fun centerpiece! Opt for a vase full of flowers ( most grocery stores will have red and yellow flavors to fit the occasion) and place some of these fun football-themed centerpiece sticks inside! You could also do some football balloons in the center of the table, or place these football lanterns all around randomly! Above my table, I have a big pendent light, so I am planning on buying these football streamers to hang down!
Don’t forget the Super Bowl Apps!
For the main even of the Super Bowl: the FOOOOOOD! Obviously it really isn’t the “main event”, but it is a huge part of why we love it! Always opt for finger foods/individual servings! If you want your guest to bring something, make sure you are clear about the items you are already planning so you don’t accidentally double-up on something!
If you have a big crowd coming over, have some quick snack bites like chips, veggies, pretzels, cold dips, etc. already on the table while everyone is mingling/playing games before the game starts. Then, before the game, put out all of the hot foods! Finally, during halftime. put out the sweet treats to enjoy for the rest of the game!
Here are some of my favorite ideas for appetizer ideas! If you stick around until the bottom of this blog, we have a brand new smoked tater tot recipe that you just HAVE to try! In the meantime, here are some other Super Bowl party must have eats!
1. WINGS, WINGS, WINGS
This one is pretty obvious, but I know that my Super Bowl party is not complete without some spicy buffalo wings. Get your wings from the grocery store early because we shopped too late one year and missed out…it was not a pretty party. 😭 I always make smothered buffalo wings with blue cheese crumbles and green onions sliced on top- so yummy. And I have to have ranch to dip in! We have also done other flavors of wings before, so here are some of my top picks for sauces!
- Buffalo Wings (If you have lots of guests, have different heat-levels mild to hot!)
- Honey Mustard Wings
- Teriyaki Wings
- Parmesan Garlic Wings
- BBQ Wings
2. Give me all the dips!
I love a good dip, but for the Super Bowl, I reallllly love dips. Here are some of my favorites, cold and hot! I even have a linked smoked dip recipe from earlier this football season!
- French Onion Dip– This cold dip is perfect with ruffles chips and veggies!
- Seven-Layer Dip– I love a layered dip!
- Spinach & Artichoke Dip– Serve with blue tortilla chips- Those go hand in hand!!
- Smoked Beer Cheese Dip served in a bread bowl!- Using our smoker! Follow along with our video here!
- Buffalo Chicken Dip– Made popular over the last few years, this one is a must! I rememeber eating it when i was little for the Super Bowl!
3. Other snacks and desserts!
Finally, here are some other finger food inspirations ( including our new recipe!) and some desserts!
- Smoked Tater Tot Cups- Our newest smoked recipe. See the bottom of this blog for the recipe!
- Slow-cooked little smokies
- Jalapeno Poppers
- Walking Nachos– Nachos in a bag!
- Football Cookies
- Caramel Popcorn
- Churro Dip
Gotta have the Flatware!
Nobody wants tons of dishes to do after the Super Bowl, especially when the game ends late! So, opt for paper or plastic that can be trashed! Here are some of my favorites for serving and eating!
- Serving Platters Plain
- Dip Serving Trays
- Serving Bowls
- Football Field Serving Tray
- Eating Trays
- Plates
- Napkins
- Silverware and caddy
- Toothpicks for finger foods
Let’s have some Cocktails!
Aside from a bucket of your favorite beer, here are some cocktails that are perfect for batching ahead of time so you aren’t bartending all night!
- Banana Boulevardier and it’s red so on theme!
- Bunkhouse Brew– This one combines beer and bourbon and is delicious!! Batch the bourbon mixture ahead of time and let your guests pour over the beer!
- Batch Old Fashioned– a crowd pleaser for sure!
- Gold Rush Cocktail– Perfect with the 49ers playing!
- Kansas City Ice Water– This is a cocktail known in Kansas City!
Cups and Glasses
- I love these referee-printed cups!
- Cocktail cups! Disposable and so awesome!!!
- Fun straws!
- Football ice cube molds– make a bunch ahead of time and store in the freezer!
Games?? Always!
Lastly- keep your guests entertained! Not everyone that attends your party is going to care about sitting in front of the TV for hours watching football and (dare I say) sub-par commercials….they used to be so much better!!! So, have some ways to keep your guests entertained from beginning to end!
The Super Bowl coverage starts around 6:30 pm ET and typically lasts a few hours due to the longer commercial slots that are sold for the Super Bowl. Have your guests come around 5 so you have time to mingle and munch a bit before coverage begins so there aren’t any catching-up conversations happening while others are trying to watch the game!
During the mingle hour before the game while your guests are enjoying some finger foods and drinks, have some options for games!
- Corn hole! This is a must if you have a backyard (and if the weather is decent that evening!!)
- Piñata for the kids ( or adults!)- fill with candy and activities like sticker books and other small toys for the kiddos and fill with candy and airplane bottles for the adults! Maybe even some lottery tickets for extra fun!
- Bingo! Keep everyone entertained with Bingo! You can create your own version or download a pre-made one. Another great activity for the kiddos too! Have a prize ready for the winner- get creative!! You could do a trophy, a t-shirt, giftcard, etc.
Smoked Tater Tots
Now, for our newest smoked treat, the smoke tater tots! These are delicious and the perfect finger food for your guests! Amp them up with additional toppings of your choice and enjoy!!
Smoked Tater Tots
Equipment
- 1 muffin tin
- cooking spray
- oven 450 degrees
- 1 Butane Kitchen Torch
- 1 Smokeshow Cocktail Smoker
Ingredients
Tater Tots
- 1 bag frozen tater tots
- 3/4 cup shredded cheese divided
- 1 cup sour cream divided
- 4 slices crumbled bacon or pre-bought bacon bits
Smoke & Garnish
- 12 pinches Hickory or Mesquite Smoke Dust new pinch for each time smoking a tater tot
- sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray
- Place 4-6 tots in each muffin cup. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.1 bag frozen tater tots
- Using a shot glass sprayed with cooking spray, smoosh the tater tots while they are hot with the shot glass to create a cup shape. You are going to want the walls of the tots high and a hole to be formed for filling (make sure the hole does not break open on the bottom- you want to be able to stuff your tot cups) When done, you should have a perfectly tot molded muffin cup with the center hallowed out.
- Put these back in the oven for an additional 15 mintues until the cups are golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted- about 2 minutes.3/4 cup shredded cheese divided
- Once cheese has melted, remove from the oven and let the tots and pan cool for abotu 5 minutes. Then, get out your smoker!12 pinches Hickory or Mesquite Smoke Dust
- Place your smoker on top of one of the tot cups, add the dust, and smoke with a kitchen torch! Let the smoker rest for about 30 seconds before removing. Repeat for each tot!
- Remove tots from the muffin tin and top with your favorite toppings!1 cup sour cream divided, 4 slices crumbled bacon or pre-bought bacon bits, sliced green onions
