Even when I was a kid and didn't know anything about football (nor did I want to know anything about it), I watched the Superbowl. Everyone talks about it, the ads are fun, and the game is fast-paced and high in energy because there's a title on the line.
However, the idea of a Superbowl food stadium didn't occur to me until I discovered Buzzfeed and saw a list of Superbowl food stadiums that others had made.
It was obvious I needed to do this for the next Superbowl, so for the past two years, my friends and I have made a food stadium to munch on (read: disgustingly devour) as the game unfolds.
Here are some tips in case you are similarly inspired.
Create the Foundation of Your Stadium
Make your stadium before you go shopping. This allows you to determine how many different types of food you need to buy. Things I have found useful: cardboard, duct tape, tin foil, a ruler, scissors, and other people to divide the work. Tin foil can be rolled into cylinders to make the goal posts, and you can tape them together. Straws would probably also do the trick.
#SpoonTip: Make stencils to ensure your compartments are all the same size. Or just buy compartments if this is too much work (I wouldn't blame you),
The Fundamentals
Provide the delicious essentials with a bulk food run (Costco, Walmart, Sam's Club, whatever you've got). Buy finger foods that can fill the compartments you made. Some solid options are chicken nuggets, chips, Chex Mix, Tacquitos, and my personal favorite, mozzarella sticks. You’ll also want some sort of dip, because what football party would be compete without dip?
#SpoonTip: Don’t forget to keep in mind how much freezer space you have/how long it will take you to cook the various frozen delicacies. (Some of them require different oven temperatures, so start with the ones that need the lowest oven temperature.)
The Field
The field is a critical component. It's the centerpiece of your stadium. The obvious choice is guacamole and salsa/other dips for the endzones. You can buy these from the store or make your own.
You can also take creative liberties and do a more dessert-oriented field; you can have gummy bears on toothpicks as players or sugar cookies in the shape of the teams' mascots inserted into blondies so that they look like bulky players (we did this last year when the sugar cookies were in the shape of cats for the Panthers).
Spruce Up Your Stadium With Creative Touches
There are tons of additional, creative things you can do. Swap out the tin-foil goal posts for ones made from beef jerkey or pretzels (we tried to do this and couldn’t work out the engineering logistics in time). Write the name of your preferred team in sauce. Make your mini hot dogs look like people. The options are endless.
Add An Element Of Potluck
At this point, there should be enough unhealthy food that you can't possibly consume it alone, so invite some friends who enjoy football (or fried food) to come watch the game. Encourage people to donate a couple bucks (buying six bags of mozzarella sticks can be pricey) or bring their own dishes.
Two years ago one of my friends brought in a fruit platter in the shape of the Space Needle. Think of all the New England-inspired snacks or Georgia noms people could bring.
Enjoy the Moment
Kick back and enjoy your Sunday of friends, food, and football -- a dynamic trifecta if there ever was one. Worry about the stomachache later.