On September 17th, television enthusiasts, red carpet addicts, and bored people with nothing better to do will all come together in front of a screen to do one thing: watch the 2017 Emmy Awards. Seeing as we’re currently in what many consider the “Golden Age of Television,” there’s really no excuse not to watch this annual award ceremony to see which of your favorite small-screen actors will take home a prize.
Any viewing party would not be complete without some good food to accompany it, so whether you’ll be watching alone or with a group this year, here are some themed dishes inspired by the nominations that will help make your 2017 Emmys extra tasty.
1. Homemade pasta
This two ingredient pasta is the perfect thing to eat if you’re rooting for Aziz Ansari to take home the Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in Master of None. Not only does Aziz’s character in the show move to Italy this season to learn how to make his own pasta, but Aziz is also a huge foodie and pasta-lover in real life.
2. Home-brewed kombucha
Want to impress your guests by serving drinks that you made yourself? Well look no further than this homemade Kombucha recipe. While making it you might feel a little like the ladies from Orange is the New Black, who scheme their way into making their own alcohol on the show. This makes it the ideal thing to drink while waiting to see if Uzo Aduba or Laverne Cox win their nominations for their work in this acclaimed Netflix original series.
3. Chocolate chip scones
Resse Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, and Nicole Kidman are nominated for Big Little Lies. Naturally, the best way to celebrate this is to drink coffee and eat chocolate chip scones, just like these ladies’ characters do with each other every morning on the show. Look no further than this scone recipe that is sure to impress all of your friends.
4. Baked mac and cheese
This mouth-watering baked mac and cheese is perfect for This is Us fans. It’s the comfort food you need to get you through the emotional show, because each episode will leave you in tears. Considering the show is nominated for over four Emmys, you’ll definitely need this for your viewing party when you cry tears of joy for the actors that win.
5. Cinnamon Eggo waffles
Watching Stranger Things probably gave you some serious Eggo waffle cravings. It’s likely that seeing the show win its nominations on Emmy Night may re-summon these cravings, which is why you should take care of your guests and serve them these amped up Eggo waffles.
6. Cornbread chili dumplings
Cornbread, chili, and dumplings are all iconic foods in Georgia. This unique recipe combines all three of these southern favorites, and is a great way to honor the acclaimed show Atlanta, which is up for Best Comedy Series along with Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
7. King cake
What do kings wear? Crowns. So serving this sweet king cake for dessert at your viewing party is a perfect way to represent the Emmy nominated hit, The Crown. As an added bonus, your guests will be super impressed and you’ll feel like royalty while you make it (read: and eat it).
8. Wine-infused grapes
Personally, I think the best way to eat healthy foods, like grapes, is to fill them with alcohol and smother them in sugar. This is certainly the only way Frank Gallagher from Shameless would ever eat grapes, although he would probably infuse them with a harder alcohol. William H. Macy, the actor who plays Frank, is up for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, so you should honor him by serving these boozy grapes.
9. Honeydew mojitos
Honeydew is my least favorite fruit, but taking some inspiration from the Emmy nominated show The Leftovers, you can put your leftover honeydew to good use by trying out these honeydew mojitos. They’ll turn even the harshest honeydew haters such as myself, into big fans.
The Emmy Nominations this year include a refreshing mix of critically acclaimed shows, fan favorites, and underdogs all in competition. It will certainly be interesting to watch this year, so get ready to send out your viewing party invites and get cooking.