Entertaining for Super Sunday

Family, friends and football are on the schedule this weekend. On Sunday, most of us will huddle up to our televisions to watch the battle for that championship ring.
Super Sunday is a great time for a casual get-together with friends. Try some of these ideas to get the party going:
      * Ask your guests to each bring one of their favorite all-time snacks.
      * Set up a buffet table and cover it with artificial turf from a home improvement store. Purchase disposable party goods and streamers in your favorite team’s colors.
      * Have coolers/containers filled with ice and cold drinks for your guests to minimize trips to the refrigerator.

     * Serve chili or stew in a large crock pot. Prepare your main entree the day before and re-heat the day of your party. If serving chili, have plenty of toppings such as cheddar cheese, chopped jalapenos, cilantro, onions, sour cream. Crumbled goat cheese is also a delicious, tart topping that balances out the spiciness of the chili. A handful of corn chips at the bottom of each bowl adds crunch and zest to the chili. Offer bratwursts and guests can top those with chili.
This year, as you prepare to host a hungry crowd for the big game, intercept unhealthy appetizers and lighten up your favorite game-watching dishes by infusing vegetables. Jodie Shield, mom and childhood nutrition expert, knows first-hand the challenge of making dishes that not only taste good, but are good for you.
“People don’t traditionally think veggies when they think about game-day entertaining, but incorporating vegetables into your favorite recipes is an easy way to feel good about the food you are serving while still scoring points for home team health,” says Shield. “Veggies are full of nutrients and flavor, are a great way to add flavor, texture and color to your recipes, and can even be used as edible serving pieces.”
Guests never tire of delicious dips. Serve a selection of hot and cold dips with chips, pita chips, crusty bread, bread sticks,
veggies, etc.
Here are some ideas for making a big play that are sure to please your gang.

Pick-A-Peck-Of-Peppers Fiesta Ranch Dip
1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup nonfat, plain yogurt
1 (1.1-ounce) packet ranch dip mix
2 each: green, red, orange and yellow bell peppers

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt and ranch dip mix in a medium-size bowl; place in the refrigerator to chill. Meanwhile, remove the tops of the bell peppers, rinse and remove seeds. Slice one green, red, orange and yellow bell pepper into quarters. Place one quarter of each color bell pepper into a food processor and chop until fine. Remove and drain excess water. Add the diced bell pepper mixture to the fiesta dip and stir until well combined. Pour the dip into each of the remaining whole bell peppers and serve with the remaining bell pepper cut into strips.

David’s Kickin’ Buffalo Chicken Dip
6-8 boiled and shredded boneless chicken breasts (depending on the size of them)
16 ounces cream cheese softened (microwave it for a bit)
16 ounces blue cheese dressing
12 ounces Frank’s Red Hot
2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar or mozzarella

Mix cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and Red Hot together. Add chicken and mix well again. Pour into a 9x12 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a 350 oven for 20-25 minutes Great with pita chips, celery, cracked pepper crackers or whatever you prefer. Enjoy!

Original Ranch Spinach Dip
1 (1.1-ounce) packet ranch dip mix
16 ounces sour cream
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
8 ounces water chestnuts, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 round loaf French bread
Fresh vegetable sticks

Combine ranch dip mix, sour cream, spinach and water chestnuts. Chill 30 minutes or until just before serving. Cut top off the bread and remove center (use firm bread pieces as dippers). Fill bread bowl with dip. Serve with cubed bread and vegetables.

Boneless Buffalo Wings
3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk
3 tablespoons hot sauce, divided
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
2 pounds chicken tenders
6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
6 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cups carrot sticks
2 cups celery sticks

Whisk buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken; toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk flour and cornmeal in a shallow dish. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl; set aside. Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until evenly coated. (Discard remaining marinade and flour mixture.) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with cayenne. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, placing each piece in a little oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter.
Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Transfer to the platter. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved hot sauce mixture.
Serve with carrots, celery and Spicy Blue Cheese Wing Dip.

Spicy Blue Cheese Wing Dip
2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, vinegar and cayenne in a small bowl. To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

   
Game on: Let the party begin

 The Super Sunday game is not only one of the most watched by fans across the world; it is a chance for you to enjoy relaxing with your friends and family. While there are many different reasons for fans to get together for the game, whether it’s the food, commercials, or most important the game itself, you can add to the party by playing a few games of your own before and/or after the Big Game. Here are a few ideas that you might want to try out this year.

Trivia Test
    A fun way to increase your Super Sunday  knowledge is with a trivia game. Guests – or the host – can prepare questions, or you can form teams and create questions and use the internet to find your answers. You can have some sort of reward for the winners or you can just play for fun.
    Whatever you decide, this is a great way for those who think they really know the game to test their knowledge. And the young folks in your group, who may not know the game that well, will benefit from gaining some football “smarts.”

Commercial Fun
    Have guests number their three best/worst commercials, and at the end of the game tally up the totals and you see just how much you and your friends think alike. Also, pick an advertiser and either give out beverages or snack items every time that company’s commercial is aired.

Make A Bet
    This can be a great way to keep everyone interested in the game. You don’t have to play for money, you can also play for prizes or just for fun. You can make simple bets on almost anything involving the game. Whether it’s who will win the MVP, who has the best game at each position, or simply who wins the game, there are plenty of different things to make bets on.