Packers Vs. Steelers-Themed Super Bowl Bash
Now that we know the Green Bay Packers will be meeting the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Super Bowl, it's time to take things to the next level. Think themed cocktails and cupcakes, football-shaped finger food, and bacon. LOTS of bacon. Here's what I'll be doing this Super Bowl.
Step 1: Serve Themed Cocktails
Credit: Stephen Danelian
No, this is not in lieu of beer, it's in addition to it! Beer is football's best friend. Themed cocktails are simply the fastest way to get your buzz on. Besides, they're cute. And serving one for each team gets the rivalry going.
Pittsburgh Steelers Dark and Stormy
Hint: Juice glasses are also great for serving these drinks. If you're feeling splashy, try these 7-ouncers from Crate & Barrel. They're great to serve wine in, too, and harder to break than regular wine glasses.
Step 2: Get Crafty: The Under-$20 Decor Idea
Set the table (and create the mood) by serving food on your own football field.
1. Get a big piece of green felt from your local craft store, or a piece of green Astroturf from your hardware store. Make sure it's the right size to cover your table.
Hint: Measure the table before you ask the guy to cut off a swath.
2. Once you get the felt or Astroturf home, use white chalk or painter's tape to draw the field lines. You can also use white paint. Your hardware store will have professional paint pens that dry fast.
3. Use the "field" as your tablecloth. It's totally festive and easy. And if someone spills beer on it, so what?
Hint: If you want to go all out, you can paint the end zones with a bright green paint for the Packers and yellow paint for the Steelers. Mark out the space with the painter's tape and use letter stencils to paint the team names.
Step 3: Let Them Eat Bacon
There's nothing easier than roasted-bacon almonds, and they're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Did we mention they involve bacon?
Step 4: Serve a Finger Food Smorgasbord
This trio of snacks will ensure that no guest goes hungry — and you'll be sane enough to sit back and enjoy the game. Here's what I'm serving:
1. Pizza (With a Makeover)
Credit: Stephen Danelian
Whether it's frozen or delivered, use clean kitchen scissors to cut the pizza into strips and pile on a cutting board. You can even sprinkle with fresh herbs... looks homemade, baby!
2. Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Credit: Stephen Danelian
Bite-sized grilled cheese sandwiches dressed up with truffle or chile oil are a delicious grown-up finger food.
3. Peanut Butter & Bacon Bonanza
Cut out white bread with a football-shaped cookie cutter, or just make the shape with a knife. Toast the bread, spread with peanut butter and adorn with crumbled bacon — different and totally divine.
Step 5: Chow Down on Themed Cupcakes
Top your favorite kind of cupcake (yellow cake, please!) with dyed coconut in the teams' colors. Because what's not to love about coconut and cupcakes?
How to Dye Coconut:
You need: Green or black liquid food coloring; 1 bag shredded coconut, preferably Angelflake; rubber gloves or Ziploc bag.
1. Place one bag of shredded coconut in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle a few drops of food coloring (green for the Packers, black for the Steelers), being careful not to add too much as you can always add more.
3. Wearing rubber gloves, toss the mixture with your hands until all of the coconut is uniform in color. If you don't have gloves, put the coconut in a plastic Ziploc bag, sprinkle with the food coloring, zip and seal the bag, and shake, shake, shake!
4. Adorn your frosted cupcakes with the colored coconut and watch guests fight for one in their team's color.