Super Bowl LIII is less than a week away, so you better get your grill ready!
This Sunday the New England Patriots are taking on the Los Angeles Rams and believe it or not, but Tom Brady is about to make his 9th Super Bowl appearance, having gone 5-3 in his career in the big dance so far.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have been working together since 2001, and their list of accomplishments is extremely impressive! Be sure to check out these facts about Tom Brady if you have the time, the list of accomplishments is mighty.
The Superbowl is the biggest game day of the year, and also a great chance for a party. What better time to get together with friends and watch the game together?
That said, finding the right balance is key. You want to avoid complicated food and drinks so that you can enjoy the game too.
The better prepared you are, the more time you will have to focus on the game. I’m here to share with you some of my top tips to make game day more enjoyable for everyone, including yourself.
Plan and Prepare the BBQ Food
The first tip to an easy Superbowl BBQ party is to plan and prepare in advance. Decide on the food you want to serve and prepare what you can the day before. That way, on game day you will have minimal amount of food prep to do.
Make a list of all the food you plan to grill and make sure it is all ready to go. Cut and prepare meats you want to marinate. If you are making your own burgers, assemble the patties and store in the fridge overnight.
When storing meats for the grill, use Ziploc bags to reduce clear up time and save space in the fridge.
On game day, make sure to remove the meat from the fridge a few hours before you plan on grilling. This allows the meat to come to room temperature and will help it to cook more evenly on the grill.
Plan Foods That You Won’t Grill
Sides, salads and dips are an important element to any BBQ. So it is important to have a nice selection of these available to accompany your grilled food. Dips are also important for all-day snacking while you are watching the game.
As with the BBQ food, take time to plan the dips, salads and side dishes you want to serve. Wherever you can, make them in advance to save time on game day. Some suggestions for dishes that you can easily make the day before and refrigerate include:
Ideally, plan at least two or three different sides or salads to serve with the grilled food. Make these the day before and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.
Also choose four or five dips to serve with chips and vegetable sticks. These are perfect for snacking and keeping the guests happy while they wait for the main food.
You don’t necessarily need to make all of the salads or dips that you want to serve. Visit your supermarket deli counter or your favorite local deli. They will usually have a good selection of different dips and salads that are just as nice as home made.
Coffee Snack Table
As main event for the day is the Superbowl game itself, everyone will gather around the TV. Set up your coffee table as a snack station to keep your guests happy and seated throughout the game.
Put your different dips on the table along with a variety of other snacks. Many great snack ideas for your table can all easily be store bought to reduce preparation time. Here are some of our favorite choices:
Make sure to provide plenty of napkins and plates on the table too. Paper plates and disposable cutlery are a great option and will help to reduce clean up time after the game. All you will have to do is throw everything in the trash.
Seating Setup
When it’s game time, everybody will gather around in the same space. Make sure you have considered where everyone will sit. Think about the setup of your furniture; you may find you can fit more people in if you move your couches around.
Large cushions or pillows can be set up around the TV on the floor to create extra seating. Also think about any extra seating that you may already own, like camping chairs, bean bags or garden furniture.
These will work really well to fit everyone in and keep your guests comfortable.Take time to plan the set up you want and make sure you prepare it before the game starts.
Why not invite a few close friends around a little earlier to help move your furniture? Ideally have all the seating ready before your guests arrive so you can relax and focus on the game.
Top Tips to Ease the Pressure
Hosting a Superbowl BBQ can be difficult if you don’t have the time to plan everything properly. Stay away from anything too labor-intensive on game day and try to prepare as much in advance as possible.
Visit your local supermarket the day before and buy some pre-prepared dips, sauces and salads. Or, even better, ask your guests to help by making (or buying) some of the side dishes.
Friends can contribute and bring potato chips, bread sticks, nuts and other dry snacks.
Store-bought salads and dips, like hummus and guacamole, for example. Even ice for the coolers to keep the drinks chilled during the game.
All this helps with the budget too - otherwise, paying for everything yourself will take a big chunk from your pocket.
Another great way to ease the pressure is to share the preparation and delegate. Get some of your friends on board and share some of the tasks that need doing.
Make sure to select reliable friends who you know will turn up on time and not let you down at the last minute.
With some good planning and the help of friends, your Superbowl BBQ will run without a hitch. You may not need the support of friends and family if you are already a confident host.
However, if it is your first time hosting a Superbowl BBQ, don’t be afraid to ask for help where you need it.
Easy Superbowl BBQ Recipes
You can prepare any of your BBQ favorites to serve at a Superbowl party. However, remember to plan properly to make sure you don't miss any of the game. We have some great recipes below that are simple and easy to prepare.
Most of the recipes below require advance preparation which will help speed things up on game day.
By just finishing off on the grill you get the smoky flavor but don't need to spend hours during the game. This is the perfect approach to ease the pressure and allow you to enjoy the day with your buddies.
1. Hot Dog Station
This first idea is so easy it doesn't even require a recipe. A hot dog station is always a crowd pleaser. The hot dogs themselves take no time on the grill and you can pre-prepare all the toppings in advance.
Set up the table with hot dog buns, condiments, pickles and caramelized onions. Cook all of the dogs on the grill and place onto a dish alongside the condiments. Allow guests to make up their own hot dogs. This is quick, easy and delicious.
2. BBQ Sticky Ribs
These ribs are melt in the mouth delicious. You can easily cook and prepare everything beforehand and then finish the ribs off on the grill with BBQ sauce.
You can make your own BBQ sauce in no time with my recipe below. However, if you are looking to save on even more time, your favorite store-bought sauce will also work really well.
Ingredients
For The BBQ Sauce
Method
3. Smoky Camembert
This is a great option to add to your snack table and you can easily cook it on the grill alongside other food.
You can prepare more than one cheese at the same time, it all depends on how many people you are serving. One Camembert cheese should feed about four to six people as a snack.
Method
4. Cheesy Garlic Bread
This is another real crowd pleaser that you can easily prepare in advance and store in the fridge. When you are ready to go, place the loaves on the grill alongside other food or directly onto charcoal embers.
Ingredients
For Cheesy Garlic Butter
Method
Final Thoughts
Now you have all you need to host the perfect Superbowl BBQ. Remember, the key to a smooth day is great planning. After all, you want to make sure you and your guests are free to watch the game.
Making sure you have done most of the preparation ahead of time takes away a lot of pressure on the day itself.
If you have the majority of things ready to go, then game day will run much more smoothly. You will also enjoy the day more if you are not worried about preparing and making all the food.
Also make sure to have your fridge stocked with plenty of drinks. Or, even better, set up a few coolers with ice and drinks inside around the TV too. That way guests can easily refill or get a drink for themselves without missing a second of the game.
The main event of the day is the Superbowl, so make sure you have the time to sit and enjoy the game with your friends.
Simple BBQ food options will make this a lot easier to achieve. No matter what you choose to make, happy grilling, happy watching—and may the best team win.