Planning to spend a bit on your Super Bowl party? Chances are, you’ll only spend a fraction of what those attending the marquee professional football game of the year will spend leading up to, during and after the game.
The price for official Ticketmaster packages for Super Bowl LVIII currently ranges between $7,000 and $35,300. Advertisers can expect to pay up to $7 million for a single 30-second TV ad. And host city of Las Vegas could receive over $500 million in revenue during the Feb. 11 event.
It’s safe to say the NFL’s championship game is a big deal, and food is definitely a vital part of the game day ritual.
One familiar snack will be returning to the Super Bowl ad action this year: M&M’S. The popular multi-colored candies, produced by Mars, have appeared in nine Super Bowl ad campaigns since 1998. This year’s entry will build on iconic Super Bowl moments and focus on a sense of fun and nostalgia.
“M&M’S is more culturally relevant than ever and for more than 80 years, this Mars brand has delivered entertainment and excitement for fans,” says Gabrielle Wesley, chief marketing officer of Mars Wrigley North America. “M&M’S has shown up big at the Super Bowl over the past two decades, and we’re excited to continue celebrating our relationship with the NFL by using the moment to kick off a new focus on product for M&M’S in 2024.”
Meanwhile, households in all 50 states will be preparing their favorite tailgate party foods and beverages for Super Bowl LVIII, which pits the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers. The match-up on the field promises to be exciting, but the Super Bowl ritual extends into the legendary half-time show and the release of soon-to-be iconic TV commercials.
Following are popular Super Bowl party foods to consider having ready come Feb. 11.
Chicken wings
When Teressa Bellissimo, co-owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, improvised a late-night snack of hot sauce-coated fried chicken wings in 1964, she created an instant classic in the snacking world. Fried chicken wings are portable and hand-held, two of the best traits for game day appetizers. The wings can be served with dry rubs, such as lemon pepper or garlic parmesan, or coated with a flavorful range of sauces. The heat level varies from extremely mild to over 2 million Scoville units, and cooling agents such as celery sticks, carrot sticks, and creamy dips help to balance it out.
Chips and dip
An array of snack chips and savory dips virtually defines a game day celebration. Corn chips, tortilla chips and potato chips share table space with cheese-based, sour cream and avocado-based guacamole dips. These salty, crunchy snacks have a universal appeal, encouraging casual grazing before, during, and after the game itself.
Nachos
At many tailgating and game day parties, nachos serve as the ultimate “do it yourself” appetizer. A bed of crispy tortilla chips forms the base of a chips and dip snack writ large. Guests build their own snack plates by adding layers of traditional Southwestern ingredients such as ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, sliced jalapeno peppers, grated cheese, and dollops of sour cream. Nachos are completely customizable and hold up well as portable snacks.
Pizza
Pizza is another portable and hand-held favorite at game day celebrations. Hosts have a wide number of options when ordering, including the thickness of the crust, the size of the pie, the type of sauce and the number of toppings. Partygoers often have choices based on their own preferences, from vegetarian to gluten-free to “everything on the menu.” Pizza can also be ordered in bulk for larger gatherings and survives quite well in the form of leftovers.
Cheese and crackers
Along with their chip and dip cousins, platters of assorted crackers and cheeses are a must-have for Super Bowl parties. “Entertainment”-style crackers have their own savory flavor profiles, which mesh well with an assortment of gourmet cheese slices. Softened cheeses blended with herbs, spices, or even wines also work well on a cheese and cracker platter or as part of a larger charcuterie display.
Cookies
Mixing the sweet with the savory is always a good idea for party planners, and few things fit the definition of sweet as fresh-baked cookies. Trays of cookies can be decorated in team colors or logos, creating a friendly rivalry among game-day partygoers. Cookies appeal to all age groups, which is ideal for a family-friendly all-day event like the Super Bowl. Cookies of all flavors work well as palate cleansers and desserts after guests have consumed heavy or spicy snacks.
Burgers
A plateful of hamburgers, especially when set up with a DIY condiments bar, is always a popular choice for Super Bowl parties. The patties can be prepared ahead of time in bulk, either on the grill or in the kitchen. Fresh hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls mesh especially well with hamburger patties, and guests can add their own sliced cheeses, sauces, and toppings to personalize their sandwich, then add chips, nachos, or other side dishes to the plate.
Meatballs
Many experienced game day party planners will agree the slow cooker was probably invented to serve the meatball appetizer industry. Frozen or homemade meatballs smothered in a barbecue sauce and cooked for hours in a Crockpot are considered potluck or game day royalty by some. Available in bulk and typically fully cooked, these high-protein snacks require very little preparation but serve quite well as appetizers and heavy hors d’oeuvres at Super Bowl parties of any size.
Written by HAILEY ROSE McLAUGHLIN for Wealth of Geeks, via The Associated Press.
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