Who ya got: Denver or Seattle?

Yes, its time for THAT game again!  I don’t know about you, but it always breaks out the need to make some killer grub and have some buddies over to watch.  So, how do you balance the elegant ‘simplicity’ often desired by your male friends, while you respect the ladies may not want to risk you double-dipping in the nacho dip?

Got an idea or two for you.  First one come from the lovely Jess over at “Forgiving Martha.”  Here’s the link:  http://www.forgivingmartha.com/2011/07/quick-healthy-appetizers.html. The caprese bites are right near the top of the page.  You’re gonna love it!

The caprese bites are delicious and always add some great color to whatever plate your guests are eating off of.  I know plenty of dudes that dig these ‘eats,’ although the ladies are usually drawn to them, as well.  It has the benefit of being gluten free, and veggie-adjacent.  Yeah, yeah, bull milk for the cheese, yeah yeah.  It’s just good, and looks fantastic on the plate.  This one would be a great one to have a kid from ages 7-11 help out, since they’ll have good enough coordination to assist at that age.  Then during the game, you can give props to your kid for the great help.  It’s a win-win for the family; doesn’t get any better!

Second one today couldn’t be simpler:  Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus.  C’mon…everything is better with bacon!  You’ll look like a total king serving this dish at your place!  Thanks to the the lovely Michelle over at Healthy Recipe Extacy for this great suggestion.  You’ll find the pic about 1/4 of the way down the page:  http://www.healthyrecipeecstasy.com/2013/01/30/super-bowl-sunday-healthy-appetizer-ideas/

This is so easy to make, even a knuckle-dragger like me can get it done, and look classy while rocking my team shirt for the big game.  Note that this is served on paper plates, and like most of my football-related events, that’s just fine.  For a guy, this is heaven!  Oh, and sorry, guys…she’s not single.

Don’t worry, I’ve got one final treat for you to sink your teeth into for an appetizer.  The lovely Brit Moran over at Brit & Co serves up a great football themed version of potato skins created by Nanette Wong.  It’s near the top of the page here:  http://www.brit.co/game-day-bites/

The only thing here that sort of violates my general principles of plating here is that there’s event-specific plates involved.  Note some of the appetizers are served on a plate that looks like a football field/pitch (some of us like soccer/football too), which is a little ‘fancy for the sake of being fancy,’ and you know how I feel about that.  But c’mon, how great does that LOOK??

In this case, I don’t so much mind the paper plates.  Football Sunday usually means eating on paper plates anyway, so why the heck not?  Think of it as dressing your food appropriately for the crowd you’re expecting.  This page also has a neat idea for deviled eggs that are football shaped, too, even if it looks like a bit more work to get done.  I’m quite sure the recipes are insanely great!

I’m going to go silent through the weekend, as I’ve got a bucket-list activity coming up over the next 4 days.  See you early next week, as we start looking at some easy to prepare/plate romantic options now that Valentine’s Day approaches!

Peace.