We've got the perfect menu for your Super Bowl party. Delivery, finger-food or fully catered? Learn how to pick the right food for your guests to enjoy.

1. How to Cater Your Super Bowl Party

2. Catering your super bowl party doesn't have to be a headache.
Follow these tips and make sure that everyone has plenty of
great food to munch on during the big game.

3. 1. The Last Minute, “…our TV isn’t working, can we use
yours?” Home Party
We’ve all been there: we’re planning on taking it easy,
maybe dropping by a local bar or a friend’s apartment to
watch the game, and then suddenly, boom, your apartment
is the place to be.
Maybe it’s because you’ve got that brand new TV, maybe
it’s because you’re only a block from the subway station
and it’s raining or maybe it’s because you have ample street
parking nearby, but either way you’re now the somewhat-
unwilling host of a Super Bowl party.
Fear not: there are a few simple tips and tricks to make your
life easier and keep your costs to a minimum.

4. BYOB: If you’re offering the location, don’t be shy about
asking your friends to bring some of the good stuff. Ask
each person to bring a bottle of liquor and a mixer, or a
pack or two of beer.
Pizza Party: Your local fast food places often provide party
packs; you can get a Party Pack at Taco Bell relatively
cheaply. Another great idea is pizza; order one plain, one
with everything, and one with pepperoni to make sure you
fit everyone’s dietary needs. Most major pizza chains have
great deals during this weekend, so don’t forget to google
for discount codes before you order.

5. Apps and Zerts Party: We agree with Tom from Parks and
Rec: apps and ‘zerts are a wonderful thing. Safeway, Trader
Joe’s, and Costco all have a huge variety of frozen
appetizers and pre-made deserts that will keep your guests
(and your wallet) full with minimal effort on your part.
Preheat your oven, pop those suckers on a baking tray and
you’ve got yourself a bite-sized feast.
Bonus tip: Invest in a set of paper plates and plastic cups
so that cleanup simply involves throwing things away rather
than having to wash a million plates. And don’t forget to
recycle your bottles!

6. 2. The Pre-planned Home or Tailgate Party
So you’ve agreed to host a big Super Bowl party in your
house. There have probably been weekends full of games
leading up to this, but this is the real deal: you’re going to
have a house full of people screaming at your screen.
Providing food for a crowd can be hard, but we think we’ve
got a few tricks to make it easier.

7. Don’t forget local, favorite restaurants: Do you have a
great barbeque place nearby? A pop-up with the best
chicken wings in the state? Most of these down-home
restaurants are happy to offer you a discounted price on
party platters of meaty main courses, and they’re served in
big tinfoil containers so you can just fold it up and toss it
when you’re done.
Fire up the grill: Hotdogs and hamburgers are an easy way
to keep a crowd full and happy, and if you’ve had time to
plan you might be able to swing by Costco, where you can
pick up huge quantities of food on the cheap.

8. Don’t forget the sides: We recommend sticking to simple
sides when having a larger Super Bowl party at your house,
particularly if peoples’ potentially picky kids are coming by:
macaroni salad, coleslaw, and some cold cuts with cheese
are a great way to provide food for people with even fairly
restrictive diets.
Set up a table: No one wants to stand in the kitchen serving
people when the game is playing, so use a counter or a
covered table to set up a buffet with an ice bucket full of
beers and sodas so people can serve themselves.

9. Save your space: Here’s a lesson we learned the hard
way - put away any precious items (that antique lamp you
inherited from your grandmother, for instance) and toss
down a cheap plastic tablecloth on any coffee tables or
side table people might be using (bonus points if they’re in
your team’s colors!).
People will be drinking and cheering and screaming at the
ref, and you don’t want to risk your furniture getting
scratched, water-damaged, or broken.

10. 3. The Corporate Budget, “Let’s Do it Big” Party
You’ve seen these parties on TV; these are the celebrations
full of athletes, politicians, and maybe that one neighbor of
yours who always seems to be invited everywhere.
If you’re going to throw one of these parties, you’re going to
have to put in a lot of time and effort; expectations will be
high, and food and drinks are going to be a huge
selling point.
Assuming you’ve already found the right venue, we’ve got a
few tips to make your catering take off smoothly.

11. Pre-Plan Your Caterer: We’re assuming that if you’re going
to pay a bunch for a large venue, you’re probably going to
have catering as well; make sure that you check with your
venue on what your catering options are. Some hotels have
exclusive partnerships with nearby caterers, and a number
of local caterers will be booked up ahead of time. Book
early, and try to have a taste test before you put down
a deposit.
Decide what you want your catering theme to be: Are you
going to provide dinner, or just a series of ever-rotating
appetizers? We still recommend fan-favorites (barbeque,
burgers, and hot dogs), but try to jazz them up: burgers can
become sliders, hot dogs become gourmet hot dogs with
fancy mustard and special buns.

12. Make sure you’ve got wait staff: You’re going to want
people helping pick up empty dishes and glasses and help
pass out food so that you can mingle with your guests. Ask
your catering company if they provide staff, or if not, find a
company who does.
Food timing is everything: Have your waiters provide light
appetizers when people come in, then work your way up to
the heavy stuff; break out your heavier dishes just before
half-time to give people time to enjoy themselves. You don’t
want to serve your main meals too early; people may arrive
late, and usually they won’t be particularly hungry until at
least partway through the party.

13. Create the perfect bar: Ideally you’ll have a bartender (or
three) for these sorts of events, but take things one step
further by providing custom touches.
Maybe that means complimentary beer cozies that your
guests can take home with them with your favorite team on
them, or maybe that means a custom drink in the colors of
your team.
Try to provide at least one unique touch that makes this
party uniquely yours – bonus points if it’s a giant ice
sculpture in the shape of a football.

14. Hopefully with these catering tips and tricks your Super Bowl party
will be as satisfying as the game-winning touchdown, but don’t
forget, at the end of the day, whether your party is an impromptu
get-together or a huge, glittering affair, its all about the love of the
game. Wear your team colors, enjoy the game, and dig in!