MOBILE, Alabama -- According to the folks who have nothing better to do than keep track of what other people are doing, Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest at-home entertaining days in the year.
It rivals only New Year’s Eve and, oddly enough, Halloween for sheer popularity. But it’s better than New Year’s since you don’t have to stay up past midnight and it beats Halloween because dressing up is strictly optional for a Super Bowl gala.
Think about it: The Superdome is big but it’s not big enough to hold all the people who want watch the game so that means for the vast majority of us will be watching the game in the comfort of our own home with a group of friends in attendance. Besides, you can’t see the television commercials if you are the game and the restrooms are a lot closer.
And who’s playing in the game matters less than what is on the buffet line before, during and after the game. Putting together a world class Super Bowl party takes only a smidgen of planning, but it does require some.
In planning a party where your guests are focused on something other than the food (in this case, the game), you need to be mindful that they want to eat when it doesn’t interfere with what’s going on in the game. In other words, don’t plan an elaborate sit down Downton Abbey-style dinner party and expect a lot of participation.
There are a few things you can do to prevent your guests from starving.
First off, it’s a long, long game. If you include the pre-pre-game, pre-game, game and post-game analysis you could conceivably have guests in your home all day and half the night. At a minimum you’re looking at five hours and that’s just the game so you need to have plenty of food available.
Nobody wants to spend the entire game in the kitchen, standing over a hot stove trying your best to keep a steady stream of canapés and aperitifs to keep your guests sated throughout the party. The answer is a one-pot meal that can be made ahead of time, kept warm and served all night long.
As for theme, well you don’t have to worry since the game itself is theme enough – in most cases. But since the game is being played in one of finest culinary destinations in the world I think it only fitting that you serve at least one dish with a New Orleans flavor.
There are plenty of taste-tempting recipes with New Orleans flair to choose from but some of them are not suited for this sort of gathering. Some, though, are perfect and here are a few of my favorites.
Here’s my tried-and-true recipe for red beans and rice. In fact, I haven’t written this since the Saints were last in contention for the biggest football prize; yeah, it’s been that long.
Red Beans and Rice
8-10 servings
1 pound dry red beans (Camellia brand)
1 pound andouille or good smoked sausage, chopped in 1-inch chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, to taste
2-3 bay leaves
Chopped green onions for garnish
Soak beans in water covered overnight. Remove any discolored or weird-looking beans and discard. Place beans in large stock pot, and cover with water by about an inch. In this situation, it's better to err on the side of too much water rather than not give the beans enough.
Add everything to the pot except the green onions, and bring to a boil. When it boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about an hour and a half.
Check beans for doneness (beans should be tender) and if they're not done, cook them some more. I like to mash up a few beans to make them thicker, but that's just me.
Add the green onions just prior to serving over white rice.
*Note: At my house, we also like to serve it with Worcestershire sauce, but we're weird. It does add something to the beans; I just don't know what.
If Super Bowl Sunday isn’t the perfect time to get reacquainted with your slow cooker then I don’t know when is. Imagine putting everything into a pot, plugging it in and then spending the rest of the day enjoying your guests.
In keeping with the theme of New Orleans favorites, here is a recipe from a great new cookbook “Southern Living Big Book of Slow Cooking” (Oxmoor House; $22.95).
Easy Jambalaya
Makes 8 servings
2 pounds skinned and boned chicken thighs
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 (8-ounce) container refrigerated prechopped celery, onion and bell pepper mix
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ pound peeled, extra-large raw shrimp
1¾ cups converted rice
Chopped parsley (garnish)
Combine chicken, sausage and next seven ingredients in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 5 hours.
Add shrimp and rice, and increase heat to high. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Here is another requested recipe that I am occasionally asked to reprint. I’m happy to recycle it every few years because as with most chilis, this one gets better with age. It may not track well with your New Orleans theme but I’m sure they enjoy good chili in the Crescent City.
This is a much abbreviated version of our award-winning chili recipe.
Not Nearly So Much Entirely Adequate Award-Winning Chili
12-16 servings
5 pounds lean ground round
1 package chili seasoning mix
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
3-4 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
2 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 12-ounce can beer
1/4 cup ground chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
Tony Chachere's, to taste
3 teaspoons (or more) ground cayenne pepper
2 heaping tablespoons Tone's beef base soup starter (get it a Sam's)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 can (14.5-ounces) Navy beans, undrained
1 can (14.5-ounces) red beans, drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) black beans, drained
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (garnish)
Sour cream (garnish)
In a large Dutch oven or 8- to 10-quart pot, brown ground beef and drain excess grease. Add prepackaged chili seasoning mix and continue to simmer. Stir occasionally.
In separate skillet, sauté onion, bell pepper and celery in a little olive oil, being careful not to burn. Sauté until onions are clear. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so until it becomes fragrant.
Add vegetables to meat mixture and combine. Add both cans of tomatoes, beer and seasonings and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for about 2 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it will be.
Add beans an hour before cooking. Serve over rice or corn chips.
Sprinkle grated extra sharp cheddar cheese or sour cream on top.
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