Even though the money from television has created what seems to be hundreds of bowl games, families still like to have an annual bowl game open house for friends and neighbors to stop-by, socialize, and enjoy good food. The bowl game could be the Rose Bowl which has always been a Midwestern and California tradition, or it could be the BCS championship game or the Super Bowl. The game doesn’t matter near as much as the friends and the food.
This season, I’m going to highlight favorite foods for hosts and visitors for a bowl game open house. Then I’m going to have a recipe for each week leading to the Super bowl. To research, I queried, Jeff Reed, deli guru of The Fresh Market near my home. My question to Jeff was, “What things do people buy most to entertain for bowl game open houses?” Here is a list of his biggest sellers.
- Buffalo wings
- Specialty Dips – for veggies and crackers
- Meat Balls – for subs and general munching
- Bread bowls filled with cheese or spinach dip
Here is a great recipe for making your own Buffalo Wings.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds chicken wings and/or drummettes
1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
1/3 cup melted butter
Preparation
Deep fry wings for 12 minutes or until fully cooked and crispy. Or you can bake the wings 1 hour at 425 degrees, or grill them 30 minutes if you want, but be sure to get them crispy. Combine the Frank’s Sauce and butter.
Serving
Dip the wings into the sauce and then place them into a heated dish over very low heat. Cover the wings with the remaining sauce. Serve the wings with celery and blue cheese and ranch dressing.
4 servings