Super Bowl Potluck Ideas

Super Bowl Sunday is perfect for a potluck party! The whole idea of a Potluck meal is to take the stress off of everyone, especially the person coordinating because a relaxed hostess means relaxed guests. With just a bit of advance planning, you can have wonderful, stress-free party with fantastic food and great company! Use these seven steps and SCORE!

1. Design the perfect menu. Giving your guests some direction on what to bring rather than leaving it entirely up to them can be really helpful and prevent a spread of crockpots of chili with no chips or salads. It’s a good idea to take care of the main course yourself so you won’t worry about your guests being hungry if a few guests show up empty handed.

2. Invite people to sign up. With free, online potluck SignUp sheets  from SignUp.com, everything you need at your fingertips. Keep track of who’s coming and what they’re bringing using the intuitive potluck planning wizard and easy-to-use scheduling tools. You can even share it via social media and email, thus eliminating endless chat threads. SignUp.com provides automated reminders and real-time e-calendar syncing, and your friends and family can sign up 24/7 from their computers or smart phones –no passwords needed. There are even ways to keep track of your guests’ food preferences and sensitivities.

3. Decorate! Use your favorite team’s colors for an easy-peasy decorating theme or search Pinterest for decorating ideas and free printables. Throw a few foam fingers and some pom-poms around for an adorable and economic bit of flair.

4. Pre-plan your buffet. It’s easier to think through the flow ahead of time before everyone arrives at once with their contributions. Typically, start with plates and napkins, progress to main courses and side dishes, and leave cutlery and drinks for the end so that people don’t have to carry them through the line. Set up a separate area with dessert and coffee.

5. Don’t forget to provide labels for dishes. In fact, you can create a unique party favor, while notifying your guests of recipe ingredients at the same time, by asking contributors to bring copies of the recipe for the dish they made.

6. Plan for emergencies. Stock up on extra napkins, cups, crackers, chips, salsa, tooth picks, nuts, plastic cutlery, drinks, tape/markers, wipes and paper towels -- just in case. Stash an extra cooler with ice, some extra serving utensils, and a bottle of wine or two.

7. Don’t forget your littlest guests. One thing that’s always useful is to have a movie watching area for your youngest guests who might not be football fans. Provide kid-friendly snacks, coloring sheets and a game or two and you’ve officially thought of everything!

See also: Throw a Super Bowl Party for the Kids!