It's football season and that means weekends will be spent in front of the TV, fantasy teams will win and lose, and fans will show their team pride. Smack talk, friendly competition, divided houses, and things covered in bacon set the tone for the entire season.
Gather your fantasy league friends or other fans of pro and college teams and host a party with signature cocktails, bacon cheeseburger kabobs and plenty of fan fare that will make game day a touchdown!
The last place you want to be during a game is stuck in the kitchen preparing food so keep things simple and accessible with a "hydration station" bar cart and a sideline snack bar. I moved my DIY lemonade stand into the living room where all the action takes place and set it up as our central snack station. Since we had fans rooting for all different teams I kept the decorations neutral and used black, white and green to make everything pop. I covered the top of the lemonade stand with the football field tablecloth and decorated the front with layered black and silver tassel garland, a black and white striped "referee" banner and the football party pennant.
Whether you're watching just one game or spending the entire day channel surfing for games you will want to make sure you have plenty of snacks for everyone to munch on. I filled mini football popcorn boxes with popcorn and used the mini galvanized metal pails for pretzels. I put jars filled with our favorite snack mix on the bar cart and on the coffee table in the living room for guests to scoop into the football paper bowls and munch on.
I made football cupcakes so everyone could savor sweet victory when a play goes their way.
If you're planning on throwing a party for the NFL draft you can get creative when determining draft order. Have everyone draw a number and let them think that this is what you're using to determine draft order. Throw a curve ball and present a tray of Football Shot Glasses that are numbered on the bottom. The person who draws the 1 is the first person to choose a shot glass from the tray. Guests will take their shot glasses and then discover what number is on the bottom of their glass, in turn learning their actual order in the draft selection.
One of the best parts of hosting a draft party is all the trash talk, laughter and league traditions. Keep things festive and fun with spirit gear, football tattoos, stiff drinks and lots of good food.
Whether you're cheering on your favorite team, watching the big game or preparing for the NFL draft, you can incorporate these recipes and DIY ideas in to your party. Don't miss out on our recipe for a "Hail Mary" Bloody Mary Cocktail, Bacon Cheeseburger Kabobs, how to make your own Football Coasters and how to style a Football Themed Bar Cart.
