Add some spice to your Super Bowl party

So your favorite NFL team didn’t make the playoffs. Or maybe you don’t have a favorite team. Or perhaps you don’t even know the difference between a corner blitz and a shotgun formation.

It makes no difference. You can still enjoy Super Bowl Sunday by making the game the centerpiece of a dinner party.

“You can serve something beyond the usual, ho-hum chips and hot dogs,” says Karen Brown, author of “The Dinner Party Cookbook” (Meadowbrook Press).

“I’m not saying that you should break out the tuxedo,” Brown says. “But why not make the party more memorable?”

Once guests show up, put on some college football songs. Or organize a football pool with token bets. Your guests should be getting the impression that this party is far beyond the routine gather-round-the-tube event.

As the game enters its final quarter, present your guests with dessert. Caramel brownies complement the feast and satiate your guests.

Karen Brown offers the following ideas for a smashing Super Bowl dinner party from her book, “The Dinner Party Cookbook.”¢ Ask guests to dress in the colors of their favorite team, and decorate with pennants, pompoms, and toy footballs.¢ Serve food and beverages as a buffet, or assemble box lunches that guests can balance on their laps during the game.¢ For a centerpiece, use a real football surrounded by mums, ribbons and miniature footballs.¢ Try a menu of warm crab dip on pita chips, green beans and potato casserole, beef tenderloin on rolls, caramel brownies, and Bloody Marys.

“Regardless of who wins the game, your guests will have nothing but praise for your exceptional taste,” Brown says. “And you will have succeeded in throwing a Super Bowl party that is unique and enjoyable to die-hard fan and sports novice alike.”

Touchdown!

Chili-spiced cheese and pecan fondue with shrimp dippers

Fondue is a tried-and-true favorite for serving to the right group at the right time, and this one has several characteristics which may make it right for your party.

Count the virtues: Most appealing, this is a bright-tasting cheese and pecan variation on the fondue theme, with an optional chili quotient, and it includes the sassy use of shrimp as dipping tools.

It’s also quick to make, with a yield of about 18 appetizer-size servings, but preparation ahead of serving time is an alternative, too, if that’s convenient for your program. The basic fondue mixture can be made a few hours in advance, if needed. However, the pecans should be added just before serving to preserve their crunch. Remember to reheat gently to avoid boiling the fondue.

You will need 18 long toothpicks for the dippers.

(Preparation 15 minutes, cooking time 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

1 cup white wine

8 ounces grated premium yellow Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)

8 ounces grated Jarlsberg cheese (about 2 cups)

Chili-spiced cheese and pecan fondue with shrimp dippers is a versatile dish that's quick to make. The recipe yields about 18 appetizer-size servings and can be prepared ahead of serving time.

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons canned chipotle in adobe (optional)

5 green onions, green part only

1 1/2 dozen large shrimp, cleaned and cooked

Preparation:

Heat wine to boiling; cook 2 minutes. Toss both cheeses with flour. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk cheese mixture into wine, stirring constantly until melted. Add pecans, hot sauce, and chipotle (if desired). Cut green parts of onions crosswise into 1-inch lengths.

To serve, thread 1 piece of onion on a long toothpick, thread 1 shrimp, then another piece of onion. Repeat with remaining onion and shrimp; serve with warm fondue mixture.

Makes 18 appetizer servings.

Nutrition information per serving (1 shrimp dipper with 1 heaping tablespoon fondue mixture): 134 cal., 8 g pro., 2 g carbo., 9 g total fat (5 g saturated), 36 mg chol., 0.4 g fiber, 125 mg sodium.

Source: The Georgia Pecan Commission