Score major hosting cred with these Super Bowl party ideas.
The 2022 Super Bowl is already going down in history for being the lowest-seeded matchup (both teams entered the postseason as No. 4 seeds) and now you can also exceed Super Bowl party expectations with these fun finds, hosting reminders, and ideas for an easy gathering.
Get the party together fast and avoid a fumble with these Super Bowl essentials — your friends will be so impressed it will be like you scored the game-winning touchdown.
DON’T FORGET THE DIPS
There’s no doubt about it, the key to a great Super Bowl spread is creamy, cheesy, and delicious dips. Luckily, there are an abundance of easy recipes online for buffalo chicken dip, spinach artichoke dip, and even smoked salmon dip (which sounds fancy but is arguably the easiest recipe ever). Place hot dip in a small slow cooker so it stays warm until it’s gone, and drop the cold dip in this themed tray set from Amazon.
APPS > MAINS
More food, seriously? Yes, seriously. If there’s one thing to focus on during the Super Bowl, it’s the food. Give yourself a break by requesting guests bring their favorite football appetizer, and you can set out a couple of your own options (ahem, dips) along with an easy main dish like this slow cooker Texas-smoked barbecue. And be prepared for easy cleanup — nobody wants to do dishes after the Super Bowl (especially since it airs on a Sunday night), so use individual treat cups or go all-out with paper football plates. This year, support the Rams with fun napkins or commit to the Bengals with this complete party set.
GAMES
Get competitive with games that will keep the whole evening interesting! As fun as sitting around on a couch and stuffing our faces is, the Super Bowl is a marathon and interactive games keep it interesting … especially if the game gets boring. If your crowd gets amped about commercials, try this Super Bowl commercial bingo game where everyone fills out a bingo card in advance. Whoever gets BINGO first, wins a prize (you supply the prize, of course) plus bragging rights. And what would a Super Bowl party be without a 4-hour drinking game?
COOLER STOCKED WITH DRINKS
The Super Bowl is not the time to try out that new cocktail book you got for Christmas. It’s the time to keep things as easy as possible, and a cooler will let the Super Bowl party take care of itself. Fill up a cooler with beers and canned wine, set next to the food, and let guests help themselves. Any extras that people bring over can go outside or in the garage to stay cold, then restock once the cooler starts to get empty.
TABLE DECOR
The only thing that might be cheesier than the food are all of the fun football decorations you can find and should absolutely buy for a Super Bowl party. Hang lanterns above the food table or set an inflatable goal post in the middle of it all. Cover the table with this tablecloth that comes in a set of two, so you can save the second one for next season’s tailgates.
And even if your Super Bowl party gets a little too rowdy, you can keep everyone in check with these referee labels. Wrap around a sports drink and encourage guests to take one so they can go to work the next day AND celebrate Valentine’s Day without a wicked hangover.