By Susan Russo of Food Blogga

Are You Ready For Some Football? (Grub, That Is)

Don’t wait until the Super Bowl to enjoy great football. You’ve got four months of prime time eating ahead of you. So the big question is: Do you have a game plan?

Well, here’s my play book for how to make fun, fabulous football food all winter long. Just don’t share it with the Giants. I can’t stand the Giants.

* Keep it simple. It should be hearty, laid-back grub. No
fuss. No frills. No sushi.

* Include foods you can hold in your hand like
sandwiches, burgers, and pizza. That leaves your other hand free to switch to
other games during commercials.

* Anything messy, cheesy, spicy, and/or fried is always
welcome. Think mac n’ cheese, BBQ baby back ribs, beer battered onion rings,
and super nachos.

* The more dishes that include bacon the better.
Including desserts.

* You can’t go wrong with anything Mexican.

* Hot stick-to-your-ribs dishes like chili, sloppy joes,
and jumbalaya are especially good for the second half of the season, when temps
dip and fans need some comfort.

* In addition to drinking it, feel free to add beer to
any dish possible.

Nothing says football food quite like chicken wings. Simply Recipes has you covered with her  recipe for quintessential American Buffalo Wings with tangy blue cheese dip. ChileCheeseFries offers her exotic Peri-Peri Chicken Wings, which are slathered with a bold hot sauce made from African bird’s eye chili peppers. Still can’t decide? Chaos in the Kitchen offers Wings Three Ways: Italian Style Garlic-Parmesan Wings, Asian-Style Wings, and Traditional Hot Wings.

Pork is the king of meats when it comes to football food. North Carolina may have the Carolina Panthers, but you’ll be rooting for these succulent North Carolina Style Pulled Pork sandwiches from Café Lynnlu, replete with Carolina mopping sauce. Or try Picky Palate’s good ‘ol Southern Pulled Pork Biscuit Sandwiches, which are piled high and topped with a scoop of creamy slaw. Ribs are a perennial football favorite as Lynda has discovered with her sweet and spicy Dry Rubbed Pork BBQ Spareribs.

When it comes to ease, nothing beats a sandwich. Even a wide receiver would get full on Kathy’s mammoth Pittsburgh-Style Cheese Steak Panini, composed of layers of ground beef, cole slaw, and
French fries. Another belly-filler is my Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, a big slab of cornmeal encrusted pork that is fried until crisp and served on a bun with mayo and pickles. For a taste of Italy, try my Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich on ciabatta with garlicky broccoli rabe and melted sharp Provolone cheese.

Pizza and beer make even a bad game seem good. There isn’t a guy alive who wouldn’t love Rookie Cookie’s tangy Thin Crust Barbecue Chicken Pizza, my spicy Sausage and Rapini Pizza, or Recipe Girl’s mozzarella smothered Meatball Pizza.

Chili is quintessential football food, and there are as many variations on it as there are play calls in a football game. (That’s A LOT.) Here are a couple of chili recipes that will score every time. With the addition of fiery habanero chili and Heinz ketchup, Perfect Pantry’s Football Season Chili will be a hit. For flavor as big and bold as Texas, try Lisa’s Seven Chile Chili, which is spiked with coffee, coriander, and cinnamon.

When you’ve had your fill of chili, try Batter-Splattered’s hearty Claimjumper Gumbo made with shrimp, crab meat, and andouille sausage. Or try my creamy New England Clam Chowder, which is chock-full of soft potatoes and salty clams. Go Pats!

When
in doubt, go with Mexican. Big Red Kitchen knows this already. That’s why her
go-to football food is a self-serve nacho bar and a big bowl of spicy, salty Best Jalapeno and Beer Queso. Serious Eats’ pairs Mexican with bacon, always a win-win for football food: try their Guacamole and Chunky Bacon Dip or their Bacon Cheeseburger Quesadillas. This is killer football food.

Sure, you’ll be full after all that chili and pizza, but you can’t leave out dessert.
Score a touchdown with the kids by making Baking Bite’s Chocolate Football  Cakes. Then for the adults, make one (or both) of these bacon-centric desserts: Slashfood tackles the competition with their Bacon Bourbon Brownies, also known as Legal Vice Brownies. And The Culinary Sherpas’ Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies are so dangerously delicious that they come with a warning: “Do NOT eat these straight from the oven as you will not stop.”

Now, we’re all ready for some football.