Hosting in a hurry
Overwhelmed at the idea of hosting the big game this year? Bestie – DON’T STRESS – take a deep breath and gimme 5 minutes of your time with this blog post below. Afterward, I can 99% guarantee you’ll be literally skipping over to your computer to order what you need for pickup/delivery – or even better – getting your fancies on real quick and running to your local store to quest for all the ingredients and mentally map it out as you go! You’ve got this!
Not a hosting queen? No problem.
As a full time content creator you’d think I have endless time to dedicate to elaborate hosting setups – but that’s far from the truth! I’ll be the first to admit a pre-made platter from The Fresh Market is usually the star of my hosting show. Maybe you also dream of a life where you can go full on Martha for any and every occasion… but if you’re anything like me, these dreams aren’t reality. Typically I am so busy with everything that goes into showing up for my life that there’s no way I can do all that. Being a full time mom and blogger that I find myself (you guessed it…) hosting in a hurry. Swipe through to see the epic Game Day Spread that inspired me to spill my secrets in this blog post.
NO STRESS REQUIRED for the most epic Game Day spread
Your solution to an overwhelming task – like being the solo host for a huge Game Day party – is to break the whole project into sections or steps and plan out each portion to piece together and pace yourself without taking your whole day – unless you want that. If so, this would still help you be the most efficient and utilize your time as wisely as possible to help you be the best host ever for your squad. Go queen you’ve got this!
Your strategy for the win…
Behold, my foolproof formula for the winning game day spread that will be perfect for your party even if you don’t know what sport the game day is for (The Superbowl is Football just in case you need to decorate) make sure you don’t get basketball decor on accident bestie. The fun thing about being a sports fan is that it’s totally acceptable to show up or host for just the snacks and conversations – ask me how I know. Ok I’ll tell you – the Superbowl has shared a date with my birthday many times over the years and I was in my early 20s when I learned what sport it was for, then I accidentally bought basketball decor a few years after that when I mixed the sports seasons up in my mind. Oops.
That’s ok though – I still enjoy being a sports fan – especially when I get to feed people who actually enjoy sports! Feeding people is one of my favorite things to do. For this Game Day spread, I followed a simple formula and made it happen without any stress with the following plan. It could have been even easier, but I really wanted to create some recipes from scratch instead of going heavy on tip #4 and fully outsourcing the platters/mains like I’ve done so many times.
In this little Game Day Spread quest of mine, I also created 2 delicious main course recipes that will please even your most discerning guests – like kids who love hyperpalatable food for example. Plus they’re totally clean and allergy friendly too! Check out my Bacon Slider Bar recipe here and my Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe here. If you have the extra half hour, instead of purchasing a main platter, you can make one or both of these simple recipes, grab a few bags of avocado oil chips and a couple of fruit / veggie trays, some cans of sparkling water and box of cookies and really call it a day!
1. Simplify your setup – use my four quarters rule!
Just like the new food pyramid, your table can come together simply if you follow a proven formula. The great news is it will still check everyone’s boxes while being healthier (if you prefer) and allergy friendly/dietary preference friendly as well!
Here’s the formula: Take your table and split it into 4ths – 1/4 protein, 1/4 healthy fats (built into appetizers, ofc), 1/4 fresh produce (or fresh produce based items), and 1/4 indulgent treats!
Depending on how much you are trying to create for your party, you may find that you can expand upon this to include different subcategories as well. For example, for protein you could offer meat and plant based, for produce you could offer a wider variety such as cooked and fresh (e.g., artichoke dip for cooked and a salad bar or veggie platter for fresh). Feel free to adjust or combine things into one dish too, especially if you’re short on space or time.
For example, with the featured spread for this blog post I made a Bacon Slider Bar that included a lot of protein but also veggies with the lettuce alongside the slider buns. This offers a more complete yet customizable option that can appeal to a variety of people! Alongside that, my delicious Buffalo Chicken Bites that could utilize the slider bar ingredients or be eaten on their own.
Next to those things, all I really needed was a few bags of chips, but I was feeling extra so we loaded the table up with like 6 types of chips/snacks and fruit/veggie platters! GO SNACKS! (I mean, “go sports!” lol.) It’s FOOTBALL bestie, the superbowl is FOOTBALL – don’t forget now!
2. Check everyone’s boxes – in one epic spread!
Keep in mind your typical guest at a Superbowl or other large traditional gathering – what do they usually want? What does the average human typically consume at a party? Are your guests primarily families with picky kids, fellow biohackers, fitness/health enthusiasts, or foodies that just want flavor? Maybe a combo of all three? How can you offer options that meet everyone’s expectations of what boxes need to be checked and still taste great while being on the healthy spectrum? That’s your goal, bestie.
To start, think of the usual staples like chips and dip, mozzarella sticks, chips, veggie/fruit platters and sliders – and make a list that includes your “must haves” or popular items – but follow the 4 quarters rule to ensure you keep it in balance! This is the easiest way to balance your spread while appealing to the masses that will be enjoying the feast. In my home (and on my pages) people expect to find healthy but tasty options – and look to me for suggestions and new things to try that won’t feel like a compromise. Bestie I’ve got those all day long!!
This means to keep it simple for a party, I’m reaching for Jackson’s flavored coconut or avocado oil chips, homemade or minimal ingredient mains like my favorite easy Buffalo Chicken Dip, or if I’m in a hurry at least some protein forward main selections that can offer delicious fare for anyone from my pickiest kids to my most devout paleo biohackers… The easiest way to ensure everyone can enjoy but your “healthiness” isn’t off putting is to make sure you try to stick with expected party foods but use clean oils (NO seed oils). Next, focus on mains that anyone can eat or at least offer a deconstructed protein main option (think “build-your-own” taco bar, salad bar, etc). In general the whole ingredients of these things leave room for autonomy and ingredient awareness while still allowing everyone to have options they love!
3. Build it out in advance – map your method!
Prepping ahead of time is a MUST for success – setting up a spread takes so much energy without some advance work or orchestrated help in the kitchen. For me, going shopping on one day, and setting things out in order/by sections when I get home is really helpful. Then on the day of, I can go section by section and setup as it makes sense. This is especially helpful when you’re planning to cook some things fresh! Every time I commit to an “all-in-one day” spread I make sure that I either have coordinated help or select a good amount of things that just need to be setup – like premade platters from my local grocer so I am not late or too tired to finish the job. The plans are easy to overcommit to when you enjoy hosting and forget about how much energy it takes to do it all from scratch!
4. Consider outsourcing the major stuff
This is a real insider’s secret to the win (or ultimate hack, however you wanna frame it) for a successful perfect crowd pleasing game day or party spread. I love a good pre-made platter and The Fresh Market is my local go-to for seasonal or party platters since they offer affordable, easy to order options as well as some off the shelf options if I’ve really procrastinated. Even if you can get just the fresh veggies and fruit trays ready made from a local store, you’ve saved yourself the time it takes to cut everything and arrange it. For me this is usually the first thing I outsource – plus depending on the store it can also be a similar price point as fresh – but for me paying a little more to not spend an hour cutting produce is worth a little more price point wise. Plus they cut things so much cuter than I do.
Anyways, I hope this helps your game day hosting plan bestie – you’ve got this – GO SPORTS! If you love a Pinterest board like me, the graphic below was made just for you! If you have friends who may find this helpful, feel free to share a link to this post!
Below the Pinterest graphic is a fun video I made for The Fresh Market, featuring the method from this blog post!
Here’s that fun video I made for The Fresh Market below to the left, featuring the method from this blog post, in full transparency it completely inspired this blog post. I love The Fresh Market. Also spam free email list signup below to the right, just saying bestie.
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