As a Louisiana-living native, football is big part of my fall/winter schedule. Many weekends are spent around the TV watching all the football games. I can thank my husband for introducing me to football. He’s always been a big football fan and over the years I’ve actually become a fan myself. At the beginning of the game, I normally end up in the kitchen though. What’s a football party without good food to eat? Well, that’s not a football party.
Football in the South is always filled with lots of tasty food and some things are classics. If you’re looking to throw a Bowl Game party, filled with rustic touches, and some classic Louisiana food, then you need this party plan. Plus, you’ll get “extra-points” for the “game-winning” dip recipe featuring RO*TEL that you’ll be inspired to make. This party plan and recipe is perfect for entertaining during a Bowl Game. Ready? Set. Hut!
Party Plan
Food is a very important part of a Bowl Game party, but a party plan is also an essential. A party plan outlines any decorations that you want to use as well as food options for the day. For this party, I knew I wanted to slightly elevate this football party with some rustic and vintage touches. Also, I still wanted to maintain a laid-back feel with the plan and food.
That is what Southern parties are all about…lots of food and a little sophistication. How could I pull that off? Fine china, lots of moss, game plays on kraft paper, plus lots of vintage and gold touches. After all, just cause it’s football doesn’t mean we can’t use gold flatware and real china.
Plan a party that makes you happy and that makes your guests wish tailgating was a year ’round festivity.
That’s what I did with this Southern Rustic Bowl Game party plan.
For the party area, I used my wine barrels and cypress tabletop for the start of a rustic backdrop. This item serves as an island in my kitchen, but can be easily moved around my home as I need it to.
Don’t be afraid to move furniture around to meet the needs of your party.
By moving the barrel/tabletop setup into the living area, everyone can now enjoy the setup, food, and never miss a play.
In addition, I made a kraft paper game play backdrop for the wall. For this, I taped two pieces of kraft paper together, drew 6 plays onto the paper, then used tacks to hang on the wall. Brandon was a great help with this task since I’m not great at all the logistics of football. To hide the separation in the kraft paper, I used some of the game zone caution tape. I knew it would come in handy somehow. I also used the caution tape for a final touch on the tabletop too.
After the kraft paper game play backdrop was up, I added in a few vintage props for food and decor display. A vintage typewriter, crates, and some gold trophies were all used for props. Then I added green moss to mimic football turf and hanging moss for some Southern sophistication. That is a thing right? This is a football party so I had to include plush footballs for props too. Now we’re ready for FOOD!
Touchdown Shrimp Po’ Boys
For the menu, this is where I got a little laid-back. One thing is certain, game day food shouldn’t be fussy. For this Bowl Game, “Touchdown Shrimp Po’ Boys” were the main food item. Some were plain, and some were dressed with lettuce and tomatoes. This gives options to your guests. To meet your guests needs, always give at least 2 options. This ensures that everyone will find something they can eat. Po’boys are simple to make and you could use whatever meat you’d like with them – roast beef, oyster, or in this case, shrimp. It’s my favorite and will be my guest’s favorite after this party.
Extra-Point Boudin
You always get “extra points” for the game day sides you incorporate. For more southern touches, I included a Louisiana staple food item, boudin. Boudin is basically a rice dressing mixture stuffed into a pork casing. You’ll find some of the best boudin in Louisiana and it makes a great game day side. It’s a finger food and it’s filling. If boudin is not your thing, then no worries. I’ve included another side option for variety.
Game-Winning Dip
Every game day party needs a game-winning dip. For this Southern Rustic Game Day party, I came up with a dip inspired by a southern favorite – jambalaya. This Jambalaya dip recipe is one for the books! If it was entered in a contest, it would be the crowd favorite and the clear winner. It features ingredients like sausage, shrimp, and one of my favorites – RO*TEL. It is completely acceptable for jambalaya to include tomatoes or tomato sauce, so I knew a can or two of RO*TEL would be the perfect addition for the dip. RO*TEL comes in original, mild, and hot varieties. You can pick the variety for your recipe needs. I bought a few cans of RO*TEL® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies at Walmart. I also grabbed a Hot RO*TEL® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, just in case I decided to add some extra spice. For more “DIP FOR THE WIN” recipe inspiration, visit RO*TEL here. Today, I’m sharing my Jambalaya Orleans dip recipe with you so you can win over your guests with it too.
Southern Rustic Game Day Party
This creamy dip is packed with a ton of southern flavor! Shrimp, sausage, and cream cheese are the highlight and make this dip perfect for game day.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 can of RO*TEL® Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
- 1/3 cup of white onion
- 1/3 cup of green onion
- 1 pound of sausage
- 1 pound of shrimp
- 1 pound of cubed pork meat
- 2 tsp of seasoned salt
- 1 tsp. of garlic powder
- 1 tsp. of minced garlic
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup of Mexican variety cheese
- 1 tsp of hot sauce
Instructions
Cook onions in olive oil until wilted. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add pork meat and sausage and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked and tender. Add seasoned salt and garlic powder. Add shrimp and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked. Drain off juice. Transfer meat mixture to baking dish and mix with cream cheese and shredded cheese. Top with a little shredded cheese for baking. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes on 325 degrees. Remove from oven when mixture is melted and cheese on top is golden. Serve with fresh tortilla chips.
Dip For The Win!
Field Goal Beignets
Don’t forget the sweets! For this game day party, I included some more Louisiana favorites – beignets and pralines. Beignets can be served warm with powdered sugar. You’ll definitely need more than you think so prepare in advance. Beignets are a crowd-pleaser so you can’t go wrong. They are super simple to make at home too! You can do it!
Pralines
Pralines are sweet and filled with yummy pecans, sugar, and cream. They are easy to grab and snack on, just like cookies. Except they are pralines! When is the last time you had pralines for a football party? Don’t be afraid to think out the box. Instead of serving cake or cookies, serve pralines. They are the perfect southern touch to this awesome game day party.
Play-Action Drink: Hurricane Punch
Last but not least, your game day party plan needs a signature drink. This Southern Rustic Game Day party includes a refreshing Hurricane punch. Rum, orange juice, grenadine, and lime juice make this punch one “play-action” away from a touchdown. Garnish with lemon slices and cherries. I served in my fine china glassware because it’s game day after all. Don’t wait to pull out the nice stuff for special occasions only. Game day is a special occasion and should be treated as such.
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