Become the Kitchen MVP at Your Football Party

Photo Courtesy of Taft Alexander Realtor

Intoxicating scents of barbecued meat fills the air. Loud cheers – as well as some jeers – can be heard ringing throughout the neighborhood. Hung out on front lawns, flags and banners baring beloved mascots wave in the wind.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

The current season of pro and college football is now in full swing. That means every Saturday and Sunday throughout the fall, houses across the nation will be hosting gatherings for family and friends to watch the year’s biggest games.

If you’re the host of many of these football parties, you know how stressful the task can be. As fun as the day is meant to bring, there’s plenty to plan for. Well never fear, Kingston Brass is here to guide you on how to plan your upcoming football party and make the most of your kitchen space so you come out as the MVP.

The key to hosting a great party is all in the preparation. The first thing you should tackle is the menu of your party. Set the game plan early on, deciding what foods you want served. Figure out what you want to make and how much you should make.

If it’s a potluck, you can either call out the plays by telling certain guests what to bring, or you can ask them what they plan on bringing and try to work around those items. As the host, expect to make the major food dishes like ribs and burgers as well as some of the hors d’oeuvres. But leave it up to guests to also bring additional finger foods and appetizers such as chips, dips, chicken wings, etc.

And depending on your guest list, renting a keg may be worth looking into. But if you and your guests prefer bottled and canned beers, as well as other non-alcoholic drinks, throw them into a cooler filled up with ice. This will prevent guests from rummaging through your fridge while you’re slaving away in the kitchen. And it will also save you some much needed space in the icebox.

Next is figuring out spacing and staging. During most football parties, it’s pretty common for guests to flow in out and of the kitchen as they make themselves plates of food during commercial breaks and half times. So you’ll want to have a setup that’ll allow guests to come and go as they please without disturbing you.

Have a buffet set up for guests to quickly huddle around as they fill up their plates and get back to the couch for the game. The best buffet table should be like a carousel. You want your buffet line to flow and be as efficient as your team’s offense.

Kitchen islands are good spots to set up a buffet, but that could get crowded as your trying to cook. The kitchen table should be more sufficient. And if your living room allows for it, moving the kitchen table or propping up a folding table behind the couches would ultimately keep guests out of the kitchen altogether.

Following the party, your kitchen is bound to look like a defensive line ran a blitz through it. However, there are some preventive steps to take that could keep your kitchen from turning into “Sunday, Bloody Sunday.” One common, simple idea is to put out disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils for your guests. This will create more waste in the trash can, but it’s an easier clean up and will keep you from having more dishes to wash later.

But the most important tip is to “clean as you go.” It helps in the long run to continue wiping counters down, and rinsing and reusing cooking utensils, plates and chopping boards whenever you can. This would limit buildup of dishes in the sink and keep your work station tidy.

Lastly, and this can’t be stressed enough. After everything is cooked, your friends and family have been fed, and before you need to clean up, the next, most important step: sit down, take a breath and watch your team play.

Have a happy football season, everybody. (Go Arizona State!!!!)

We invite you to browse through our entire selection of kitchen sinks and faucets that will make your entertaining a breeze.