Don’t Let Salmonella and Bacillus ceres Compete Like the Kelce Brothers At Your Festivities

Roberta ShaferFeb 9, 2023

It is that time of the year again, with a bright spot in winter dullness forthcoming. The crowning achievement of the football season, the highlight of the year, and the last game crowning the champion between the AFC and the NFC. Many people, who have been staunch supporters of their own teams, also partake in the the revelry, with the commercials being the high point of their night. So, let’s take a moment to review the important rules of the festivities.

1. If you are hosting this year’s game, you will have to make sure that there is room for your guests to watch the game. If you need to purchase a larger TV, then you better get after it. Walmart will run out of them before the weekend.

2. Make sure that your seating area has space for people who don’t really want to watch the game, but are accompanying their favorite football fanatic. This can be off to the side, as to not not take up precious viewing space. These nice people are usually wine drinkers, so make sure you have a couple of bottles of a nice chardonnay handy.

3. Set up the buffet in a handy space, but make sure it is out of the way of the main traffic areas. Try a couple of scenarios before the magical day, and make sure that there are enough electrical outlets nearby.

4. Stock an extra refrigerator (you know, the one out in the garage) with drinks of your choice, making sure that there are nonalcoholic drinks for the designated drivers. Save room for the beverages that show up with your guests.

5. Don’t forget to set out bottles of hand sanitizer, strategically placed. Germs are still running rampant out there.

6. So now that we have the logistics down, let us think through how and why we need to set up the buffet correctly. What kind of snacks are you serving? Healthy? Hot? Cold? You will need to decide on a theme or at the very least consider options that are traditional football fare. Just remember, you must be able to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. If you can’t decide what to serve, check out these links!

https://mapleleaffarms.com/recipes/duck-charcuterie-board

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/super-bowl-party-food-ideas/

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/super-bowl-2023-best-recipes-themed-foods-for-the-big-game-as-eagles-take-on-chiefs/

https://www.delish.com/entertaining/g2171/super-bowl-food-menu/

7. It is the time to dig out the extension cords, and make sure that you have enough food thermometers. Also, don’t forget batteries for the digital food thermometers, you can’t have enough, and when you need them, you can’t find them.

8. Make a list for that last-minute run to the grocery store, so that you can replace the snacks that the kids ate, even though they knew that they were for game day. This time, don’t forget where you hide them!

9. Do you have enough utensils? You don’t want to cross-contaminate your foods (1). Allergens are always a big deal, and you don’t want to accidentally make your guests ill.

10. Do you have enough short, flat containers for the leftovers? Shorter, flatter containers cool faster than large, deep containers (2). If not, add them to the list.

11. From a food safety perspective, setting out the chips, dips, cookies, vegetable trays, or other food that do not require a lot of maintenance is ideal for the first half of the game. Don’t forget to put dips that require refrigeration in bowls of ice, and keep that crockpot of cheese dip plugged in.

12. Set out the feast for the halftime show. This is the time to bring out warm foods, like buffalo wings, pizza, chili, or other main dish items. This is where the electrical outlets come in. Use crockpots, instant pots, or other appliances that have a keep-warm cycle. Make sure that the temperatures do not fall below 145°F (2). Serving the main dishes during halftime allows you to make sure that the food is eaten or put away by the end of the game. If you are serving potato salad, or any other dish with eggs or mayonnaise that require refrigeration, set them in bowls of ice to keep them cool, and set them out just before eating. If you are serving meats or poultry, make sure that it is cooked to the proper internal temperature. The temperature chart can be found at https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures (3).

13. Leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours – usually towards the end of the game (4^th quarter). To see more food safety tips, check out my previous blogs – they go into much more detail.

14. Don’t worry about doing too much cleaning up. Load the dishwasher, turn it on, and finish the rest tomorrow.