Everyone knows the Super Bowl is the biggest party day of the year! It’s all about finding a fabulous outfit and creating the perfect football party menu. Oh yeah, and the football game of course!

The perfect Super Bowl party menu can take a lot of planning and research. Sure you could just open a few bags of chips, throw some burgers on the grill and put some beer on ice, but then it’s just like every other Sunday in the fall. Remember, this is the biggest party day of the year for the biggest football game of the year! It’s time to go big or go home!

Over the last few weeks I’ve been giving you all sorts of recipe guides to get you amped up for the Super Bowl. For all of you football fans that won’t be cheering for either team in the Super Bowl this year we have:

• Super Chili Recipes
• NFL Team Inspired burger recipes
• Unique Chicken wing recipes
• football party dips,
• Sliders and mini-burger recipes
• NFL Team Inspired Cocktail recipes

But, if you happen to be a Colts or a Saints fan, or just want to have a tailgating party showing love for both teams, then we have the perfect Super Bowl Game Day Menu for you!

The menus for each team were painstakingly researched and include all sorts of regional food for Indianapolis and New Orleans. So what are you making for your Super Bowl party? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

The Super Bowl Game Day Menu

Indianapolis Colts

• Pregame: The Colt 45 Cocktail & The Indianapolis Cocktail
• 1st Quarter: Hot Corn Dip with Crispy Tortillas & Pulled Pork Dip
• 2nd Quarter: Chipotle Grilled Wings
• Halftime: Indianapolis Colts Chipotle Pork Tenderloin Cheeseburger & Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
• 3rd Quarter: Conner Prairie Pumpkin Soup
• 4th Quarter: Indiana Sugar Cream Pie

New Orleans Saints

• Pregame: The New Orleans Storm of the Century Cocktail & Saints Black and Gold Rising Cocktail
• 1st Quarter: Creole Crab Dip
• 2nd Quarter: Jerk Rubbed Chicken Wings
• Halftime: New Orleans Saints Crawfish Burger
• 3rd Quarter: Gumbo
• 4th Quarter: Beignets & Mardi Gras King Cake

__________________________________________________________________________________

Pregame

The Colt 45 Cocktail
1.0 oz  Gin
2.0 oz Jagermeister
5.0 oz Red Bull

The Indianapolis Dreamy Blues

This blue and white cocktail is the perfect way to show love for the Colts! This football cocktail is like a chocolate covered orange even though it’s blue and white! I’ve seen it made as a shot or a martini. The trick to making sure the liquors are chilled before pouring so they layer properly.

• Vodka – 2/3 oz.
• Cream de cacao liquor – 2/3 oz.
• Blue Curacao – 2/3 oz.

First Quarter:

Hot Corn Dip with Crispy Tortillas One of Indiana’s most favorite crops is CORN! Seemed like the best way to pay homage to their staple crop was with a hot corn dip complete with fresh crispy corn tortillas! This dip is hot, cheesy and very rich! It has jalapenos and cayenne pepper for a little kick too! YUM! Get the recipe!

Second Quarter

A slight story behind my choice…. I had a hard time picking a wing recipe for Indianapolis since this signature foods (corn, popcorn, breaded pork tenderloins…) don’t really work well for a chicken wing! Then randomly found this article about KFC advertising their new “fiery grilled wings” on fire extinguishers all over the city of Indianapolis and it amused me to no end. Now, KFC is not based in Indianapolis or anything (yes, I actually Googled ‘where is KFC based’ like a total moron. I bet you are thinking the same thing, “hmmm I wonder where they are based.” Well, they don’t call it KENTUCKY Fried Chicken cuz it’s based in California, now do they? Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled sentence….) but I felt a fiery wing was appropriate! But if you don’t agree, well, here are 17 More Unique Wing Recipes

Chipotle Grilled Wings : A slight smokey heat to them, enhanced by grilling, not frying these wings. KFC’s secret recipe involved marinating the wings in lots of smokey hot peppers before grilling it. What I love is that the sauce and flavor is grilled into the wing and it’s not as messy. Although I do love licking my fingers after a sauce covered wing!   Get the Recipe

HALFTIME

Indianapolis Colts Chipotle Pork Cheeseburger Indiana is famous for their breaded pork tenderloins and I do have a recipe for those right below, but I also found this chipotle pork burger that sounded so delicious, I had to add it to the menu! The avocado and tomatillo give a light freshness to the dish. I also recommend blending the avocado and tomatillo into the mayo with some lime, cilantro and garlic for a refreshing sauce! It may not be traditional Indianapolis food, but I think of it as a 5 star restaurant spin on the fried breaded pork tenderloin!

• 1 lb ground pork (not lean)
• 2 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
• 4 slices Muenster cheese
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large tomatillo (1/4 lb), husked and rinsed, then sliced
• 1/2 small avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs
• Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat; see “Grilling Procedure.”
• Gently mix pork, chipotle, garlic, and a scant tsp salt until just combined. Form into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties.
• Oil grill rack, then grill patties, covered, 4 minutes.
• Flip patties and top with a slice of cheese. Grill, covered, until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Spread buns with mayonnaise and assemble burgers with tomatillo, avocado, and cilantro.

Indiana’s Famous Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich You can’t talk about Indianapolis food and recipes without mentioning their famous breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches. People come from all over the country just to try one of these bad boys. (I’m assuming. I mean, what other reason is there to go to Indiana anyway? Besides the Indy 500……) If you want to make it the classic local way, you need to make the tenderloin about as big as your head. It’s not supposed to fit on the bun! That’s half the fun!

3rd Quarter

Normally I reserve the third quarter for great chili recipes but I found this amazing sounding soup that is actually local to Indiana and decided to go with it instead! But if you want something a little more hearty, check out the 19 Super Chili Recipes! I recommend using one with corn or pork since they are staple foods in Indianapolis!

CONNER PRAIRIE PUMPKIN SOUP
This recipe comes from a place called The Story Inn in a little town called Story, Indiana. But the real story is about Conner Prairie which is a really cool interactive history park about 30 minutes outside of Indianapolis. Peyton Manning’s new Wheaties commercial was actually filmed there!

1/2 c  Onions
3 tb Butter
2 c  Mashed cooked pumpkin
1 ts Salt
1 tb Sugar
1/4 ts Nutmeg
1/4 ts Ground pepper
3 c  Chicken broth
1/2 c  Light cream

Chop the onions and gently brown in the butter in a pan or kettle. Put
mashed pumpkin into onions in pan with the salt, sugar, nutmeg and
pepper. Slowly add chicken broth and heat thoroughly, but do not
boil. To serve, pour into a tureen and add the cream. Makes 4 to 6
small servings.

4th Quarter

Indiana Sugar Cream Pie Anyone from Indiana, or those who have just stopped in, will tell ya, you can’t visit Indy without trying one of their famous Sugar Cream Pies. It is one of the simplest desserts imaginable and has been around for centuries. It’s an Amish and farmhouse staple. Rich, creamy yet somehow light and airy….. and totally decadent. It’s almost like a custard, but without the eggs!

• 2 cups white sugar
• ¾ cups all-purpose white flour
• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• Whole nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 open pie crust

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine all ingredients, except for nutmeg, butter and egg, in a mixing bowl and combine using a whisk. Pour into pie crust. Drop small pieces of butter on the top of the batter and then grate fresh nutmeg evenly over the top of the pie. (You probably won’t need a whole nutmeg, but I recommend starting with a whole one so you can be sure its super fresh.)

With a pastry brush, brush the fluted edge of the crust with the beaten egg. Cook for 10 minutes at 450°F. Reduce the heat to 350°F and cook for 30 minutes. Cool pie. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

PreGame

New Orleans Saints

storm of the century

This fruity concoction is a fun interpretation of New Orleans’ fave drink: the hurricane. This recipe takes the hurricane from a tropical storm to a Cat 4!

* 1 cup ice cubes
* 1 fluid ounce light rum
* 1 fluid ounce dark rum
* 1 fluid ounce coconut rum
* 1 fluid ounce vodka
* 1 fluid ounce gin
* 1 fluid ounce Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
* 1 fluid ounce triple sec liqueur
* 3 fluid ounces orange juice
* orange slices for garnish (optional)
* maraschino cherry for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a hurricane glass with ice. Add light rum, dark rum, coconut rum, vodka, gin, raspberry liqueur, triple sec and orange juice. Shake gently, and garnish with orange slices and a cherry, if desired. Beverage will be about the color of a pink grapefruit.

Saints Black and Gold Rising Cocktail

By John Byrd of the legendary Commander’s Palace. Commander’s Palace is one of the most prestigious places in the fun loving city. John created this complex drink in honor of the Saints!

1 lemon wedge
1/4 oz simple syrup
3 thin slices of cucumber
pinch of white pepper
3 to 4 chives
3/4 oz lime juice
1/2 oz Fee Brothers’ Warm Ginger Cordial Syrup
1 oz Gosling’s gold rum
1 oz Gosling’s black rum
24k gold dust (optional)

Squeeze lemon wedge into a cocktail shaker, and add simple syrup, cucumber and a pinch of white pepper. Cut chives into 1-inch strips and add to shaker. Muddle all ingredients then add lime juice, Warm Ginger Cordial Syrup and both rums. Shake with ice and strain through mesh strainer into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with two 4-inch chives and sprinkle 24-karat gold dust on top.

1st Quarter

Cajun Crawfish Dip Can’t get crawfish? No problem! Check out my Cajun Crab Dip recipe for a quick substitution that is sooooo delicious!

• 1 cup butter
• 2 bunches green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 pounds peeled crawfish tails
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (1 pound) loaf processed cheese food,
• cubed
• salt and black pepper to taste
• hot pepper sauce to taste

1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in green onions, and cook briefly.
2. Add parsley and crawfish, and simmer about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in flour to coat crawfish.
3. In a small bowl, mix together egg yolks and evaporated milk.
4. Stir into crawfish, and reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Gradually add cheese cubes, stirring continuously until the cheese has melted. Season with salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce.
6. Remove from heat, and bring to room temperature before serving

2nd Quarter

Jamacian’me Crazy Jerk Wings:  Jerk spices are kinda like Creole Spice’s cousin so I thought that this would be an appropriate recipe! These little puppies marinate overnight in a potent marinade packed with jalapenos and Jamacian Spices. When they are done getting all happy in their spicy bath, they bake in the over for about an hour to really pack in that flavor and sauce into the wings. You are going to be craving some Ginger Beer or some Jamaican Rum!  Get the Recipe

Another option is to bake your chicken wings with just a little salt and pepper and maybe a splash of cajun seasonings. Then serve the baked wings with an yummy New Orleans Chicken Wing Dipping Sauce like:

* 1 (12-ounce) jar of refrigerated chunky blue cheese dressing
* ¾ cup Creole mustard
* ⅓ cup scallions, finely chopped (reserve a teaspoon of chopped green tops for garnish)
* 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

New Orleans Saints Crawfish Burger

This unique burger comes from Mr New’awlins himself, Emeril Lagasse. You can’t go wrong at a New Orleans Saints themed party if you serve anything from Emeril and this burger is amazing! If you can’t get crawfish where you are at, you can make a regular burger and top it off with cajun remoulade sauce for the same cajun feel! But I highly recommend digging up some crawfish, shrimp or some maybe some lobster/crab meat instead.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons brunoise red peppers
• 2 tablespoons brunoise yellow peppers
• Salt
• Cayenne
• 1 pounds crawfish tails
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup flour
• Essence, recipe follows
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 onions rolls, sliced in half and toasted
• 1/2 cup Creole Tartar Sauce, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup sliced hamburger pickles
• 1 small tomato, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly slice and fried until golden brown and crispy
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

In a saute pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers. Season the vegetables with salt and cayenne. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the crawfish tails and continue to saute for 2 minutes. Add the green onions, garlic, and parsley. Saute for 1 minute. Remove the mixture from the heat and turn into a mixing bowl. Cool the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the 1 egg, 1/2 of the bread crumbs and cheese and mix well. Set aside. Season the flour, egg wash and remaining 1 cup bread crumbs with Essence. Form the mixture into 4 individual cakes, about 1-inch thick. Dredge the cakes in the seasoned flour. Dip each cake in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the cakes in the bread crumbs, coating completely. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the cakes until golden about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Spread the halves of each roll with the tartar sauce. Place crawfish burgers between each roll. Top the burgers with the pickles, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. Serve each burger with the fried sweet potato chips

3rd Quarter

Geux Saints Gumbo

This is the one and only time I’ll say “Forget Chili!” in a football party recipe post. But in this case, forget the chili and give me some gumbo! If you are “Geux Saints!” you can’t have a party without serving a gumbo. It is quite possibly the most signature dish of Louisiana. Now, everyone likes their gumbos a little different. I’m going to send you over to Paula Deen and Emeril for some great gumbo recipes. The most important part of making an authentic New Orleans Gumbo is the roux. So what’s a roux? Hmmm…. how to explain this.

Okay. So you know when you make gravy at Thanksgiving and you can’t just throw in a teaspoon of flour into the gravy at the end to thicken if cuz it would be a clumpy gross mess? Instead, you take a few teaspoons of flour and throw it into the pan that the turkey just came out of along with a little bit of turkey grease before you start the gravy. With that flour/oil mix you blend it all together and scrape up all those yummy bits that are left in the pan for extra flavor. When that flour/oil turns into a pasty consistency and starts to bubble, you add water to start making the gravy. That flour helps to make the gravy nice and thick.

Well, that’s a roux!  Traditional folks say that the roux needs to be super dark but that really all depends on how you like it. Emeril has a great guide about How to Roux at the bottom of that recipe.

4th Quarter

Saints Little Drops of Heaven Beignets

French for “fritter” or fried donut, beignets are the hottest thing to eat in the morning—or any time of day—in New Orleans. These little drops of fried heaven are of my favorite things in the whole world—and I’ve never had one in the French Quarter! I just make them myself. These fritters are square, not round, and they are a puffed donut rather than one with a hole in the middle. Traditionally they are covered in powdered sugar. But I’ve seen them filled with or topped with fruit, chocolates, regular sugar….whatever you heart desires! Get the recipe!

The History of the Beignet

Mardi Gras King Cake If you aren’t planning on making a football shaped cake or football decorated cupcakes for your Super Bowl Party, then I highly recommend this Mardi Gras King Cake. This is one of the grand traditions of New Orleans and no Saints party should go without a King Cake! The cake is decorated in traditional Mardi Gras colors for a festive look but the real fun is that inside the cake is a hidden surprise! Read more about the surprise and the history of the king cake! Get the recipe!