It’s just the two of us here, in the sun, with our feet up…yeah, right!  So I thought I might just remind you of a few dishes from the past that may help make your Super Bowl Sunday Supper Spectacular…God, I just love alliteration!  I guarantee these will be a touchdown in Flavor Town!  If you were here in South Florida, you would head off to your favorite bakery, and you have so many great choices.  They are everywhere and they sell both sweet and savory treats.  Many also have tables or a counter where you can have a nice Cuban coffee and a special treat.

Anyway, you would head off to buy “bocaditos” or “little bites”, which are small, maybe 2-3 bite sandwiches, like the ones pictured above.  The most popular, and The Latin Lover’s favorite…Cuban Ham Dip.The Cuban Ham Dip, which is a “breeze” to make and really must be done ahead.You might also pick up a Pastel de Pollo Cubano (Cuban Chicken Pie) or in that same vein, a Pastel de Picadillo Cubano (Cuban Meat Pie). You should absolutely, hands-down have a Spanish tortilla (see the opening picture)…again make ahead and there is absolutely no one I’ve ever encountered, that doesn’t just love it!

You could also go the route of a big hunk of meat, like Cuban Roast Pork (Lechon Asado)

or Cuban-Style Roast Chicken, which make great sandwiches.  And who doesn’t love sandwiches, particularly with Peruvian Red Onion Salad (Salsa Criolla), piled high? And that really is the color of the onions, but Oh, the flavor on a sandwich…it’s the stuff dreams are made of!  And since you may want to have a vegetarian option, how about the Roasted Butternut Squash with Brie & Caramelized Onions en Croute, which can be either a main course or cut into thin slices as an appetizer.  Aren’t we versatile?

Maybe a couple of sides, like the quick and easy Jazzed-Up Baked Beans or Stove-Top Roasted Potatoes which, if you can find really small potatoes, work extremely well served with tooth picks and a dipping sauce.  Speaking of which, (you noticed that smooooth segue, didn’t you?) how about The Goddess’s Green Goddess or the unctuously delicious “Green with Envy” Sauce.  It has pistachios in it, for God’s sake!

Or perhaps you want to do a “Souper” Bowl Party.  Make your favorite chili and Bacon-Cheeseburger Soup, which truly does taste like a liquid cheeseburger.  Or Sweet Potato-Black Bean Soup with Turkey, for something a tad less rich, but still with loads of flavor.

And just one last thing—Dessert!  How about the Boozy-Browned Butter-Chocolate Chip Skillet “Cookie” with a scoop of good ice cream.  If you can find Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, buy it.  Buy it all!  It has a wonderful, almost-homemade flavor.  And for you complete, total chocoholics, Soul-Warming Boozy-Chocolate Pudding Cake; hmmm…I’m seeing a “boozy” theme here!  Just in case you haven’t had enough booze, this one has a nice boozy kick…but without most of the actual alcohol.  Look at that oozy, yummy goodness.

I hope this didn’t overwhelm you, but sometimes we need a reminder (I’m going to make some “green with envy” sauce today…it had slipped my mind, like too many things these days!).  These are just some of the things that work well for large groups.  Most can be made ahead and reheated, or served at room temperature, which makes cooking for a group, a real “game” changer!  Good luck and I hope your team wins…if not, at least you’ll have fun with friend and fine feast of fabulous food!