When Food Isn’t Your Main Event

We’re having friends over for a game night, and the evening is going to include dinner. What to eat? The meal in this case isn’t the main event; the games and the guests will be the focus, less about what we’re eating than what we’re doing. It’s the same kind of thing many of us will be thinking about for a Super Bowl get-together next week. You want to present food to your guests offered with love and respect, something that will satisfy while still making any foodie acquaintance happy. And the meal should be easy to eat around the TV or the game table, maybe featuring some no-mess finger food.

Here are some suggestions. First, make something that would accentuate your cooking style, maybe even feature an old family recipe that everyone likes – something you’re comfortable preparing. If necessary, buy additional elements of your menu, whether bread or rolls from a bakery, a side dish from a deli or restaurant, or dessert. If you’re having snacks, take advantage of local gourmet stores for something different if you don’t have a go-to dish.

Overall, keep it simple. You want to make a dish that you know your guests would really like, but don’t want to be spending your time cooking while everybody else is enjoying the company. Better yet, plan a main dish that gets better over time: a braise, stew, curry, or tagine. That way you can make it in advance and reheat it. In the end, keep it simple and complete so that you can take part in the fun.

For watching the game

Or you could consider a buffet, which works really well for a Super Bowl party, when people can get up during breaks in the action and eat in front of the TV. I’ve done baked ham, roasted turkey breast, and meatloaf, with supermarket rolls and mustards, mayo, and pickles. For sides, pasta salad, green salad, or potato salad.

For casual family gatherings and game nights, I’ve also made a seafood chowder (shown above) and a paella. For a morning brunch for our neighbors, I made a frittata. I recently read another food blog describing some Aussies making an old family recipe for toad in the hole – sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding.

For playing games

Here’s what I’m planning for our upcoming game night. First, some easy make-ahead snack-type finger food: crackers with cream cheese spread, olives, spiced cashews, pickled vegetables. The main meal will be a Guinness beef stew with a puff pastry topping and a simple salad. I’ll make the basic stew on the day before, put the stew in bowls, cover them with puff pastry, and bake them in the oven. It’s a great presentation, and I won’t be hanging over the stove at the last minute. It’s a one-dish meal that we won’t fuss over before breaking out the cards. And dessert: brownies that we’ll serve with coffee as we kick off the games.

What’s your go-to dish for casual entertaining?

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