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Regardless of which team you wanted to see in Super Bowl LVI, the Rams vs. Bengals game is still a great reason to host a Super Bowl party.

And, for some great Super Bowl party ideas, we’ve gathered up some winning prospects to help you make this a football viewing extravaganza. And that’s critically important because a Super Bowl party is just as much about the food as it is about the game. And, quite often, the food isn’t always what you’d find on the DASH diet, either.

In fact, according to Spoon University,

“The average intake of calories for Americans on Super Bowl Sunday is 2,400. The only other day Americans consume more food than Super Bowl Sunday is Thanksgiving.

So, let the partying begin!

Aside from fried, greasy, and spicy, a football game viewing staple is anything involving meat!

Craft-Your-Own-Charcuterie-BoardMeat Tray Ideas

In the U.S., we still tend to refer to this party dish as a “meat tray,” though it might more appropriately be referred to as a charcuterie board. No matter what you choose to call it, a meat tray can be an excellent centerpiece for your Super Bowl party food selections.

Here’s a great version of a meat tray/charcuterie board that is sure to be a hit with your party guests at half-time.

Gather up these meat tray ingredients:

  • Salami (2 or 3 varieties)
  • Summer sausage
  • Pepperoni
  • Prosciutto
  • Classic cheddar cheese
  • Pepper Jack cheese
  • Swiss cheese

In addition, include some petite gherkins as they add a nice contrast to the rich meats and cheese. Olives of a few varieties can be added, too, along with buffalo-flavored peanuts or some other type of spicy nuts. The nuts serve to brighten up the flavors on the meat tray.

For a tray or board, the bigger, the better. While you needn’t go out and buy a board just for this one event, a tray with a lip around the edges is nice as it helps keep the food items on the board.

CalMart-Meat-Board-Charcuterie-Banner

And for the fun part, you can be creative here and arrange your meat tray ingredients to form the shape of goalposts or your team’s logo if you’re really creative.

Another relatively simple meat tray idea is to fill up a large board with a selection of cooked exotic meats. Check out the specialty foods department at Cal Mart, for example, and some of the great offerings in our Cal Mart deli for unusual or rare meat products.

These should be diced or sliced into appetizer-sized portions and served with various dipping sauces suitable for pairing with the various meats. In addition, you could include several fish and seafood products, as well, and arrange those on a bed of crushed ice.

Oh! And don’t forget the toothpicks and cocktail napkins.

 

A-Cheese-Tray-Should-Be-Fun-Refreshing-and-LightSimple Cheese Board Ideas

A simple cheese platter can be used in lieu of a meat tray, or even better yet, as a complementary offering for those who prefer to feast on Fromage instead of cured meats.

One simple cheese platter idea is found at the Food Network and uses the following items to prepare, most all of which can be had at Cal Mart:

  • 8 fig leaves
  • 1 to 2 bunches of green grapes
  • Half-round of Brie cheese
  • Wedge of aged sharp Cheddar
  • 8 ounces goat cheese
  • Fresh thyme sprigs
  • Olive oil (such as a quality Napa Valley brand)
  • One wedge of blue cheese
  • Dried apricots
  • Fresh figs
  • One package of dried fruit crackers
  • One package of water biscuits

The recipe’s originator, Ina Garten, gives these directions,

“Arrange the fig leaves on a round platter. Place the grapes in the middle and the Brie, Cheddar, and goat cheese around the grapes. Sprinkle thyme leaves and place a sprig of time on top of the goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Add the blue cheese to the cheese arrangement and artfully arrange the apricots, figs and crackers among the cheeses.”

CalMart-Superbowl-Cheeseboard-Banner

Of course, you can change this up with your own favorites or add some local items to give it a distinctly Napa Valley taste.

 

California-Craft-Beer-for -your-superbowl-partyWhat’s a Super Bowl Party Without Beer? (Or Craft Beer? Or Hard Cider? Or Wine?)

Okay, so pairing fine wines with meat trays and cheese platters can be challenging, but complementing these with a selection of beer, ale, and ciders can be a breeze. Along with the classic favorites of American pilsners, you can find a broad selection of local and regional craft beers at Cal Mart.

Thirsting for something a bit different? Try our specialty ciders from nearby Sonoma County, including several types of Hard Kombucha along with Dutton Cider from Dutton Estate Winery.

And wine certainly doesn’t have to take a back seat to the beer and ale and cider on Super Bowl Sunday.

CalMart Craft Beers for The Superbowl

One Tualatin Valley.org offers these pairing suggestions for meat and cheese trays,

“Mild meats like Prosciutto, summer sausage, salami or Mortadella go well with… light-bodied red or white wines. The salt brings out the fruitiness and balances the acidity of the wine.

Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and other light-bodied white wines complement the acidity and tangy flavors of semi-soft cheeses like Asiago, Fontina, and Havarti. 

Sparkling wine, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon (light-bodied white, full bodied red) go well with hard cheese with salty, sharp and nutty flavors like cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano.”

CalMart Fine Wines for your Superbowl Party

Ready to Shop for Your Super Bowl Party Supplies?

Now that you’ve been armed with a game plan for hosting a winning Super Bowl party, you’ll need to find a good Napa grocery store to load up on supplies. And, when it comes to winning Napa Valley grocery stores, there is only one clear winner: Cal Mart in Calistoga.

With our highly rated wine selections, craft beers, and wide variety of foods, Cal Mart is your specialty grocery of choice. The Cal Mart deli is a strong contender as the best Calistoga deli, and – to many fans – the be Napa Valley Deli in the region.

No need to travel out of town – all your Super Bowl party needs can be met right here at Cal Mart.

From drinks to refreshments to appetizers and even “meal-sized” food ideas, we are equipped with all the supplies you need to host a winner Super Bowl get-together as you and your friends watch the epic showdown of the Super Bowl LVI.

Come to Cal Mart for Your Super Bowl Party Food Supplies

For over 50 years Cal Mart has been a shopping destination and a Napa Valley tradition for special meal and party supplies in Calistoga, California.

An independent and family-owned grocery store, Cal Mart has always provided a unique, enjoyable, and memorable shopping experience for our customers for over five decades. For more than 50 years now, Cal Mart has been the local “go-to” destination for fine Napa Valley wines, fresh meats, exotic cheeses, and a wide variety of specialty food items.

And, in that time, Cal Mart has become known as “Napa Valley’s Finest Grocery.”

So, if you’re stocking up on Super Bowl party foods and drinks, and you’re searching your phone for a “specialty grocery store near me,” search no longer.

At Cal Mart, we have a wide variety of great choices in our gourmet cheese selection, our wide variety of quality wines and craft beers, and unique and hard-to-find specialty foods items. The holidays are also the perfect time of year to consider one of our beautiful gift baskets.

So, for this Super Bowl party, enjoy the Rams vs Bengals game with Super Bowl Party Food from Cal Mart. We invite you to take some time to come and explore all that we have to offer.

And while you’re here, please feel free to talk with our knowledgeable staff and then treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea from our Coffee Bar.

Remember: At Cal Mart, you will always find something that is unexpected, unusual, and uncommon!