This post has been sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Whether you are pregnant like me or simply tired of spending hours prepping for a party you can’t really enjoy, I have you covered! I’m sharing 3 tips for easy game-day hosting that will keep you out of the kitchen so you can enjoy the big game, your friends, and the food, of course!
TIPS FOR EASY GAME DAY HOSTING THAT GET YOU OUT OF THE KITCHEN AND IN WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
I am officially in the third trimester for baby #2 and while I have definitely slowed down physically, life hasn’t gotten the message. Honestly, my desire for friends and laughs hasn’t either. I like being around people!
Plus, we are going into the big game-day season—which means Sundays are spent watching football championship games because my husband can’t miss a second of it!
All this means that we are still busy hosting friends and family at our house, and I am working to find ways to still make hosting fun but also easier. So today, I’m sharing my top 3 tips for fun and easy game-day hosting—which include turning to Tyson and Meijer for help! And save on Tyson products at Meijer 1/27/19 – 2/2/19 with this mPerks coupon.
EASY GAME DAY HOSTING TIP #1 – CHOOSE QUICK GAME DAY FOOD THAT WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF THE KITCHEN
When hosting this far along in my pregnancy, this is honestly my number one concern. I don’t mind prepping the house, adding fun game-day decor or even cleaning up after the party. I do mind spending the whole day in the kitchen preparing food and possibly missing social time with my friends during the game, too.
My body just can’t keep up with cooking from scratch. End of story.
Therefore, I turned to Tyson brands to help me out with the food because I knew my guests and I wouldn’t be disappointed. I also chose mainly meat options because I hate game-day spreads with only little snacks that never help me fill up. Choosing proteins that are more main dish in style helps keep everyone full and out of the sweets more!
Here is what I went with for this low-prep Game Day Spread:
Tyson® Any’tizers® Boneless Chicken Bites in Buffalo Style – We are huge buffalo flavor fans, and I am a boneless wing fanatic! I love that these Tyson Any’tizers chicken bites give me both, and all I need to do is toss them in an oven for around 20 minutes!
The buffalo flavor is baked into the chicken, which means less mess and somehow a more subtle spice, so even the kids love these! Plus, it’s a protein-packed addition to the game-day menu. Just look for them in the freezer aisle at Meijer.
Tyson® Crispy Chicken Strips – I like adding these to the game-day menu for those that might not like buffalo-style chicken. They’re all white meat chicken, minimally processed, and crispy! You’ll also find these in the freezer section and will just need to place on a pan to cook in the oven!
Aidells® Teriyaki and Pineapple Meatballs – We are huge meatball fans, so adding these to our game-day menu is an easy decision. Plus, this flavor combination is amazing; I love teriyaki and pineapple together! Look for them in the refrigerated aisle at Meijer!
Looking for ways to serve these? You can definitely place them out on a plate for people to enjoy solo or consider putting out small Hawaiian rolls and some pineapple slices and let people make sliders! YUM!
Hillshire Farm® Lit’l Smokies® Smoked Sausages – Lit’l Smokies Cocktail Links are always a staple for us at game-day parties and during the holidays. They are made with quality cuts of meat and smoked and seasoned ahead of time, meaning they don’t take long to prepare.
Plus, it’s easy to switch them up; you can serve just warmed as is, add your favorite bbq sauce or marinade, or wrap in either crescent rolls for pigs in a blanket or bacon! Make sure to pick some up in the refrigerated aisle on your next visit to Mejier!
State Fair® Corn Dogs – When kids are going to be a part of the celebration, I like to make sure there is enough kid-friendly food they would want to eat. Corn dogs definitely fall into that category! State Fair Corn Dogs are 100% beef and a great source of protein.
Also, let’s be honest – who doesn’t love eating food off a stick?!
EASY GAME DAY HOSTING TIP #2 – CHOOSE SIMPLE, EASY GAME DAY DECOR
This tip could just as easily read “choose not to decorate” but I just can’t bring myself to do that – at least not yet! I love party decor and adding fun little touches to make a get-together feel a little more special. I like to think people notice the effort and if they don’t, I still enjoy it myself!
However, I don’t have the energy to go all-out or spend hours creating a food stadium. Remember, pregnancy party host goal #1 is to not spend all day on party prep.
Here are my tips for keeping the game-day decor simple but fun!
First, choose a background. I like using plastic tablecloths as party-decor backdrops because they are inexpensive, lightweight—and therefore easy to hang, clean up or discard if necessary.
Second, add some dimension to your background. To do this, I like to add a paper garland or some hanging decor from the ceiling. This paper garland took me 5 minutes to make start to finish but added a fun pop to the otherwise simple green background.
Third, choose a table covering. You can definitely skip this step if you want, but I love putting something down on the food table because it makes cleanup so much easier and faster. I used a roll of white kraft paper quickly trimmed down to the size of the table and then taped down. Lastly, to spruce it up a little bit, I added football playbook diagrams with a sharpie.
NOTE: I am sure I did not draw them accurately as I am not a football aficionado. I come to game-day parties for the food. However, I like to think perfection isn’t necessary, and I like how they help fill in empty space on the table without it taking much time.
Lastly, add themed items with your paper products! I don’t find spending a lot of money for themed items is worth it, especially with the decorations. However, adding them into the paper products with themed or patterned plates is easy and inexpensive. It gives a little pop to the game-day table while also helping with my last easy game-day hosting tip below.
EASY GAME DAY HOSTING TIP #3 – CHOOSE EASY CLEANUP
While I love using pretty dishes and serveware, this post is about making game-day hosting easy—and that definitely includes cleanup. Just like you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen prepping, you also don’t want to be spending hours in the kitchen cleaning up.
Therefore, in this case, rely on plastic and paper for serving food.
This also includes using parchment paper when cooking your Tyson Chicken Strips or State Fair Corn Dogs and aluminum foil for the buffalo chicken bites! None of the food on my game-day menu takes a lot of prep or work, and using foil and parchment paper makes the cleanup quick, too!
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