Touchdown! Superbowl Sunday Extravaganza

It's Superbowl time again, when Americans pause in their busy lives to take time out for television. And also football.

Happily, the NFL provides a handy Superbowl Countdown Clock to aid in your party planning.

When planning your menu, do an end run around dishes that require last-minute preparation or split-second timing. Draft "make ahead" and "serve yourself" and enjoy the game. Or the commercials. Whichever you're into.

Make the most of regional cuisines - there's almost always three to choose from: good guys, bad guys, and hosting stadium. If New Orleans ever makes it to the Show, laissez bons temps roulez, and oh, we will feast! Who dat!

Get assorted hoagies (or heroes or grinders or subs or po-boys) from your local joint and slice them into handful-sized portions. Set out a bowl of chips and your favorite salsa. Order a tray of pretzels from the Pretzel Factory. Or a couple pizzas from your favorite joint. A bag of pretzels, a sixer of beer, and thou... Not as poetic, but probably more fitting to the season.

Here are a few ideas for rounding out your menu.

• Antipasto Bites
  Hot from the oven, a little bite to kickoff in style.
• Aunt Jen's Pepperoni Bread
  An easy recipe that relies on refrigerated bread dough for its home-baked goodness.
• Baked Potato Wedges
  A little more healthy than a fistful of french fries...well at least until you slather them in cheese, sour cream, bacon bits...
• Bruschetta
  Crunchy toasts topped with tomato and cheese, hot and bubbly from the broiler.
• Cayenne Pretzels
  A bite of spicy - have the beer (and soda, I guess) on hand to quench the fire!
• Chinese Honey Barbeque Chicken Wings
  You won't find these at your local "Wings and Things" - a little different take on chicken wings. Not hard, but give yourself plenty of time to cut the wings into sections. Marinates overnight.
• Cucumber Dill Salsa
  A cooling respite alongside hot salsa.
• Homemade Tortilla Chips
  The kids love making these. A lot of fun and delicious. Use your own favorite spice blend and make it a House Special.
• Hot Bean Dip
  Set this beside a bowl of your favorite salsa and a basket of chips and you have a real crowd pleaser.
• Low-Fat Bread Crisps
  Throwin' a bone to those folks who are sticking to those New Year's Resolutions. A little something to set next to the veggie tray.
• Mini Spinach Quiches
  Do real men eat mini quiches? Well, maybe they brought along spouses who will.
• Pan-Grilled Quesadillas
  Delicioso! A few minutes in the skillet brings this appetizer together.
• Popcorn
  Get ready for a poppin' good time. Top it with melted butter and salt, and sit back and enjoy the show.
• Spicy Popcorn
  Make it in an air popper and it's a low-fat treat...so you can indulge in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Pie
• Super Salsa
  Grab the chips. Yum!
• Taco Pie
  Make ahead and chill overnight, then bake just before serving. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

On the Fifty Yard Line

Chili Recipes: Chili is a part of Superbowl like turkey is a part of Thanksgiving. Well, almost.

• Superbowl Chili
  This is classic chili. Make it as hot as you like it. (Remember, the spiciness will grow as it stands, so if you make it ahead of time, go easy on the spicy until game day.)
• Cincinnati Chili
  A little different take on the traditional chili. Cincinnati chili isn't usually super-hot-spicy make-your-lips-burn; the cinnamon and cocoa bring a flavorful twist on classic chili. Serve it over spaghetti with beans, chopped onions, and grated cheese for proper Five-Way.
• Vegetarian Chili
  A meatless version for our vegetarian friends.

Of course, there are other things to place on the fifty-yard line, so to speak...

• Cheddar Cheese Soup
  A bowl of soup is the perfect thing for a cold winter's day watching football.
• Chicken Satay It's meat-on-a-stick! Let me hear the people say "Woo-hoo!"
• Corn and Potato Chowder mit Bacon A hearty, Dutchy soup to take the chill out.
• Crispy Phyllo Pizza A different take on traditional pizza.
• Dim Sum Pork Strips Make the pork ahead and serve sliced, either warmed or cold, with crusty French bread.
• Fresh Tomato Tart Another riff on pizza.
• Hoagie Salad
  Those big hoagies get so messy, you end up eating them with a fork anyhow. Cut to the chase with this "everything-but-the-bread" salad.
• Homemade Pizza
  Yeah, it's a little more work than ordering in, and it won't be there in 30 minutes or less, but wow, what a treat. Consider making enough dough that everyone can make their own mini pizza just how they like it – no negotiation required.
• Konigsberger Meatballs
  For the party, serve this oniony German meatball with toothpicks. (And then it's meat-on-a-stick! Hooray!)
• Meatball Subs
  Probably not compatible with white shag carpeting, but delicious. Or skip the roll and serve with toothpicks.
• Swedish Meatballs
  Swedish style meatballs – serve them with the sauce on the side for dipping.

On the Sidelines

• Ann Sherman's Beer Bread
  All those Clydesdales on the commercials are trying to convince you that beer is an important part of this balanced meal. Or party. This bread gets its rich yeastiness from the bubbles in beer, and comes together quickly - no rise-punch down-shape cycle, just mix the batter and bake it.
• Baked Beans
  A side of baked beans is probably not on the menu if you're having chili, but it works for burgers or dogs or hoagies.
• Grandma Green's Crunchy Cabbage Salad
  Something on the cole slaw theme for the edge of your plate.
• Grandma's German Potato Salad
  Great served warm or cold. Mayo-free, there's fewer food-safety worries with this style potato salad on the sideboard.
• Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
  In the midwest, sometimes mashed potatoes is the traditional "go-with" for chili. But don't spend the day peeling potatoes and mashing. Make it ahead and have time to enjoy your party.
• Marilyn's Marinade
  A riot of crunchy vegetables to complement whatever else is on the menu. Make it ahead so the vegetables have time to pick up the flavors of the dressing – and so you can enjoy your guests.
• Rosti Potatoes
  A side of "fries" with that?
• Traditional Cornbread
  A square of cornbread and a dollop of sour cream are the perfect complements to a bowl of chili. But don't set it next to the pan of yellow cake or you might frost the cornbread and dunk the cake in your chili.

• Bread Pudding
  Serve warm with warmed Hard Sauce (see below). Top with ice cream or whipped cream.
• Chocolate Bread Pudding
  Serve warm with warmed Hard Sauce (see below). Top with ice cream or whipped cream.
• Hard Sauce
  Sweet and warm, it gives the finishing touch to bread pudding.
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Pie
  There's nothing more American than Superbowl, and there's nothing more American than pie. And only Americans like peanut butter. Celebrate your American heritage with a slice!
• Rich One-Bowl Brownies
  They come together quickly with just one bowl, so the cleanup is minimal. And they're a neat treat so you can let even your messy guests eat in front of the TV.
• Sarah's Signature Blondies
  Complement the chocolate with a plate of blondies.
• Tiger Butter Don't worry, no tigers were harmed in the testing of this recipe! A chocolatey, peanut buttery treat stripey with white chocolate.

• Hot Buttered Rum Cuddle up on the sofa after they leave and ignore the dishes.