Super Bowl 55 is just a few days away and the preparation for your ultimate homegate starts now with this comprehensive “2021 Super Bowl Homegating Guide” from Inside Tailgating.
We here at Inside Tailgating are fusing our in-depth expertise of the home gating lifestyle and the collective power of the internet and its many creators to show you the way to celebrate the biggest annual sporting event in the country.
Read more: Great Tips for the Homegating Lifestyle
By the time you finish reading this page, you will have the most addictive finger food, the tastiest cocktails, the most inviting ambiance and everything in between for yourself and the friends you plan to party with come Sunday, Feb. 7 when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers battle Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for NFL supremacy:
Food Recipes for Your 2021 Super Bowl Homegate
No Super Bowl party is a Super Bowl party without a killer offering of finger foods and appetizers. What’s better than grabbing a giant paper plate and piling it high with a little bit of everything?
Here are a few of our favorites . Make sure to click the links to find the full recipes so you can wow your party guests with your culinary ninja skills.
Chicken Wings
Just a classic, right? The party grub that’s most like Tom Brady— the unquestioned GOAT.
Read more: How To Enjoy Winter Grilling
With so many different ways to prepare chicken wings and so many different sauces, you can really go wild with variety. I’m a big fan of old fashioned medium heat wings dipped in blue cheese, but f you’re more of a ranch person I won’t hold it against you.
Our good friend Eddie Jackson has our favorite recipe — Molasses-Gochujang Wings with Alabama White Sauce — but here are a few more:
- Classic Buffalo Wings — Delish
- Epic Dry-Rubbed Baked Chicken Wings — The Chunky Chef
- Sticky, Crispy Asian Chicken Wings — Kitchen Sanctuary
- Korean Fried Chicken Wings — 20 Dollar Chef (video below)
Dips, Dips, AND MORE DIPS!
I don’t care if it’s a tortilla chip, pita chip, buttery cracker, kettle chip, you name it — I want to dip it. That chip is a vehicle for something.
Buffalo chicken dip absolutely pulls me in if I spot it in the spread, but I’m not picky. I’ll sample ranch dip, salsa, guacamole or even … wait for it … hummus.
Tackle these recipes below and your guests will need some serious supervision to prevent double-dipping.
- Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip — Frank’s RedHot
- Chili Line Texas Caviar — Cafe Delites
- Bacon-Pimiento Guacamole — Southern Living
- Cheeseburger Dip — Eddie Jackson
- Beer Cheese — 20 Dollar Chef (video below)
Sliders, Rolls, and So Much More
You know what really gets the people going, tiny versions of big foods. Maybe it’s the ability to pack big taste in a small package, or maybe it’s the ability to pretend your a giant holding normal size grub. No? Just me? Anyway.
Pack a serious punch with these recipes:
- Caribbean Jerk Sliders — Eddie Jackson
- Burrito Egg Roll — Delish
- Kansas City-Style Pulled Pork Sliders — Campbell Soup
- Mac N Cheese Meatballs — 20 Dollar Chef (video below)
Cocktail Recipes for Your 2021 Super Bowl Homegate
Now that the flavors from our grub are dancing in our mouths, it’s time to wash it down.
It’s totally cool if you want to stick with your usual, go-to cocktails at your Super Bowl party, but that’s not how we roll at Inside Tailgating. The Super Bowl is a time to embrace football culture and the two teams cracking helmets on your TV screen. With that in mind, put the vodka sodas aside for the night and enjoy these themed cocktails:
- Sunday Funday Punch — Merichelle Jones
- Super Bowl Slammer — Simple Joy
- Chief Mahomes — The Drink Kings
- Kansas City Ice Water — Allrecipes
- Pirate Punch — Culinary Hill
If you prefer to stick with football’s unofficial beverage (ice cold, delicious beer) for the big game — drink like the locals. It’s hard for folks outside of Kansas City or Tampa to get regionally relevant brews, so we figured out another way.
If you’re pulling for the Chiefs, crush a few Coors Light cans in honor of Mahomes, who is endorsed by the Colorado brewer. If you have a soft spot for Brady and the Bucs, crack open a Samuel Adams. I know Tom isn’t in New England anymore, but let’s stick with what’s won him six Super Bowls.
Of coors Chiefs Kingdom showed out! The party never ends. pic.twitter.com/MrsHAldn51
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 6, 2020
Games for Your 2021 Super Bowl Homegate
Before things get going for real in Tampa, get the competitive juices flowing at your homegate. We here at Inside Tailgating can’t keep up with the real athletes on any field, but we know how to toss objects in our backyard with the best of them.
Yard Games
- Cornhole — Why not play the GOAT of all yard games before two GOATs battle it out for Super Bowl 55?
- QB54 —This football-themed game is a blast and on of our all-time favorites. Did we mention it’s Amazon Prime-eligible?
- CupCheck — How about a new favorite? This game was developed by current and former MLB players and has the potential to take over your tailgates from now until forever.
Indoor Games
Let’s face it, not everyone at your 2021 Super Bowl homegate will be super into the competition outdoors or on the screen come gametime, so kee everyone engaged with these “everyone-friendly” games:
- Paper Football Lego Game — Keep the little ones entertained with this classic from your grade school days.
- Rate the Super Bowl Commercials — You be the judge if the high-dollar commercials hit the mark. Get these DIY signs to make the game within the game even more fun.
- Super Bowl Commercial Bingo — After rating each commercial, check it off your commercial bingo card. FanDuel has everything you need to know about creating your own 2021 bingo cards.
2021 Super Bowl Homegating Ambiance & Accessory Tips
For Christmas parties you hang garland and miseltoe. For Cinco de Mayo you splurge on a piñata. Your Super Bowl 55 homegate should get that same special treatment.
Read more: Tailgating Party Experts Teach Us How to Gather Safely
For your indoor decorations, Amazon has you covered with themed plates, cups and napkins for both the Chiefs and Buccaneers. If you want to stay neutral, go for the generic 2021 Super Bowl theme.
If you plan to party outdoors, which makes a ton of sense considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, make sure your guests are comfortable with these helpful tips:
- Have plenty of cooler space. Our good friends at Revo Coolers have the best products for this sort of get-together, but if you’re in a pinch, just open up every cooler you have in the house and ask guests to bring any extras they may have. #Teamwork
- Get the game on the big screen: It’s easier than ever to get the big game on an outdoor TV. Check out these outdoor TV stands on Amazon, get the flatscreen mounted, pulg in an antenna and take Super Bowl 55 onto the patio.
- Keep everyone warm. The football game may enjoy the mild climate of Tampa, Florida, but chances are it’s a bit cooler wherever your homegate happens. So spark some flames in an outdoor fire pit and huddle up.
- Keep yourself warm. Maybe you can’t have a fire in your yard and you have to get creative. Instead of bundling up to the point of immobility, let Gobi Heat help you out with their innovative heated jackets, vests, hats, gloves and socks.
Read more: 9 Cold-Weather Essentials to Keep You Toasty at the Tailgate
2021 Super Bowl Homegate Recap
Well, there you have it. You should be fully prepared to host a Super Bowl homegate for the ages with your closest family and friends. Cook up some grub, enjoy some creative cocktails, turn up some friendly competition and enjoy the night.
All of us at Inisde Tailgating will raise a class for our fellow homegate masters when Super Bowl 55 kicks off on Sunday.
NFL Playoffs 2021: From Bills to Rams, Ranking the Top Tailgating Scenes