The Playbook: How To Make A Snack Stadium

Let’s talk gridiron snack style. Not all snack stadiums are created equal. Props go out to the insane constructions built-as carpenters or architectural model-makers make, using foam, cardboard, wood, metal. That’s all fine if you want to go totally nuts with it, have the power tools, tons of free time and cheddar to spare. Truth be told, you can make the fiercest queso dip or hottest wings this side of the Great Buffalo River, but if you really want to impress your fellow Super Bowl party people, a custom-built snack stadium is a true crowd-pleaser. And, quite frankly, one hell of a delicious work of art. Here are a few pro tips:

Know your plays
Make a shopping list of your favorite snacks and pencil out a schematic of where they will fit in your stadium, especially if you need to enlist assistance.
Avoid fumbles
Build your snack stadium where it will be eaten. Off-site prep work is fine, but building and then moving your stadium is difficult.
Time-outs
Allow yourself ample construction time — this stage always takes longer than you’d expect. Budget your time accordingly, and again, do as much pregame prep as possible, especially the sliders, tacos and bratwurst.
Here’s what you’ll need:

Equipment: aluminum pan, plastic squeeze bottle or large Ziploc bag, toothpicks, shotglasses
Prepared food: flatbread and crackers, Rice Krispies Treats, brownies, donuts, 4 kinds of chips, 4 kinds of dip, sour cream, guacamole covered with seran wrap that touches its entire surface area (refrigerated to avoid discoloration), 2 kinds of cheese, 2 kinds of pitted olives, Slim Jims, beef sliders, mini-tacos, mini-bratwursts with buns, Hershey’s miniatures, licorice rolls, Gatorade
Produce/grocery: 4 large green peppers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, peanuts