The Gamer’s Cookbook

Planning food for game night need not be hard. With the following 10 steps, it will be a breeze. ~ Sandeman

1. Find out how many people are planning to attend your game night. This is extremely important. It may not be such a big deal if an extra person shows up, but what about a troupe of 10 of their friends. You will need to know how many people so you can plan in advance how much to buy, and how much to prepare.
2. How long will the gaming be? If you are simply playing card games that will have you all out in a couple of hours, you will need to have your main service before the game starts, then perhaps a bowl of chips or something to tide people over during the game.
3. If you are in for the long haul, then you are best to have service going all the way through your game. Plan a lot of the items ahead of time, and keep them warm throughout the gaming so you can stay out of the kitchen!
4. Plan your menus around your games. If you are board gaming, the last thing you want to have is your greasy fingers to muck up the playing pieces.  If you are sitting down, plates are cool. If it is a stand-up affair, ditch the knives and forks and opt for napkins.
5. Be sure to offer some snacks that are veggie or meat-free. While you may like that Quesadilla loaded with chicken, your friend may not.
6. Know if there are any allergies BEFORE you start cooking. Nothing ruins a game night like an Epipen. Cross contamination is not cool.
7. Write down what your menu is going to be, and consult your buddies if you like. If everyone knows what you are going to offer, it will help them when they opt to bring something along.
8. Arrange everything so it is easily accessible. Nothing sucks more than when your buddies have to block your view of the action reaching for a chicken wing on the other side of the playing area. You are better to split everything up into smaller trays and leave them out in the crowd.
9. Select foods that match the theme of the night, if any. For example, if it is a murder mystery you are entertaining, perhaps some finger food with weird names. I.E. Pirate Pete’s Cheese Fingers with Blood Dip
10. Have fun while entertaining. Get out of that kitchen, and let the night go! You won’t have any fun stuck in the kitchen, so get out of there!

That is it. Is there any other tips you can all think of for food on Game Night?

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