Are you Party Planning Hall of Fame material? Diamond’s Snack Bowl 2011 contest offers the opportunity for you to showcase your party skills. Enter now through 2/7 with a photo or video that shows off why you deserve to be in the hall of fame for party planning excellence—finalists will be selected by a public vote and winners will be determined by a panel of judges.

So, uh, pick me! I’m fairly new to the Superbowl party gig. After all, my team went 3-13 twice in a year just a decade a go. I pretty much rock kids’ birthday parties, though, so I’m taking my skills to a more grownup level. The key to creating a unique party experience is the theme—which is a done deal for a Superbowl party.

When I plan a party, I really like the food to fit the theme. We had heart & flower shaped sandwiches at a Care Bear tea party, pink milk at a Charlie & Lola party, spooky foods at a Halloween party and an entire marshmallow buffet at, well, a marshmallow party. The football cake is the crowning glory of our Superbowl party food.

For the rest of the day, we just snack on finger foods—inexpensive snacks like jerky (even more frugal if you know how to make beef jerky), flavored popcorn, fruit & nuts and dip. Oh, the dip. We have dip for chips, dip for nachos, dip for veggies and dip for fruit. I don’t know that it’s a theme thing, really. I just really like dip. It’s frugal, fun and super fast to make. Here is a family favorite for game day:

Touchdown Tortilla Dip

8-oz cream cheese
1/2 c salsa
1 can chili (with or without beans)
cheddar cheese
Tortilla Chips (These actually come in blue, red & green, so you can include team colors!)

Spread cream cheese into the bottom of a small baking pan. Layer salsa, chili and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until cheese bubbles. Serve warm with tortilla chips for dipping. It is the perfect party appetizer as it serves a huge crowd for around $5—enjoy!

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I was compensated through Collective Bias for my time & effort promoting Snack Bowl 2011, but all opinions are 100% mine.