Real Packers Fan's Favorite Game Day Recipes

How will this Packers fan celebrate tomorrow's NFC Championship game? With food. And lots of it. Spending 15 years in Wisconsin I've come to realize you can learn a few things from the folks there of what their tailgating says about you.

Be festive! Drop the idea that it won't/can't be any fun at home. Allow the pleasure of the game itself help us all take a break from the worries of the day.

Tonight, we prepare snacks. An easy, favorite appetizer that some call "pinwheels", slices of ham spread with cream cheese, rolled up and cut into pinwheel slices, skewered with an olive on a toothpick to hold it all together. Easy to prepare, and they load up nicely on a plate, right next to potato salad.

For my money, I'll take a pass on the chicken wings and roast up some drumsticks instead. They're bigger, cheaper, and more fun to eat. You can fry, broil, bake or BBQ drumsticks in the oven.

Another must-have is a quick batch of chili. Prepared stovetop in one hour this evening and stored overnight, it'll be perfect chili tomorrow.

I'll go big on variety with just a few small extras, some chips, nuts, popcorn. And for sweets I'll add some cookies, and finish with ice cream and toppings. For my choice of beverage I pick bottomless cups of hot chocolate. Go Pack Go!