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When we moved back to Kentucky, one of the first things my husband did was put a flag up outside our front porch representing his favorite college team from Michigan. We were not even unpacked yet! Our new neighbor across the street, who we were friends with prior to moving away, told his wife that he thought that we moved into their neighborhood after noticing a facebook post with the flag. The funny part is that he is a BIG fan of that popular team from Ohio. Even though our husbands’ have their differences in college team allegiances, they can still set aside their differences and agree on a few things which includes great game day food.
For a fun college football rivalry theme, I created Coke Pork Carnitas for the main course. This recipe sauce is one my favorites that my mom used to make. I honestly loved getting to see her handwriting again from a recipe book that she gave me at my bridal shower. It means even more to me now that she is gone.
The recipe is super easy.
1 Can of Coke
1 Cup of Ketchup
Meat of Choice
I chose pork for this recipe.
Salt, Pepper, and your favorite Seasonings
Add to Slow Cooker in low setting for 4-6 hours
Shred afterwards
Create additional Sauce if desired with same ratio of 1 can of Coke to 1 cup of ketchup
The carnitas were served with the option of corn or flour tortillas along with two types of salsa, shredded cheese, cilantro and limes.
The carnitas scored well among adults and kids alike!
The kids were also excited about the Maize and Blue Tortilla Chips served with queso.
For the drink area, I created a very simple football themed ice bucket.
All you need is a brown ice bucket and labeling tape.
The labeling tape is easy to remove and adjust which makes minor adjustments stress-free. You will need to cut one long strip and 5-6 shorter strips that create the look of the stitching.
I love when I can repurpose items to make party planning easier.
I used a can opener to cut off the tops of the empty Coke cans from my recipes as straw holders and Spirit Stick holders (Chocolate Covered pretzel Sticks with Team Colored Sprinkles) for the opposing teams.
The 28 pack from Sam’s Club came in handy to pull double duty for the main dish, decor and dessert. Make sure that you take advantage of Sam’s Club easy Order Online and Pick Up feature where you can order your items online and then pick them up instantly in the store to save time.
For dessert I used another simple recipe for cupcakes that used 1 Can of Coke and a cake mix.
For the Blue team, I made Maize and Berry Cupcakes with Vanilla Cake mix, blue food coloring for the cupcake, yellow food coloring added to vanilla icing with blueberries on top.
For the Red Team, I made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. I added red food coloring to the frosting and a chocolate covered peanut butter ball to the top of the cupcake to represent the team.
It was really fun to play off of the rivalry theme between the state of Ohio and the state of Michigan. In our house, the Blue Team is always a BIG winner!
Don’t forget to make your life easier when purchasing for your next party with the Buy now and Pick up at Sam’s Club.
