Are you ready for Super Bowl 50? With just a handful of days before the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos kick off Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco, you are probably already gearing up for your big Super Bowl party. If that’s the case, now is the time to get your house in order with the right tech as well as theming the hell out of your party with the proper food & drink.

We’ve put together the ultimate big game guide together to help you through the process.

Screens, Go Big or Go Home

If you have 20 people coming over to watch the game, hovering around a 42-inch television is so 2010. It’s time to upgrade your screen size, ideally 55 inches or higher. While 4K Ultra HD is getting ramped up right now, you don’t actually have to buy a 4K set this year. The Super Bowl is not going to to broadcast in Ultra HD this year, but it will likely be broadcast in 4K next year. Here are a few solid picks: (prices are subject to change)

• LG 65LF5700 65″ 1080p Roku HDTV at Best Buy for $800.
• VIZIO E60-C3 60″ 1080p 120Hz HDTV at Walmart for $499. (Refurbished)
• LG Electronics 55LF6100 55-Inch 1080p HDTV at Amazon for $598.

If you really want to impress everyone, consider stepping up to a projection system. If your weather is mild in your neck of the woods, you could also consider an outdoor party with an giant projection screen. Here are great options for both.

• Optoma GT1080 1080p 3D DLP Projector at Amazon for $700.
• Outdoor Big Screen 92″ Lite Portable Movie Screen at Target for $150.

But The Screen Isn’t Everything

What good is a giant screen if you are stuck using the low-powered speakers in the TV? Parties can get loud and you are going to need volume. Here are a couple deals to boost your audio profile:

• LG LAS454B – 2.1ch 300W Sound Bar with Wireless Sub at Best Buy for $130.
• VIZIO 38″ 5.1-Channel Sound Bar with Wireless Sub and Rear Satellites at Walmart for $188.

You should also consider how hungry your guests will be for the second screen experience. If they want stats or replays on demand, keeping a tablet on hand will be handy.

Another option is routing your cable signal though an Xbox One in order to watch the game within the NFL on Xbox app. That will give you real-time stats on the game on the screen as well as access to replays. Here are a couple good deals to accomplish that:

• Samsung Galaxy 9.7-Inch 16 GB Tablet at Amazon for $250.
• Xbox One 1TB Madden NFL 16 Bundle + Free Game at Microsoft Store for $399.

Who’s Thirsty?

While having a variety of popular beer and wine on hand will certainly please your party-goers, it’s certainly not going to keep them talking about your party around the water cooler on Monday morning.

You need to kick it up a notch with some mixed drinks themed to the teams playing in the Super Bowl. Our suggestions:

Carolina Panther Cocktails

• Carolina Sweet Tea: Recipe 1, Recipe 2, Recipe 3
• Blue Curacao Margarita: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Carolina Blue Whale: Recipe 1, Recipe 2, Recipe 3
• Moonshine Mint Julep: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Carolina Panther Punch: Recipe

Denver Bronco Cocktails

• The Orange Crush: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Broncos Zone Blitz: Recipe
• The Bronco Bulldog: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Tequila Sunrise: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Spiced Cider Punch: Recipe

Who’s Hungry?

I see you eyeballing that sad pack of frozen pizza pockets in the grocery store. Let’s call that a third-string backup because you are going to step it up on the food front this year.

Don’t get me wrong, you should have the staples. You can never have enough chips, dip and other snacks during the game. However, you can also prep a handful of items prior to the game that will blow away your guests. Our themed suggestions:

Carolina Panther Dishes

• Carolina Pulled Pork Sliders: Recipe 1, Recipe 2, Recipe 3
• Fried Pickles: Recipe 1, Recipe 2, Recipe 3
• Collard Green and Artichoke dip: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Southern Fried Hot Wings: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Carolina Panthers Choco Chip & Pecan Cookies: Recipe

Denver Bronco Dishes

• Rocky Mountain Oysters: Recipe 1, Recipe 2, Recipe 3
• Mini Taco Bites: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Buffalo Sliders: Recipe 1, Recipe 2
• Pork and Pinto Bean Nachos: Recipe
• Bronco Orange Butter Cookies: Recipe

If you can’t find anything you want to make above, I recommend checking out 103 Super Bowl Recipes at Brown Eyed Baker.

That’s pretty much it; you are now ready to host a kick-ass Super Bowl 50 party. Go forth and conquer. And pray the Super Bowl gods deliver unto us a halftime performance from Beyonce that we can mock for weeks to come.

How to Throw a Killer Panthers / Broncos Super Bowl 50 Party