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Next weekend’s Super Bowl is any team’s game. For certain there are die-hard fans of skilled quarterback Peyton Manning who will be watching for him to lead his Indianapolis Colts to another championship title. And many other people will be rooting this year in hope of seeing the New Orleans Saints take home their first post-Katrina Super Bowl win. Regardless of team loyalties, just like every year, people all over the country will break bread and nachos in front of the television.
The debate as to which team is more deserving of the Super Bowl championship will be settled on the field, of course. But whatever the outcome, I am fairly certain the Saints will have the winning food to come home to. Try as I might to put together a Super Bowl menu showcasing the foods of both teams’ home cities, the win for cuisine looks as though it will go to New Orleans this year.
While I have never been to either city, I have eaten at many New Orleans-style Cajun restaurants and have had many a delicious New Orleans-style meals. Since I have never eaten at an Indianapolis-style restaurant it took a rudimentary Google search for me to discover that aside from several blog posts noting the abundance of corn, there really doesn’t appear to be much in the way of a distinctive cuisine in Indiana at all (advance apologies to what I am sure are many lovely neighborhood restaurants and gourmet stores in the state of Indiana). That being said, as much as I would love to construct a bi-partisan Super Bowl menu representative of both teams, aside from putting out a bowl of popcorn in honor of Indiana, this year’s Super Bowl menu will weigh heavily in favor of the Saints.
There are so many dishes and flavors unique to the New Orleans area that it is easy to theme a Super Bowl menu around their cuisine. The food of New Orleans is so diverse, in fact, that one can find the origins of both Cajun and Creole food as well as unique dishes that sprung from the many Italian, French, African, and numerous other immigrants that made their way through this port city. Modifying a Super Bowl menu to reflect the foods of New Orleans is as easy as the Big Easy itself.
If chili is a mainstay of Super Bowl fare, then the New Orleans twist would be a pot of red beans and rice. Red beans and rice are perfectly suited to either the vegetarians or the meat-eaters of the party. Canned beans may not be the traditional route for this dish but will do just fine in a pre-party pinch. Stewed with sautéed onions and celery and seasoned with paprika, chili powder, bay leaf, and some tomato paste along with some optional sliced Lousiana hot links for the meat lovers, red beans and rice are as hearty and satisfying as just about any old Super Bowl bowl of beans.
It wouldn’t be a Super Bowl without a few fried foods intent on clogging one’s arteries. New Orleans’ cuisine does not disappoint in this category. French donuts, or beignets, are made in New Orleans with yeast-based dough that, although simple to make, takes awhile from start to finish.
While I am not normally an advocate of pre-made foods, in this case cheating a bit by using refrigerated biscuit dough is a throwback to an old campfire donut camping trick. Cut smallish circles out of the biscuits and fry in hot oil for 3-5 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Toss those fried donuts in a paper bag with powdered sugar and serve right out of the bag for delicious New Orleans dessert with next to no effort.
Right up there with chili, wings, and nachos, a sub sandwich of some sort often makes its way onto the Super Bowl buffet. As if the city needed any more culinary claims to fame, the Italian sandwich muffuletta finds its roots in none other than--you guessed it--New Orleans. Although the sandwich is traditionally served on a specific type of Italian bread made at Central Grocery in the French Quarter, a large sourdough baguette will suffice when making this sandwich anywhere else in the country. The sandwich is essentially layered Italian meats and cheese such as mortadella, sopressetta, salami, and provolone. The key to the muffuletta is the olive salad spread made with chopped black and green olives, garlic, celery, optional capers, a bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar. A party sub with a twist, the muffuletta is far from your ordinary sandwich.
Notwithstanding your city and team loyalties, it is hard to deny the quality of cuisine that comes from New Orleans. Even game day food can take some hints from the food of the Big Easy: red beans with Louisiana hot links, easy beignets in a paper bag, and a giant muffuletta sandwich can satisfy nearly every Super Bowl food craving. And if all that doesn’t do it for you, there is always a bowl of popcorn.
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A Big Easy Super Bowl Menu
The debate as to which team is more deserving of the Super Bowl championship will be settled on the field, of course. But whatever the outcome, I am fairly certain the Saints will have the winning food to come home to. Try as I might to put together a Super Bowl menu showcasing the foods of both teams’ home cities, the win for cuisine looks as though it will go to New Orleans this year.
While I have never been to either city, I have eaten at many New Orleans-style Cajun restaurants and have had many a delicious New Orleans-style meals. Since I have never eaten at an Indianapolis-style restaurant it took a rudimentary Google search for me to discover that aside from several blog posts noting the abundance of corn, there really doesn’t appear to be much in the way of a distinctive cuisine in Indiana at all (advance apologies to what I am sure are many lovely neighborhood restaurants and gourmet stores in the state of Indiana). That being said, as much as I would love to construct a bi-partisan Super Bowl menu representative of both teams, aside from putting out a bowl of popcorn in honor of Indiana, this year’s Super Bowl menu will weigh heavily in favor of the Saints.
There are so many dishes and flavors unique to the New Orleans area that it is easy to theme a Super Bowl menu around their cuisine. The food of New Orleans is so diverse, in fact, that one can find the origins of both Cajun and Creole food as well as unique dishes that sprung from the many Italian, French, African, and numerous other immigrants that made their way through this port city. Modifying a Super Bowl menu to reflect the foods of New Orleans is as easy as the Big Easy itself.
If chili is a mainstay of Super Bowl fare, then the New Orleans twist would be a pot of red beans and rice. Red beans and rice are perfectly suited to either the vegetarians or the meat-eaters of the party. Canned beans may not be the traditional route for this dish but will do just fine in a pre-party pinch. Stewed with sautéed onions and celery and seasoned with paprika, chili powder, bay leaf, and some tomato paste along with some optional sliced Lousiana hot links for the meat lovers, red beans and rice are as hearty and satisfying as just about any old Super Bowl bowl of beans.
It wouldn’t be a Super Bowl without a few fried foods intent on clogging one’s arteries. New Orleans’ cuisine does not disappoint in this category. French donuts, or beignets, are made in New Orleans with yeast-based dough that, although simple to make, takes awhile from start to finish.
While I am not normally an advocate of pre-made foods, in this case cheating a bit by using refrigerated biscuit dough is a throwback to an old campfire donut camping trick. Cut smallish circles out of the biscuits and fry in hot oil for 3-5 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Toss those fried donuts in a paper bag with powdered sugar and serve right out of the bag for delicious New Orleans dessert with next to no effort.
Right up there with chili, wings, and nachos, a sub sandwich of some sort often makes its way onto the Super Bowl buffet. As if the city needed any more culinary claims to fame, the Italian sandwich muffuletta finds its roots in none other than--you guessed it--New Orleans. Although the sandwich is traditionally served on a specific type of Italian bread made at Central Grocery in the French Quarter, a large sourdough baguette will suffice when making this sandwich anywhere else in the country. The sandwich is essentially layered Italian meats and cheese such as mortadella, sopressetta, salami, and provolone. The key to the muffuletta is the olive salad spread made with chopped black and green olives, garlic, celery, optional capers, a bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar. A party sub with a twist, the muffuletta is far from your ordinary sandwich.
Notwithstanding your city and team loyalties, it is hard to deny the quality of cuisine that comes from New Orleans. Even game day food can take some hints from the food of the Big Easy: red beans with Louisiana hot links, easy beignets in a paper bag, and a giant muffuletta sandwich can satisfy nearly every Super Bowl food craving. And if all that doesn’t do it for you, there is always a bowl of popcorn.
Muffuletta Super Bowl Sub
Made with mortadella, salami, black pepper, sourdough baguette, kalamata olives, green olives, garlic, celery, red wine vinegar, olive oil
Made with mortadella, salami, black pepper, sourdough baguette, kalamata olives, green olives, garlic, celery, red wine vinegar, olive oil
Serves/Makes: 6
- 1 large sourdough baguette
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup pitted green olives
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 stalk celery, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- black pepper
- 8 ounces salami, sliced
- 8 ounces mortadella, sliced
- 4 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Split loaf of bread horizontally and open up. Toast in preheated oven for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix chopped green and black olives, garlic, celery, olive oil, vinegar, and black pepper to taste.
When bread is toasted, layer one half with salami, mortadella, and cheese. Spread the olive salad on the other half of the loaf and press the two sides together to form a sandwich. Cut into individual servings.
Can be served immediately or made up to an hour in advance.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1015-super-bowl-menu/