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This Super Bowl, you are Cheesehead or you’re not, and food is no exception. If your Super Bowl party is a one-family affair, making a spread to reflect your household’s allegiance is easy enough. You serve cheese or you don’t. However, if you are hosting a party, chances are you are going to be serving to folks from both sides of the mid-field line. While not die-hard Steelers fans, I at least know a few Bears enthusiasts who are still hurting enough from the playoff loss that the mere sight of cheese might make them woozy. For those cheering for their beloved Green Bay Packers (or simply cheering against the Steelers, Jets fans), cheese for the Cheesehead is a welcome addition, and a good omen, for the big game ahead.
Enter this year’s Super Bowl Menu theme: the Cheesehead Spread versus the Anti-Cheesehead Spread. The Cheeseheads' Spread is perhaps the least challenging, as cheese seems to find its way into many a football watching party menu. The obvious calls such as nachos and quesadillas simply do not exist without the use of cheese. Even less cheese-centric football food such as chili seems somehow less complete without the additional sprinkling on of Wisconsin’s favorite edible export.
For a serious Cheesehead spread, however, I recommend taking the use of cheese in the menu beyond a simple ingredient and really making it the focal point of each and every dish. To theme around cheese is almost like a karmic offering to Green Bay’s Packers: showing support with an entire table laden with fanatic emblems.
For starters, a Wisconsin cheese soup may be in order. One could try to sneak in something green with a broccoli cheese soup, but for a more celebratory offering, I think a beer cheese soup might be just the thing to keep on simmer for trips to the kitchen during commercial breaks. And if you want to get really local, it doesn’t really get more so than deep fried Wisconsin cheese curds. Curds might be a little hard to come by in some parts of the country, but cubed up cheddar, beer battered and deep fried is sure to be a party hit.
As for the main event, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and Wisconsin cheese-topped burgers are all options. But I kind of like the idea of a British cheese focused lunch spread called the Ploughman. A Ploughman’s lunch has that manly sound to it that seems to fit perfectly with watching a bunch of big men beat up on each other. As a menu item, it couldn’t be simpler as it is essentially a do-it-yourself cheese sandwich spread in which sliced bread, cheese, whole grain mustard and pickles are all arranged for party-goers to assemble at their leisure.
Eliminating cheese from a Super Bowl menu for the “Anti-Spread” might be a bit more difficult, but since when is a Steelers fan not up for a challenge? Even classically cheesy dishes like pizza can be made delicious without the usual abundance of mozzarella. Use pre-made crust or store bought dough and top brush with olive oil then proceed as normal. Or for a twist, try a take on a pissaladiére tart by topping with caramelized onions and anchovies. Even Buffalo wings have a hard time avoiding the cheese. Blue cheese dressing may be the traditional accompaniment but Ranch dressing will do just as well, side stepping a potential cheese encounter without sacrificing flavor.
For the host or hostess who walks the line, I suggest a large table tactfully divided for those who wish to pledge allegiance to their team through food. Salsa and guacamole will find a home on the Pittsburgh side while queso and parmesan heavy artichoke dip will feel more at ease with the Green Bay end of the table. A meaty chili might sit squarely on the divide but a dose of grated cheddar topping will require entrance into the Packer’s zone.
But in the spirit of the mingling of parties at the recent State of the Union address, I wouldn’t be surprised if that caramelized onion cheese-less pizza or deep fried cheddar cheese curds look good enough for sworn football enemies to reach across the aisle, or the 50 yard line, for some delicious football eats, cheese-filled or not.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
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Cheesehead Spread
Enter this year’s Super Bowl Menu theme: the Cheesehead Spread versus the Anti-Cheesehead Spread. The Cheeseheads' Spread is perhaps the least challenging, as cheese seems to find its way into many a football watching party menu. The obvious calls such as nachos and quesadillas simply do not exist without the use of cheese. Even less cheese-centric football food such as chili seems somehow less complete without the additional sprinkling on of Wisconsin’s favorite edible export.
For a serious Cheesehead spread, however, I recommend taking the use of cheese in the menu beyond a simple ingredient and really making it the focal point of each and every dish. To theme around cheese is almost like a karmic offering to Green Bay’s Packers: showing support with an entire table laden with fanatic emblems.
For starters, a Wisconsin cheese soup may be in order. One could try to sneak in something green with a broccoli cheese soup, but for a more celebratory offering, I think a beer cheese soup might be just the thing to keep on simmer for trips to the kitchen during commercial breaks. And if you want to get really local, it doesn’t really get more so than deep fried Wisconsin cheese curds. Curds might be a little hard to come by in some parts of the country, but cubed up cheddar, beer battered and deep fried is sure to be a party hit.
As for the main event, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and Wisconsin cheese-topped burgers are all options. But I kind of like the idea of a British cheese focused lunch spread called the Ploughman. A Ploughman’s lunch has that manly sound to it that seems to fit perfectly with watching a bunch of big men beat up on each other. As a menu item, it couldn’t be simpler as it is essentially a do-it-yourself cheese sandwich spread in which sliced bread, cheese, whole grain mustard and pickles are all arranged for party-goers to assemble at their leisure.
Eliminating cheese from a Super Bowl menu for the “Anti-Spread” might be a bit more difficult, but since when is a Steelers fan not up for a challenge? Even classically cheesy dishes like pizza can be made delicious without the usual abundance of mozzarella. Use pre-made crust or store bought dough and top brush with olive oil then proceed as normal. Or for a twist, try a take on a pissaladiére tart by topping with caramelized onions and anchovies. Even Buffalo wings have a hard time avoiding the cheese. Blue cheese dressing may be the traditional accompaniment but Ranch dressing will do just as well, side stepping a potential cheese encounter without sacrificing flavor.
For the host or hostess who walks the line, I suggest a large table tactfully divided for those who wish to pledge allegiance to their team through food. Salsa and guacamole will find a home on the Pittsburgh side while queso and parmesan heavy artichoke dip will feel more at ease with the Green Bay end of the table. A meaty chili might sit squarely on the divide but a dose of grated cheddar topping will require entrance into the Packer’s zone.
But in the spirit of the mingling of parties at the recent State of the Union address, I wouldn’t be surprised if that caramelized onion cheese-less pizza or deep fried cheddar cheese curds look good enough for sworn football enemies to reach across the aisle, or the 50 yard line, for some delicious football eats, cheese-filled or not.
Seasoned Deep Fried Cheddar Cheese
Made with garlic powder, dried oregano, vegetable oil, Cheddar cheese, flour, salt, black pepper, eggs, panko bread crumbs
Made with garlic powder, dried oregano, vegetable oil, Cheddar cheese, flour, salt, black pepper, eggs, panko bread crumbs
Serves/Makes: 6
- vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup finely ground panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
In a medium heavy pot, bring 2 inches of vegetable oil up to 375 degrees F.
Meanwhile, cut cheddar into 1/2-inch cubes. In a small bowl mix flour, salt, and pepper. In a second bowl, beat the two eggs. In a third bowl, combine panko, oregano, and garlic powder.
Working two at a time, roll cheese cubes in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. BE SURE TO COAT VERY WELL IN EACH STEP. Failure to completely coat cheese can result in melted cheese leaking into the cooking oil while frying.
Frying no more than 5 cubes at a time, work in batches. Fry cheese cubes for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per batch then transfer to paper towels to drain. Only fry as many as will be eaten relatively quickly as the cheese will begin to congeal within a few minutes of cooling.
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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/1127-cheese-spreads/