When it comes to the Super Bowl, the food is the real MVP.
As the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles face off in the big game, thousands of fans traveling to New Orleans, Louisiana, are sure to get a taste of the unique city while there.
“This isn’t just about the Super Bowl,” chef Lenny Martinsen, executive chef at Caesars Superdome, the home of the New Orleans Saints and host of Super Bowl LIX, told The Post. “This is actually about the city of New Orleans.”
Martinsen has been the executive chef for six Super Bowls so far, but this is just the second one he’ll be taking on at his home stadium. And with the overlap of the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, he has the chance to really showcase NOLA grub — known for fare like gumbo, jambalaya and bananas Foster — to people from afar.
Lenny Martinsen, executive chef at Caesars Superdome, has a New Orleans-worthy menu lineup for Super Bowl LIX. Sodexo Live!/Matthew Noel
“It’s really cool because you get people that come from all over the world and all over the United States, they come here and they never come to New Orleans because it’s a little town, and you hear about it, you read about and then you realize, wow, it’s a whole new food culture,” Martinsen said.
Martinsen and his team of culinary chefs from Sodexo Live! are preparing to serve an estimated 250,000 meals between Fan Fest and Super Bowl LIX — and on game day alone, more than 62,000 fans are expected to dine on options like po’ boys, bananas Foster bread pudding and alligator, as well as tried-and-true stadium favorites like nachos, pretzels, tacos and hot dogs.
“We get to show off a little bit, flex our muscles and our culinary chops,” Martinsen said. “I applaud the NFL for allowing us to show New Orleans with the cuisine.”
Seafood nachos are on the menu at Caesars Superdome. Getty Images
Delectable Super Bowl-themed desserts are displayed during a media preview inside the Caesars Superdome earlier this week. Getty Images
Fans attending Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome will see an elevated take on NOLA food culture, with items such as:
Big Easy Big Game Bahn Mi: Beer-battered hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, pickled vegetables, cucumber, mushroom duxelle and remoulade, served on a French baguette
Alligator Sausage: Traditional NOLA alligator sausage topped with seafood étouffée on soft French bread and served with a side of chips.
Seafood Nachos: Cajun blackened shrimp, nacho cheese sauce with seafood, homemade guacamole, fresh cilantro and pico de gallo, all on tortilla chips.
Lobster Karaage: Panko-coated butterflied lobster tail drizzled with a lemon pepper sauce, butter lettuce and tomato, remoulade sauce on a branded brioche bun.
The team at Sodexo Live! estimates that over 5,000 alligator sausages will be sold, more than 150,000 nacho chips will be eaten, 1,200+ oysters will be purchased, and half a ton of soft shell crab will be cooked up.
Additionally, an estimated 6,500-plus pounds — about 3 tons — of shrimp will be cooked up just for po’boys — the long sandwich that originated in Louisiana.
Over 50,000 locally-sourced baguettes are to be used for the po’ boys, which include the Surf & Turf Po’ Boy, with smoked short rib, and NOLA fried shrimp; the Soft Shell Crab Po’Boy which comes with a Frito Lay special spread and the cornflakes-coated Fried Oyster Po’Boy, made even more decadent with thick-cut, brown sugar-glazed bacon.
For those watching at home salivating for a taste of NOLA, Martinsen said a simple dish of seafood nachos — complete with shrimp, crawfish, nacho cheese and guacamole — will make you feel like you’re there.
While NOLA’s diverse cuisine will be the star at the Caesars Superdome, along with Martinsen, The Post tapped Chefs Erin Wishon from Arrowhead Stadium and James Hennessey from Lincoln Financial Field, who offered game-day recipes to make at home.
Whether you’re rooting for Philly or Kansas City, the sweet and savory options are sure to score a touchdown at your Super Bowl watch party.
Kickoff time for Sunday’s Super Bowl game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles is 6:30 p.m. Getty Images
For a taste of New Orleans…
Seafood Nachos
While nachos are a standard fare at any normal football game, Chef Lenny’s Seafood Nachos gives the traditional game day snack a “New Orleans twist.”
“We’re taking regular stadium food, but we want to kick it up a notch,” Martinsen said.
Sodexo Live!/Matthew Noel
Ingredients:
1 bag tortilla chips
1 can nacho cheese sauce
4 oz crawfish
4 oz shrimp
1 bunch cilantro
Guacamole
Pico de Gallo
In a separate bowl, warm the nacho cheese sauce to your desired temperature. Cook the shrimp and add it to the nacho sauce.
You can save some shrimp to sauté with your preferred seasoning to place as an addition on top of the final product, or you can opt to mix all the shrimp in with the nacho sauce at the beginning.
Put a handful of tortilla chips into a bowl and top it with the sauce and extra shrimp. Finish off the nachos with guacamole, pico de gallo and cilantro garnish.
NOLA Bread Pudding
“You haven’t had bread pudding until you’ve been to New Orleans,” Martinsen declared.
“What’s fun about bread pudding is you can do whatever you want,” he said. “Your imagination can take over. People see this and think, ‘I can do that. I can make that.’ And that’s what’s really cool about New Orleans and the flavor profile.”
“You haven’t had bread pudding until you’ve been to New Orleans,” Martinsen said of the popular dessert.
Ingredients:
7 cups French bread, cut into 1½-inch cubes
½ cup melted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups half and half
2 cups milk
For the caramel sauce:
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup evaporated milk
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until broken up, then blend in the sugars, cinnamon, milk, and half and half. Cut the bread into cubes. Add it to the egg mixture and blend well. Combine the mixture then let it stand for 10 minutes to absorb.
Spray a 9×13 pan with vegetable spray and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the pudding for 50 minutes, checking at the 40-minute mark to make sure that it’s not getting too brown. If it is, cover it loosely with foil. Bake until the pudding is golden and puffy all over. Remove to cool.
To make the caramel sauce, melt the butter and brown sugar in a pot over medium heat. Bring it to a boil then remove from the heat. Whisk in salt, vanilla and milk. The sauce can be made ahead of time and warmed up in the microwave.
Cut the cooled pudding into squares and top each square with the hot caramel sauce.
For a taste of Philly…
Easy Soft Pretzels
Aramark Sports + Entertainment Executive Chef James Hennessey from Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles, offers the “Pretzel Jawn” at their home stadium — an eagle-shaped pretzel served with porter cheese sauce, green mustard sauce, and bourbon vanilla brown sugar butter.
While your homemade pretzels might not look like an eagle, it can still bring you a piece of Lincoln Financial Field into your home to root on the Eagles.
Soft pretzels are a true Philadelphia favorite — and these bites will satisfy any football fan.
Ingredients for dough:
1½ cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3½ cups flour of any kind
Baking soda bath (optional): ½ cup baking soda + 9 cups boiling water
Egg wash (optional): 2 whole eggs, ½ cup cool water
For the cheese sauce:
1½ cups Velveeta
¼ round Boursin cheese
½ cup milk or stout beer
In a medium bowl, add warm water and yeast packet. Stir until combined, then add sugar and salt. Add both flours and mix until fully combined. If the dough is sticky, add more flour. The dough does not need to rise. Once it’s fully mixed and sits for a moment, simply press your finger into the dough. If it pops back up, it’s ready to knead.
Knead the dough for a few minutes, adding more all-purpose flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to the counter. When cutting the dough, you can either portion it meticulously or make random shapes. You can also roll a 30-inch rope and shape it into a traditional pretzel shape.
Optional: In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and water to create an egg wash and set it aside. In a medium pot, place 9 cups of water and 1/2 cup of baking soda over medium-high heat until boiling for the baking soda bath.
If you desire, dip the dough into the baking soda bath using a slotted spoon. Drop it into the water for 20 seconds. Typically, the dough will float by the time you count to 20. Remove it and place onto a clean plate. Also optional is tossing the boiled dough pieces in the egg wash or lay them on parchment paper and brush them with the egg wash.
Sprinkle the pretzels with salt and bake for 20 minutes at 425°F. Then bump the oven to a high broil for 2 to 3 minutes to finish them off. Serve with cheese sauce and spicy mustard.
For a taste of Kansas City …
Arrowhead Stadium’s Doritos Empanadas
Aramark Sports + Entertainment Senior Executive Chef Erin Wishon from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium knows nothing is out of the picture when it comes to the Chiefs, including Dorito-coated empanadas.
Dorito-coated empanadas offer Midwestern appeal. Arrowhead Eats/Facebook
Ingredients for empanada:
12 empanada wraps
Ground beef
½ cup diced yellow onions
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
4 oz crushed Doritos
1 cup shredded cheddar
Egg wash: 1 egg + 2 tablespoons water
For the avocado crema:
1 smashed avocado
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Sweat the onions, then add the ground beed and brown it, cooking until the beef reaches 165°F. Drain the fat off the beef and add ½ cup water and seasoning. Stir in 2 tablespoons of crushed Doritos and all of the cheddar cheese.
Lay out the empanada shells and brush them with the egg wash. Place 2 tablespoons of the beef filling in the middle of each shell, and fold it over to close. Seal the empanada by lightly pressing the edges with your fingertips or a fork. Bake or fry until golden, then drain and brush with the egg wash. Dip the empanadas in the remaining crushed Doritos and fry until crispy.
Something sweet for the undecided…
Mama Kelce’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Donna Kelce’s cookie recipe is ready for its Super Bowl closeup.
Whether you can’t decide who to root for or just want both teams to have fun, no one can relate like Donna Kelce, mom of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and former Eagles center Jason Kelce.
The culinary teams at Aramark, partner for both GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field, teamed up with Mama Kelce to share her famed chocolate chip cookies with fans at both venues. While these cookies were a hit at the stadiums, you can also enjoy them from the comfort of your own home.
This way, no matter who you’re rooting for, you’ll get a sweet taste of victory.
Donna Kelce shows off the final product.
Ingredients:
1½ cups sweet cream butter (3 sticks)
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water to activate; microwave water first then stir in baking soda to dissolve)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake or pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1½ teaspoons salt
1 cup Ghirardelli white chocolate chips
1 cup Ghirardelli milk chocolate
Melt the butter in the microwave in 20-second increments, being sure not to overdo it. Pour the melted butter into a mixing bowl or stand mixer and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add brown and white sugar to the butter and mix for 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds, then add dissolved baking soda.
In a separate bowl, add all-purpose flour, cake or pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, then mix to combine. Slowly add this mixture to the mixer ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides. If desired, add all chocolate chips and pecans with a wooden spoon.
Put the batter in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, but ideally overnight.
Before baking, make sure the dough is at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop dough onto baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between scoops.
For small cookies, bake for 10 minutes or until they’re lightly golden around the edges. For larger cookies, bake for 13 to 15 minutes. If you touch the top of the cookie and it bounces back instead of indenting, that means it’s ready.
