Taylor Swift isn’t the only musician hitting sports headlines this weekend — Reba McEntire, Post Malone, and Usher are storming the field as the 2024 Super Bowl performers.
These stars are favorites among many, but they too have favorites when it comes to food — and when it comes to the Super Bowl, food and football go hand in hand.
Game day food is found at tailgates, in the stands, and at watch parties, but something you may not think about is the food that the musicians will eat before, in-between, and/or after their performances.
Ella-Lynn Dudek, northwest Ohio native, said she knows a thing or two about cooking for celebrities, considering she has years of experience catering for A-list celebrities, including Reba McEntire and Usher.
“You know, I would say that the only difference is that they’re a celebrity,” Dudek said. “Because the love that I put in my food and the way that I cook my food is always the same.”
Hospitality riders are submitted to the catering team, Dudek shared, with specific requests from the stars, and if they ask for a certain dish, that’s what you have to make.
When it comes to Reba McEntire, Dudek said, “what you see is what you get.”
“It’s good, wholesome, down home country [cooking],” she said. “If you can cook country food for Reba McEntire, you know that’s pretty good.”
Dudek recalled often making biscuits and gravy for the country shows she catered for to give these traveling stars a little piece of home while they’re on the road.
“They want good, home cooking,” she said. “The region that they live in is the food that they want.”
Jim Rhegness, chef instructor at Penta Career Center, agreed to this sentiment, sharing that when he cooks meals for celebrities, he wants them to feel as comfortable and as at home as possible.
“Typically when an artist or performer comes, they send their rider, or their wants, and you gear the menu toward that,” he said. “Then, you work with the manager to make sure that [the menu] is set.”
The chef instructor explained that the timing is a bit different for this type of catering, along with the set up, but at the end of the day it’s putting forth the best you can.
“I have a menu of ideas, but I like to talk to them before because I don’t want them to eat the same thing that they have been [eating],” the chef instructor said. “I like to offer them a variety, and have them communicate what they like, what they don’t like, and what they’ve had recently.”
In Rhegness' experience, these artists have been traveling for months and providing them with good food that reminds them of home is what he’s going for.
“It’s just a neat experience meeting different types of people,” he said. “It’s like cooking for any other person. I’d cook for them like I’d cook for you.”
Jason Davis, the senior executive chef of Rocket Dining for the University of Toledo is well-versed in cooking for large stadiums of fans, players, and coaches alike.
When cooking for out-of-towners, “I try to tailor some food to mimic the region in which they are coming from,” Davis said, and planning these meals is the key to success on busy game days.
But, there are other times for visiting teams and their suites where Davis does something a bit different.
“What we’ll do there is incorporate some local Toledo snacks,” he said. “So, we’ll do some things local to Toledo so they can just experience or witness a little something from the area.”
Davis said he has experience catering for people he’s looked up to for years, like cooking for the Detroit Pistons in 1991, but it's essential to cook for them like you would anyone else, making sure to plan ahead and trust your team.
Game day recipes are hitting center stage this week, starting with cornbread for Reba McEntire, which is one of the artist’s favorite foods, she wrote in her book, Not That Fancy.
I turned the classic cornbread into muffins, making these bites perfect for sharing, to dip in chili, or smother in butter and honey.
In an interview with Mythical Kitchen, a YouTube cooking show hosted by Josh Scherer, Post Malone came on the show in June of 2023 to eat his hypothetical last meal — during the first course, garlic knots made the cut.
Garlic knots are a party pleaser — and what’s not to love? From the warm, buttery, pull-apart garlic bread, smothered with parmesan and herbs, served alongside a classic marinara sauce from the grocery store. And as Ina Garten says, “Store bought is fine.”
Usher’s brownies are the cherry, or should I say M&M, on top. These rich brownies are as decadent as it gets, with bits and pieces of M&Ms throughout, which is one of the R&B singer’s favorite candies, he told the New York Post in 2004. It’s also rumored that he’s a chocolate lover, making this combination (of brownies and M&Ms) common sense.
Cornbread muffins:
Yield: 12 small muffins or 6 large muffins
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
¾ cup milk (preferably whole but low-fat works too)
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan (either a small 12 count muffin tin or large 6 count tin) with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. (I prefer to use non-stick cooking spray so the muffins get nice and crisp on the edges.)
In a medium bowl, break up the eggs with a whisk. Whisk in the honey, and then the milk. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just blended. Do not overmix; it's okay if there are a few lumps. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are set and golden. (Note that the muffins will not dome.) Cool the muffins for a few minutes in the pan, then serve warm.
Note: If you'd prefer to make this as cornbread rather than muffins, spray an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Source: Jenn Segal, adapted by Maddie Coppel
Garlic knots:
Yield: 12 garlic knots
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 13 ounce can pizza dough found in the refrigerated section
5 tablespoons butter melted
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, you can also use 1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
Cooking spray
Marinara sauce to serve
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
Open your refrigerated pizza dough, and roll the dough out so it lays flat on the sheet tray. Slice the dough into 12 equal sized strips. Tie each strip into a knot shape, tucking the ends underneath each roll.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, garlic powder, garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Brush the mixture over the rolls, making sure to reserve 1 ½ tablespoons of the butter mixture for later use.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with reserved butter mixture straight out of the oven, then serve. I served my knots alongside a classic marinara sauce — as Ina Garten says, “Store-bought is fine.”
Source: Sara Welch, adapted by Maddie Coppel
Espresso M&M Brownies:
Yield: 16 brownies
Total Time: 48 minutes
Ingredients:
10 tablespoon unsalted butter
⅔ cup + ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup dark cocoa powder
½ cup dark brown sugar packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon espresso powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup M&Ms
⅓ cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate bar or chocolate chips
Directions:
Line a square metal 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper to cover all four sides. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together until smooth. Then whisk in the cocoa powder. Set aside.
Whisk the sugars, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Then whisk in the melted butter and chocolate mixture until just combined.
Fold in the flour, espresso powder, and salt until almost combined. Then fold in the M&M's and chocolate until just combined.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and top with more M&M's. Bake for 33 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs.
Let the pan cool completely on a wire rack before removing, then cut into 16 brownies, and enjoy!
Note: Store leftover M&M brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Source: Cambrea Gordon, adapted by Maddie Coppel
First Published February 10, 2024, 1:00 p.m.
