Two NFL powerhouses, the Chiefs and the Eagles, are facing off in the 2023 Super Bowl. Both teams also represent cities that are culinary powerhouses.
If you want to wow your guests this Super Bowl with a Philadelphia-inspired spread for your Super Bowl party, we’ve done the legwork for you and pulled together a menu that celebrates the very best food and drinks Philly has to offer.
It would be absolutely wild to put together an Eagles-inspired Super Bowl party menu without the most iconic food that Philly is best known for: the cheesesteak.
Philly cheesesteak sliders
- 1 lb. thinly-sliced steak (ribeye is your best bet here, but you can also use top round. Freeze the steak slightly before slicing to get the necessary thinness)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp. butter, plus softened butter for Hoagie rolls
- two sweet onions, sliced
- Cheese Whiz
- 12 mini Hoagie rolls
Sauté the sliced onions in 1 tbsp. butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. You can add mushrooms and bell peppers to this mix if you’d like (I do), though it’s not necessarily traditional.
Sauté your steak in the remaining butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the sautéed onions to your steak and mix well.
Spread softened butter thinly on hoagie rolls and toast until slightly browned and crisp, about five minutes. Add your steak mixture to your hoagie rolls and top with Cheese Whiz, then serve. You can also use provolone or white American cheese, but if you want real Philly cheesesteaks, go with the Whiz.
Roasted pork sliders
Roasted pork sandwiches are another Philadelphia mainstay, and even though they don’t have as much renown as the cheesesteak, they’re every bit as delicious.
- 1 pork butt (it’s actually the shoulder, relax), with the fat cap trimmed
- 1⁄3 c. olive oil
- Spice rub: 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. ground fennel, 1 tbsp. crushed rosemary, 1 tbsp. thyme, 1 tbsp. salt, 1 tsp. crushed red pepper, 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1⁄2 c. mayonnaise
- 1⁄2 c. diced pepperoncinis plus 2 tbsp. brine
- 8 garlic cloves, diced or grated
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper, divided
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 lb. broccoli rabe, woody ends removed and leaves/usable stems roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 mini hoagie rolls
- 1⁄2 lb. sharp provolone, sliced
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine all the ingredients for the spice rub and rub evenly over pork until fully coated. Place pork on the wire rack of a foil-lined roasting pan and let it come to room temperature (about an hour).
Roast the pork at 450 for about 20 minutes until browned on top. Reduce heat to 300 and roast until the center of the pork reaches 165 degrees (about two hours). Remove from oven, cover gently with foil, and let it rest for about 30 minutes before slicing thinly. Toss sliced pork and juices with salt and pepper to taste.
While the pork rests, stir together mayonnaise, pepperoncinis and brine, about a tablespoon of grated garlic, and 1⁄2 tsp. red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Sautè the remaining garlic in a deep skillet in 1⁄3 c. of olive oil for about five minutes. Add broccoli rabe, 1⁄2 tsp. crushed red pepper, and cook over medium-high heat until broccoli rabe is cooked through and a little crispy. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toast the mini-hoagie rolls. Top with sliced cheese and return to oven until melted. Divide the pork evenly across each bottom roll, then top with broccoli rabe. Add mayonnaise mixture to top buns, and serve.
Mini-hoagies
We’re recommending mini-versions of each of these sandwiches, including the hoagie, because your guests are going to want to try all of them. The roasted pork sandwiches are pretty time and labor-intensive, but the mini hoagies are a snap.
- 2 lbs. deli meats (I’d recommend at least salami and cappicola, but you can get creative and add prosciutto, sopressata, etc.)
- 1 lb. sliced provolone cheese
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or 1⁄2 tsp. each basil and oregano)
- 12 mini hoagie rolls
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 jar hot cherry pepper hoagie spread (or make your own from this Martha Stewart recipe if you’re feeling ambitious)
The move here is to arrange all of your hoagie ingredients and toppings on a table so guests can put together their own sandwiches based on their preferences. Whisk together your olive oil, vinegar, and Italian seasoning, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle the mixture on your hoagie bun. Add your choices of meats, cheese, and top with onions, lettuce, and tomato, then drizzle a little more of the olive oil and vinegar on top. Spread some hoagie spread on your top bun, put it all together, and enjoy.
Soft pretzels
Who doesn’t love a good soft pretzel? These will be a hit.
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. instant yeast
- 2 c. warm water
- 3 c. wheat flour
- 2 tsp. malt powder
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 6 c. water
- 2 tbsp. baking soda
- Kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp. water
Mix together the sugar, 2 c. warm water, yeast, wheat flour, malt, salt, and enough multi-purpose flour to make a soft dough that’s not sticky. Knead well, place in a bowl, and let the dough rise until it doubles in size.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a pretzel. Boil 6 c. of water and the baking soda together in a large pot. Put 3-4 pretzels in there at a time to cook for about a minute. Place the boiled pretzels on a greased baking sheet. Mix your 1 tbsp. of water with the 1 large egg and brush over boiled pretzels. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake at 450 degrees until pretzels are evenly browned. Serve plain or with hot mustard.
Tomato pie
This is another dish that’s a crowd-pleaser. It may sound vaguely like a pizza, but a Philly tomato pie is an entity unto itself.
Crust:
- 3.5 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. instant yeast
- 2.5 tbsp. olive oil
- About 1.5 c. water
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning (or 1⁄2 tbsp. each basil and oregano)
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, roughly puréed in a food processor
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 shallot or small onion
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 ounce freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Whisk together flour, salt, and yeast. Add olive oil and water and knead until combined. (If you’ve got a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, put it to work!) Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes, and then knead again for about 10 minutes, or until the dough starts to easily pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Put the dough in the refrigerator and let it rise for at least eight, but no more than 24 hours.
For the sauce, heat olive oil and butter together over low heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and pepper flakes, and sauté until garlic is soft and mixture is fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add tomatoes, sugar, and a whole shallot or onion. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thick (about 45 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. You could skip this step and use store-bought sauce, but this homemade sauce will have the thickness and texture you want for this pie.
Two hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Grease a 13” x 18” rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Put dough on a lightly floured cutting board and form into a flattish oval. Coat all sides of the oval lightly with olive oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about an hour.
Carefully stretch and press the dough to the edges of the baking sheet. Using the side of your (clean!) hand, push against the edges to create a raised ridge about 1” from the edge of the pan. Spread sauce across the dough to the raised ridges at the edge. Bake for about 20 minutes until edges are golden and crispy. Let the pie cool for at least room temperature, then sprinkle with the freshly grated Pecorino Romano and serve.
Tastykakes
If you’re already wiped out from the rest of the menu, you can also skip the prep and just order a variety of these here. I’m all for working smarter, not harder. But if you do want to make a version of this Philly delicacy from scratch, here you go.
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 c. sugar
- 1 c. 2% milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1⁄4 tsp. salt
- 1 3⁄4 c. creamy peanut butter
- 5 milk chocolate candy bars, chopped
- 2 tbsp. butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until thick and smooth. Beat in milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to egg mixture and stir until fully combined.
Grease a 15”x10” cake pan and spread mixture into it. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Place on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then spread peanut butter over the top. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together and stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter, and refrigerate cake until topping is firm.
Philadelphia pineapple wooder ice (that’s Philadelphian for water ice)
If you’re not from Philly, you might know this treat as Italian ice. Whatever you call it, it’s light, refreshing, adaptable to many flavors, and delicious.
- 2 pineapples, peeled, cut into chunks, and pureed until smooth
- 4 c. water
- 1⁄2 c. sugar
Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until sugar melts. Immediately remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Add sugar water to pureed pineapple and blend until smooth. You may need to add more sugar depending on how sweet you want it.
Pour mixture into a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer. Stir once an hour to keep it from freezing solid. Serve when it’s nice and slushy. If you’ve got an ice cream maker, use it instead.
co*cktails and mocktails:
Jalen Hurts? Here’s a painkiller (makes two drinks)
- 4 oz. of your favorite rum
- 8 oz. pineapple juice
- 2 oz. orange juice
- 2 oz. cream of coconut
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously to combine. Strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice, and garnish with ground nutmeg and a pineapple slice. For the mocktail, eliminate the rum. It’s delicious either way.
Bleeding Greentinis (makes two drinks)
- 4 oz. pineapple juice
- 1⁄4 c. blue curacao
- 1⁄4 c. vodka
- 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
Fill a co*cktail shaker halfway with ice, then add the ingredients and shake vigorously. Strain the liquid into two martini glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves. The kelly green color will immediately have you yelling, “GO BIRDS.”
Green Bird (makes one drink)
Speaking of “GO BIRDS,” our final co*cktail selection is the Green Bird.
- 2 oz. vodka
- 1 oz. creme de menthe (green)
- 1 oz. rum
- 3 oz. pineapple juice
Put the vodka, rum, and pineapple juice in a co*cktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain the mixture into a champagne flute. Add the creme de menthe to the flute slowly, and don’t stir! Just let it sink down into the drink and turn it Eagles green. Garnish with a pineapple slice.
Beers:
Iron Hill Philly Phavorite IPA
Yuengling
Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale
Wine:
Red: City Winery Pinot Noir Au Naturel
White: City Winery Lake County Sauvignon Blanc
The city of Philadelphia is going to be absolutely wild before, during, and after the Super Bowl regardless of the outcome. But if you can’t be in Philly to experience it, at least you can enjoy a taste of Philly while you’re watching the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
