In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, we thought it only appropriate to delve right into talking about this incredible matchup of a game. This evening, the New England Patriots will attempt to take down the New York Giants, following a HUGE upset in the Super Bowl only 4 years ago. Of course, seeing how we’re (arguably) not football experts, we’re going to stick to what we know - food (an equally important component of any Super Bowl showdown).

If any of you happen to follow the Food Network, the mecca of all delectable delicacies, then you would know that a new show called The Sandwich King will be debuting later this month. The Sandwich King has a genius palate when it comes to sniffing out the perfect sandwich, and he has a mission to prove that sandwiches can be just as complex as any other dish. He has pretty good reasoning for why sandwiches should be served during the big game too. According to Jeff Mauro a.k.a. The Sandwich King, “You save on purchasing and washing tons of silverware. Plus, it frees up one of your hands when it’s time to cheer, have a drink or bet a square.” Makes sense to us.

So we decided to come up with the perfect sandwich for each team, and stage a sandwich showdown. Each sub is also specific to history and characteristics of each team. So get ready to learn a little bit about each team and WHOLE LOT about delicious sandwich recipes.

Interestingly enough, the New England Patriots play in Gillette Stadium (like the razors) and are financially backed by Kraft (like the cheese producers). So of course, we had to go with a razor thin roast beef grilled cheese sandwich. eh, eh, get it? Grilled cheese doesn’t always have to be like the kind you serve to your kids. Grown up grilled cheese is actually pretty popular right now….and delicious. The key to any good grilled cheese is super melty cheese, the proper amount of toast to the bread and never be afraid to throw in some other ingredients to shake it up a bit.

Onion Chutney Roast Beef Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This recipe doesn’t originally call for thinly sliced roast beef, but we’re going to go ahead and add it. Trust us, the flavors meld together perfectly.

Ingredients:

Directions

This is an incredibly easy sandwich, because it’s all about the assembly. Simply butter the outsides of your bread slices. Place all of the components onto your sandwich. Next, you will grill the sandwich until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted. You can always place a dome over your sanwich so that everything melts evenly. Voila! Your delicious sandwich is now ready to be devoured.

The New York Giants on the other hand, are owned by a football family dynasty. The Mara family has owned the Giants since their inception in 1925. Eventually, one of the Mara sons married one of the Rooneys (of the Pittsburgh Steeler ownership), forming a football family powerhouse. The Rooney-Maras eventually had two girls who just so happen to be some pretty big name actresses today – Rooney and Kate Mara. You may recognize Rooney, as she is up for an Academy Award for Best Actress in her role as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. Due to The Giants rich family history, we felt that their sandwich should relate to the Mara family and the strong Italian roots in New York. Thus we are featuring a Meatball “Mara”nara sub. I know, we’re killing you with our cleverness.

Rooney and Kate Mara

Meatball Marinara Sub

This recipe is courtesy of Rachel Rey at Food Network. It takes a little longer to prepare, but we think it’s well worth it.

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup (3 handfuls), Italian bread crumbs
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons (several drops) Worcestershire sauce,
• 1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano or Romano
• Coarse salt and black pepper

5 Minute Marinara Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, (2 turns around the pan)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• A handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14 ounces) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 semolina crusty sub rolls, with or without sesame seeds
• 1 (10-ounce) bag (2 1/2 cups) shredded provolone or Italian 4-cheese blend
• Shredded basil (sweet) or shredded arugula (spicy) leaves, for garnish
• Oven fries, as an accompaniment, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place ground sirloin in a large mixing bowl and punch a well into the center of meat. Fill well with the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, parsley, cheese, and a little salt and pepper. Mix up meatball ingredients until well combined, yet not over-mixed. Divide mix into 4 equal parts, roll each part into 4 balls and space equally onto a nonstick baking sheet. Place meatballs in oven and roast about 12 minutes. Break a meatball open and make sure meat is cooked through before removing from the oven.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed pepper. Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer until meatballs are removed from oven.

Combine meatballs and sauce and pile into sub rolls, 4 meatballs per sub. Top with shredded cheese and place under subs under broiler to melt cheese. Top with shredded basil or arugula and serve with a pile of oven fries, recipe follows.

Of course you can’t have the perfect sandwich without a side of equally impressive chips. Check out this quick video with quick and easy instructions on how to achieve the perfectly seasoned chip for the Big Game, courtesy of Guy Fieri.

Video for the Perfect Potato Chip

Now that we’ve learned a little bit more about each of the teams and a lot about some delicious game day eats, all that’s left to do is to create each team’s respective sandwiches. We can’t say for sure who will be the winner of the game, but we can say that each of their sandwiches are pretty fierce. What do you think? Which team has the winning Super Bowl Sandwich?

Of course if you ever want some delicious all-natural beef to make these recipes or any other delectable creation you come up with, feel free to browse our inventory of all-natural beef at Branch Ranch Natural. We can deliver it to you and get you on your way towards creating your very own beef cuisine!