Although Eddie Jackson‘s team of choice — the San Francisco 49ers — will not be playing in this year’s Super Bowl, that won’t stop the NFL player-turned-celebrity chef from cooking up a storm during the Big Game.
Speaking to ABC Audio, the BBQ Brawl star laid out what he plans to serve during his Big Game Party, saying finger foods are the way to go this year. “I call them one-handers — things that are readily accessible with one hand,” Jackson explains, noting that they are mandatory for sports parties because they allow you to “have a cold beverage in the other [hand]…so you’re not missing a beat.”
Jackson says he’s whipping up dishes for his meat-eating and vegan friends alike on February 13, when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams. “We’re doing egg rolls, chicken egg rolls. We’re doing sliders, pulled-chicken sliders…[and] poppers,” he listed off before teasing a “twist” on some jalapeño poppers by stuffing them with plant-based chicken.
Jackson also weighed in on the criticism that plant-based options can never truly replace or substitute for the way meat tastes. He said as long as the flavor is there, it doesn’t matter — especially to him. “I know if something tastes good. That’s literally how I make my living — out of deciding if something tastes good or not,” he declares, adding that his son “destroyed” all the vegan dishes he’s cooked.
Jackson, who recently teamed with plant-based food maker Sweet Earth, spoke of the rising popularity of vegan dishes. “Times change. You have to evolve with the changes,” he notes. “You look at the recipes and the recipes are constantly changing [and] constantly evolving. The way we eat is constantly evolving…But I still love it much the same.”
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