Who the heck is Terry Bradshaw?
Just kidding. No Pittsburgher in their right mind would ever ask that. We fondly remember the Hall of Fame quarterback and four-time Super Bowl champion. However, he isn’t doing anything with pig skin these days, unless he’s cooking it. His new cookbook invites fans to take a gander into his kitchen as he and his family share some of their favorite recipes. The book feels like a window into Bradshaw’s world, where he smiles gleefully over gigantic plates of food. I, too, smile at my food, Terry.
The Bradshaw Family Cookbook Credit: Courtesy of Flatiron Books
The Bradshaw Family Cookbook, which dropped on Sept. 16, features the man himself, and his family (all of whom starred in E!’s The Bradshaw Bunch from 2020 – 2022), with contributions from Terry; his wife, Tammy Bradshaw; their daughters, Rachel Bradshaw and Lacey Hester; and son-in-law, James Beard Award-winning chef Noah Hester, who was named Chef of the Year by the CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards.
So yes, someone in the family knows their way around a kitchen. You have my attention.
Drawing inspiration from generations of family cooking, including Terry’s grandmother, Hoodie Baby (seriously, the best Southern grandma name ever), the cookbook brings together the family’s recipes and traditions. “Food and family go hand in hand for us Bradshaws,” writes Terry in the book. “We’re loud, we joke around a lot, and we sure know how to eat. This cookbook is all about sharing those moments — the stories, the laughs, and the flavors that make our kitchen the heart of our home. Whether you’re flipping a steak on the grill or digging into a big ol’ plate of Bradshaw beans, you’re getting a taste of what it means to be part of our family.”
I’m no amateur in the kitchen, but even my 10-year-old was able to follow along and assist me with two of the recipes, all of which were easy to read.
While I wanted to make the barbecue bourbon wings because they remind me of tailgates, which remind me of football and, therefore, Terry Bradshaw, my daughter was turned off by the word “bourbon.” We decided instead to whip up Terry’s Maryland-Style Crab Cakes with Sweet Pickle Tartar Sauce and Poppa Hester’s Savory Herb Pimento Cheese.
CP Photo: Stacy Rounds
First, we put together the pimento cheese spread, an incredibly easy dish until you have to stir it. Poppa Hester must have had some bulging biceps. This recipe calls for three whole cups of various shredded cheeses, cream cheese, Dijon, mayo, pimentos, herbs, spices, and just a kick of hot sauce.
Now, as a cheese lover, it was difficult to let this dish sit in the fridge for a whole hour, but the outcome was worth it. I give this delightful spread, which tastes fabulous on a Ritz, five out of five touchdowns
CP Photo: Stacy Rounds
Next, we put together the crab cakes. These aren’t much different from crab cakes I’ve made before, but there were a couple of interesting ingredients and an omission that surprised me. The preparation was fairly easy, and allowing them to sit, chilled, helped to keep them bound together without crumbling or breaking in the hot oil later. I also really liked the presentation with the lemons as suggested.
The crab cakes were quite tasty, but like Terry’s family, I got a taste for them with my travels. And I’ve had some cakes that were meatier, bigger, and with a bit more zip. I give these crab cakes four out of five touchdowns.
CP Photo: Stacy Rounds
The crab cakes were also paired with a homemade tartar sauce, which took just a few ingredients and mere minutes to whip together. I prefer a remoulade with crab cakes rather than a tartar sauce, and while the sauce tasted nice, it didn’t have my preferred heavy pickle-to-mayo ratio. I give the sauce three out of five touchdowns.
For fans of Bradshaw, football, or just plain good food, this cookbook is a win. Each page reflects the same humor and authenticity for which he’s known on the field and on screen. With a nod to the Immaculate Reception in cocktail form, pro-tips from an actual award-winning chef, and game day snacks that don’t take forever to make, this book is both entertaining and practical. And while celebrity cookbooks can sometimes feel like vanity projects, Bradshaw’s feels genuine and fun.
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