Touchdowns & brunch? All day brunch menus at NFL stadiums

Are you ready for brunch? Football fans will get all day brunch menus at several NFL stadiums this year. But, will all day brunch menus score a winning touchdown with fans?

Football and food go hand and hand. From the tailgate spread to the celebratory beer, football and food will always be a perfect pairing. Recently, Aramark announced new NFL stadiums food choices for the 2017-18 season. Instead of the huge burgers and brats, 10 NFL stadiums will have all day brunch menus. But, will the fans cheer?

Breakfast Brat, photo from PRNewswire

Sundays are often associated with brunch. The mid-day meal combination of breakfast and lunch is a great way to leisurely enjoy a meal. Often, the brunch menu features a balance of sweet and savory options. From chicken and waffles to a hearty hash, this mid-day meal can be very satisfying.

The new NFL All Day brunch menus offer a variation of the sweet and savory approach. While each stadium’s new menu item reflects the flavors and preferences of the city, these brunch items aren’t too over the top.

Aramark All Day Brunch items are:

"Arrowhead Biscuit (Arrowhead Stadium): Biscuit sandwich with hash brown patty, Canadian bacon, fried egg, bacon jam and cheese, topped with mini pancakes and bacon.Breakfast Brat (FirstEnergy Stadium): Grilled bratwurst with sausage gravy, maple hot sauce, bacon crumbles and whipped butter, on a Belgian waffle.Burger Benedict (M&T Bank Stadium): Ground bacon burger topped with a fried egg, ham, tomato, Monterey jack cheese and hollandaise spread, on a toasted English muffin.Chicken Biscuit (NRG Stadium): Hand-battered, corn flakes crusted chicken breast topped with a creamy, white gravy, served open faced, on a homemade jalapeno, chive and cheddar cheese infused buttermilk biscuit.Donut Burger (Raymond James Stadium): Fresh burger topped with a fried egg and crispy bacon, on a glazed donut.French Toast & Sausage Sandwich (Solider Field): New England roll French toast with Big Fork maple bacon sausage, spiced apple compote, toasted pecans, sharp cheddar cheese and caramel-maple syrup.Porkopolis Waffle (Paul Brown Stadium): Crispy pork tenderloin with smoky bacon, maple and yogurt sauce and baby kale, on a Belgium waffle.Purple Grip (U.S. Bank Stadium): Ube Buttermilk Pancake, breakfast sausage link, bacon cream gravy, crispy tater tots and minced chives.Slim Chicken (Lincoln Financial Field): Frosted Flakes crusted chicken breast topped with Cooper Sharp cheddar cheese and ghost chili honey glazed bacon, on a sliced apple fritter.Steak-N-Eggs (Heinz Field): Cheesesteak with sharp provolone, arugula, fried egg and roasted garlic aioli, on a toasted bagel."

French Toast and Sausage sandwich, photo from PRNewswire

Usually when these new menu items debut, one item is extreme, over the top and the must eat. While many of the food choices sound rather tasty, I can’t find one that I’m totally obsessed with. Don’t get me wrong, I would happy go from stadium to stadium to try them all. But, I’m not seeing something completely original on the list.

A few brunch items did spark my interest because of the ingredients. Soldier Field’s French Toast & Sausage Sandwich should be a winner because of the Big Fork Bacon Sausage. That Chicago company has some of the best bacon sausage (yes, sausage made with bacon). I would order this sandwich just for the Big Fork bacon sausage.

The Porkopolis Waffle at Paul Brown Stadium could be a great choice. The combination sauce could be quite flavorful. I’m not sure why kale is necessary, but greens are good for you. My one concern is the sauce making the waffle soggy. Hopefully, that scenario doesn’t happen.

Slim Chicken, photo from PRNewswire

I really want to like the Chicken Biscuit at NRG Stadium but I hate open face sandwiches at a sporting event. Watching a game is about a beer in one hand and food in the other. I don’t want to try to balance a bowl on my lap. That situation is a touchdown celebration disaster. It’s unfortunate that this dish needs a fork. The flavor combinations sound really good. I would order a dozen of those biscuits to enjoy.

Lastly, the Slim Chicken at Lincoln Financial Field could be another stand out. The spicy ghost chili honey glazed bacon would be my reason for ordering. Too bad I couldn’t have that bacon on a burger. The only issue could be the apple fritter. As long as the apple fritter isn’t too dense, the sandwich could be a spicy, sweet, and savory winner.

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Will the all day brunch menus be a success this football season? The proof will be in the cash register and on social media. If your Instagram feed is full of the hashtag #AllDayBrunchin, all day brunch scored a win.