Terry Bradshaw, known for his accomplishments as a quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers and later as a sportscaster and entertainer, is turning his attention to publishing with “The Bradshaw Family Cookbook,” a new project created in collaboration with his wife and children.
Bradshaw told Newsweek, “I did not know I wanted to do a cookbook until I was offered to do a cookbook. I was offered to do a cookbook and I thought, Oh, that’d be fun. My son-in-law is an award-winning chef. All my girls cook. My wife’s a great cook. Everybody doing something together. Yeah, that’ll be fun, let’s do it.” He described the process of involving family members in developing the book: “Funny story: So I get all the girls together. I say, ‘Hey, we’ll get an opportunity to do a Bradshaw family cookbook.’ Lacey goes, ‘I’m all in.’ Noah, ‘I am all in.’ Rachel, the oldest, ‘I am all in, Dad.’ Chase, her husband, ‘Yeah, that’s great.’ I go to my youngest daughter, Erin. [She says,] ‘I don’t have time. Dad. Are you all right if I don’t do this?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ And so the fun part was this: We get a check. Money. And I couldn’t wait to call my son-in-law, Scott. I said, ‘I just can’t believe y’all didn’t want to be a part of this. We just got a check. And it wouldn’t have been that much [apiece] if you and Erin had been a part of the cookbook. But still would have been a nice piece of change,’ and he went, ‘What? You got paid?’ I said, ‘Do you honestly think I’m gonna do a cookbook and not get paid for it?’ ‘Well she didn’t say anything about getting paid.’ He was beside himself. I couldn’t wait to get off the phone and start laughing.”
A highlight from the cookbook includes Bradshaw’s baked beans recipe—an adaptation of his brother’s original approach—which has become significant within his family gatherings: “If [my brother] wasn’t here I’d take total credit for this bean recipe. But he’s the one that introduced the idea of it to me…For a long time I’d put three beans together: black beans red beans white beans…Big big cooking pan….The fun part about cooking Bradshaw beans you got to use your hands….I will say this take your rings off because I did lose my wedding ring mixing beans….And I’m going to tell you right now people are going to scream this is amazing.”
Bradshaw also shared personal preferences regarding food habits: “Don’t put any ice cream in my freezer because if it’s in the freezer I’m eating it….I’m an old-time guy….I’m not into all the high-tech modern music…”
Reflecting on lessons from football that carry over into other aspects of life—including working on projects like this cookbook—he said: “If we’re in we’re in…We’re gonna do our best…doesn’t mean it’s going to be good doesn’t mean it’s successful but we’re are all in and we’re committed to it…(Football is that way.) You get a game plan you got to believe in it you’ve got to be committed…you gotta execute it you gotta trust the people around you…(the main thing is if you’re going to do something be committed…)”
Discussing how attitudes toward food have changed since childhood he noted shifts due to fast food culture but emphasized enjoying family meals at home: “Growing up there wasn’t fast food….My mom cooked dinner….Fast food for the most part has not been a good thing for American society…Tammy and I love it when our girls come…and we all cook together….Those are heavenly times.”
Asked for his Super Bowl prediction for 2025 Bradshaw commented on several teams before settling on Baltimore as his pick while cautioning against placing bets based on his view: “Well my wife’s a Kansas City Chiefs fan …But it’s not going be Chiefs…..Ravens and Buffalo …it’s going go with…Baltimore’s going get over hump this year…I’m pulling for Pittsburgh always will…But …you’re asking me right now …don’t hold me to this I’m going Baltimore…[But] don’t put any money on it.”
Excerpts from both Terry’s baked bean recipe and his family’s barbecue sauce appear alongside these comments as part of promoting The Bradshaw Family Cookbook.
