Cowboys chefs are cooking up 16,000 lbs. of mac and cheese, 15,000 lbs. of turkey and more to feed 80,000 fans on Thanksgiving.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys aren’t just preparing for another Thanksgiving Day matchup — they’re preparing dinner. AT&T Stadium will serve holiday classics to more than 80,000 fans on Thursday, turning game day into a giant family feast.
“People come to the stadium to have a Thanksgiving meal with their family,” said George Wasai, vice president of food and beverage for Legends Hospitality.
The stadium’s culinary team gave a preview Monday of the massive holiday operation. Executive Chef and Culinary Director Marcelo Vasquez said serving fans on Thanksgiving is “a real honor.”
The scale is as big as the venue itself. Chefs are preparing 16,000 pounds of Cowboys mac and cheese, 15,000 pounds of turkey and 380 gallons of gravy. The food will be served across the building, including all 365 suites.
“It’s a lot of suites,” Vasquez said, laughing with Wasai during the walkthrough.
Fans will also get field-fresh produce grown hydroponically at Paul Quinn College’s WE Over Me Farm. Farm manager Isiah Mataruka said he’s excited to see their ingredients on the menu.
“The chefs can take what we have and make wonderful dishes,” he said.
Concessions will feature holiday favorites as well. Concessions Chef Heather Fuller says any fan in the building can try the seasonal offerings — alongside the classic Cowboys star-shaped nuggets sold at every home game.
The culinary team is cooking up handheld options designed to give every fan “a little bit of Thanksgiving spirit,” Vasquez said. “The ability to have a meal in your hands walking around without being in a club or a suite — that’s amazing.”
At AT&T Stadium, nothing says Thanksgiving quite like turkey and touchdowns.