Standard football-watching food in Nebraska and Kansas — a beef and cabbage-filled pocket sandwich called a bierock — comes courtesy of the German immigrants who settled the plains and their ancestors, including my family, who kept the tradition alive.

The bierock’s modest ingredients and homey appearance belie how tasty it is, especially with a dab of horseradish sauce on every bite. The basic yeast dough, enriched with butter and eggs, folds around the three- to four-ingredient filling (if you stick to tradition). Baked to a golden brown, brushed with melted butter, a bierock straight out of the oven reveals steamy deliciousness.  And it is a heck of a lot better than delivery pizza at any party.