Slam Dunk Eats: Winning Recipes
March is here and it’s time for the big tournament! While crafting a flawless bracket might be a formidable challenge, hosting an unforgettable viewing party is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. So invite your friends, stock up on snacks, and get set for a rollercoaster ride of high-stakes college basketball!
Show Spirit!
Get everyone to crank up the team spirit by rocking their favorite college jerseys or going all out in team colors. Deck out your place with basketball-themed decorations - you can keep it neutral or go all-in for your favorite team.
Want to make it a slam dunk? Turn your table into a mini basketball court! Grab some plywood, paint it up like a court, and let it be the center of attention. Stack it with food and drinks, so your friends can refuel while they cheer on their teams. It's game time!
Tip-Off Snacks and Apps
All the cheering and shouting works up a hearty appetite and a big thirst, so the food and beverages are key players. Get ready to elevate game day snacking with some of our favorites that you can have out and ready before tip-off! Don’t be afraid to ask guests to bring a dish, perhaps one that represents their favorite team or a region in the tournament. Just be sure to know in advance what everyone is bringing so you can balance out the menu in terms of flavors and textures.
Buffalo Chicken Loaded Potato Wedges
Farm Flavor scores a slam dunk with these irresistible Buffalo Chicken Loaded Potato Wedges! Crispy potato wedges are loaded with tender, spicy Buffalo chicken, melted cheese, tangy ranch dressing and a sprinkling of chives. Each bite is a flavor explosion that will have your taste buds cheering for more.
Jalapeño-Pimento Cheese Fritters
Pimento cheese is transformed into irresistible fritters that are crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside and packed with a punch of jalapeño flavor. They’re the perfect combination of spicy, cheesy and indulgent making them a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Halftime Fare
If the game is on around the time when lunch or dinner is typically served, you may want to put out just a couple of snacks or apps. Select dishes that are still easy to prepare ahead and allow guests to serve themselves.
Get into some halftime action with a little friendly competition. Create your own basketball trivia questions or engage in a free throw competition. This can be done outside if there’s a hoop or inside with a mini net and foam basketball. It can be fun just to have a mini net or two and some foam basketballs available for guests to sink some shots!
Slam Dunk Desserts
Cheers to Basketball and Beer
Name brand and craft beers are still the hands down favorite for most sporting fans and the big tournament is no exception! Hard seltzers are now in the game too as they have become increasingly popular with millennials so you may want to have some on hand.
While selecting beer is about taste preference, consider the food that it will be enjoyed with:
- Match strength with strength i.e. strongly-flavored foods demand assertive beers. With beer, flavor-intensity involves a variety of qualities such as alcoholic strength, malt character, hop bitterness, sweetness, richness and roastiness.
- Find harmonies. Combinations often work best when food and beverages share some common flavor or aroma elements. The nutty flavor of English-style brown ale and a handmade cheddar cheese; the deep roasted flavors of an imperial stout and chocolate.
- Consider sweetness, bitterness, carbonation, heat (spice) and richness. Specific characteristics of food and beer interact with each other in predictable ways. Taking advantage of these interactions ensures that the beer and food will balance each other, creating a desire for a taste of the other.
- Experiment! Not every pairing works as expected. Build on the things that work and keep searching for those perfect pairings.
Be sure to have plenty of water, soft drinks and other nonalcoholic beverages available for guests who are underage, driving, pregnant or simply choosing not to drink.
Please remember to both serve and drink alcohol responsibly.
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