Life
20 March Madness Recipes That Will Have You Cheering No Matter Who Wins Or Loses
March Madness is upon us, and for some of us that means lots of basketball and brackets. That's all well and good, but as far as I'm concerned, the best part is the March Madness snacks that coincide. Hello, how else would anyone get through an entire sporting event?
I'm not going to pretend I'm totally up on my college basketball, but it is one of the few sports I can actively tolerate and even follow (sort of). I grew up in Los Angeles when the Lakers were in their prime, so some affinity for the sport was practically required. Even if you aren't a die-hard fan, the quick pace, competition, and hometown pride that permeate the madness can suck anyone in. Whether you're watching the games from home or throwing a marathon viewing party, these 20 recipes are just what you need to amp up the experience. I'm still not totally sure how brackets work, but I do know about snacks. We're going for the win, and you're halfway there with a slam dunk menu. No more puns, I promise.
Image: Cooking for Keeps
Potato Chips with Sriracha BBQ and Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese
How Sweet It Is not only shows us how to make the perfect homemade potato chips, but tops them off with Sriracha BBQ and greek yogurt blue cheese sauces from scratch. Good luck sharing.
Image: How Sweet It Is
Turkey Club Pinwheels with Bacon and Tomato
These cute, skewered roll-up sandwiches by The Crepes of Wrath are the ideal way to serve something that might otherwise be messy in compact form. Plus, they’re just the right size to keep you from getting too full for all the other goodies.
Image: The Crepes of Wrath
Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites with Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce
The Kitchn knows the time and place for bacon-wrapping, and that time is over baked potato bites with fresh rosemary and spicy sour cream.
Image: The Kitchn
Baked Chili Cheese Fries
Chili and cheese make these baked fries by Joy the Baker the perfect snack to tide everyone over during the game. Because these are baked rather than fried, you don’t need to feel bad about them either.
Image: Joy the Baker
Avocado Hummus
Making your own hummus is actually crazy easy, and A Cozy Kitchen knows that avocado makes everything better. Serve this with pita triangles, veggies, or your favorite crackers.
Image: A Cozy Kitchen
Mini Cheesy Pretzel Dogs
Bring the stadium home with these mini cheese-filled pretzel dogs by The Crepes of Wrath. However, unlike stadium pretzel dogs, these are perfectly portioned, made from top-notch ingredients, and way more sophisticated…for cheesy pretzel dogs.
Image: The Crepes of Wrath
Cinnamon and Sugar Breadstick Twists
This breadstick meets cinnamon roll by Mel’s Kitchen Café is perfect for a group. Easy to make, completely satisfying, and utensil-free, these definitely deserve a place on your snack table. Just make sure to grab one before they’re gone.
Image: Mel’s Kitchen Café
Avocado Fries with Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce
It’s true, you simply cannot go wrong with a ripe avocado. These fries from Adventures in Cooking feature a lemon pepper–and-cumin coating and are accompanied by a lemony cilantro dipping sauce.
Image: Adventures in Cooking
Mango Salsa
This bright, simple salsa from Fo Reals Life is just as beautiful as it is tasty. The combination of sweet mango, cilantro, and tart lime juice perfectly complements that bag of tortilla chips you probably already have on hand.
Image: Fo Reals Life
Crispy Oven-Fried Pickles
If you have not yet visited the world of fried pickles, now is the time. The Crepes of Wrath coats bread and butter chips with a mix of panko bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and Sriracha for a spicy take on this sure-to-be classic.
Image: The Crepes of Wrath
Jalapeño Popper Potato Skins
I bet you didn’t know jalapeño poppers could look so gourmet. This combination of baked potato skins, spicy jalapeños, cheese, and bacon by The Kitchn is the stuff sport (and snacking) fans dream of.
Image: The Kitchn
Wonton Veggie Pizza Bites
These mini veggie “pizzas” from Climbing Grier Mountain brilliantly utilize wonton wrappers and a cupcake pan to form amazing little bite-size crowd pleasers. Customize the toppings for your own twist.
Image: Climbing Grier Mountain
Shoestring Zucchini Fries
These super simple zucchini fries by Blogging Over Thyme are the perfect alternative to their starchy potato cousin. Serve hot with lots of lemon, and watch these vanish well before halftime.
Image: Blogging Over Thyme
Churro Tots
Why didn’t we think of bite-size churros before? A Cozy Kitchen has developed the ideal sweet snack to throw in your game-day mix.
Image: A Cozy Kitchen
The Ultimate 7-Layer Dip
There’s nothing like an expertly constructed seven-layer dip. Mel’s Kitchen Café has it down with spicy seasoned black beans, fresh guacamole, diced tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream.
Image: Mel’s Kitchen Café
Bourbon Wings with Blue Cheese Sauce
Rich, homemade sauces make these wings from Climbing Grier Mountain stand miles apart from your standard bar fare. Spicy bourbon BBQ sauce perfectly balances the cool blue cheese dipping sauce.
Image: Climbing Grier Mountain
Maple-Butter Spiced Popcorn
Popcorn is quite possibly the most versatile snack staple, and this version from The Kitchn uses maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to serve up a spicy-sweet combo that everyone will love.
Image: The Kitchn
Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
Not only does this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker combine the best things in life — cheese and bread — but it’s super easy to make and ideal to share with a group. Otherwise you’d eat the entire thing.
Image: Brown Eyed Baker
Roasted Tomato and Hatch Chili Salsa
A little roasting and food processing is all it takes to turn a handful of fresh ingredients into a salsa that puts that store-bought jar to shame. Joy the Baker knows what’s up and is here to show you the quickest route to impressing your guests.
Image: Joy the Baker
Baked Chicken Parmesan Poppers
This compact rendition of chicken Parmesan from Cooking for Keeps is pretty much a crispy coated (baked, not fried) chicken meatball stuffed with cheese that you dip in marinara. Filling, addictive, and relatively healthy, you can feel alright about popping them all.
Image: Cooking for Keeps
