Barbecue Chicken Pizza Dip
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Tasty Tournament Time Recipes
March Madness is here and it’s time for the Big Dance! The excitement builds as the single-elimination tournament gets underway, and the 68 teams compete in seven rounds for the national championship. It’s always more fun when friends are there to share the thrill of the games. Picking a perfect bracket may not be easy, but planning a winning March Madness viewing party can be a slam dunk!
Show Spirit!
Have everyone get in the spirit by wearing their favorite college jersey or team colors and have basketball-themed decorations, either neutral or team, for a festive feel. You can even take it an extra step by purchasing a piece of plywood to fit your table, and paint it to resemble a basketball court. The main attraction is the game, and no one wants to miss a minute of the action (including the host) so set food and drinks on it for fans to help themselves.
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. Here are 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 though, perhaps one that represents their favorite team or a region in the tournament. Just be sure to know what everyone intends to bring so you can balance out the menu in terms of flavors and textures, if necessary.
Italian Panini Bites
Super easy, super delicious and super convenient for fans to grab!
Mexican 7 Layer Dip
You’ll score big with this easy app that is sure to be devoured by halftime! Use corn chips or sturdy tortilla chips so you can scoop up all of the delicious layers!
Spicy Parmesan Popcorn
Who doesn’t love munching on popcorn especially while watching an exciting college basketball game? This spicy, cheesy popcorn is especially delicious with an ice cold beer … the #1 beverage of choice for March Madness.
Corned Beef Bread Dip
This dip is a huge hit at any party, and great for a bunch of hungry basketball fans!
Ingredients:
1 large round loaf unsliced marble, seeded or seedless rye
16 oz.container sour cream
2 cups mayonnaise
½ lb. corned beef, coarsely chopped
1 T. chopped onion
2 tsp.dried parsley
1 ½ tsp. dried dill
Instructions:
Score top of loaf and hollow out, cutting bread that has been removed into bite-size pieces. Place loaf onto a serving platter and surround with the bread pieces. In large bowl, thoroughly combine sour cream, mayonnaise, corned beef, onion, parsley and dill. Fill the cavity of the bread with the dip.
Halftime Food and Fun
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.
INGREDIENTS 2 medium heads cauliflower, broken into small florets ½ cup unsalted butter ½ cup flour 3 cups whole milk 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. ground mustard salt and pepper to taste hot sauce, optional 3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese* 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Smoked Gouda *We recommend shredding or grating cheese by hand as opposed to using pre-shredded cheeses. While convenient, they contain anticaking agents that help keep the shreds from sticking together in the package, but they also inhibit the cheese from melting smoothly. Seasoned Panko Crumbs 1 cup panko crumbs 2 T. butter, melted 2 tsp. dried parsley or 2 T. chopped fresh parsley INSTRUCTIONS In a large pot of boiling water, blanch cauliflower until tender crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook until slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the milk and whisk until combined. Stir in garlic powder, ground mustard, hot sauce if using, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, continuing to whisk, until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat and gradually add the cheeses, mixing until completely melted, and sauce is smooth. Add the blanched cauliflower,and stir until thoroughly combined. Spoon into a casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, add the panko bread crumbs, melted butter and parsley, mixing until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the cauliflower mac and cheese. Bake in a preheated 400ºF oven for 15 -20 minutes, and then broil for 2 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Prep 5 minutes · Slow Cook 4 hours · Serves 6
Get into some halftime action with a little friendly competition. Create your own March Madness 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!
Basketball and Beer
Name and craft beers are still the hands down favorite for most sporting fans and March Madness is no exception! Beginning with the first rounds then followed by the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four and finally, the championship game. 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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