Inviting your friends over for an afternoon of basketball and bracket battles? Make your March Madness watch party a slam dunk with these tips from the experts at Kitchen Switchen.

 

The annual college basketball tournament is making its way to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas for the national championship, making this year the perfect opportunity to spice up your March Madness food choices with a bit of Tex Mex flair.

 

First Round

 

A Cinderella run to the national championship has to start somewhere. 

 

Set your party up for success in the first round by ensuring you have multiple screens with access to all of your guests’ favorite teams. Add some basketball themed decorations and a bracket whiteboard to fully immerse everyone in the game day experience. Don’t forget to update the bracket as the tournament progresses to keep track of upsets!

 

Second Round

 

Keep the momentum going by engaging guests with March Madness themed games. A private online bracket for your guests to compete against each other and make their picks for the tournament is a classic. To spice it up, add a prize for the competitor whose bracket goes the longest without getting busted. For dedicated sports fans, Logo Pictionary is another great choice.

 

Sweet Sixteen

 

Sweeten up the next round with basketball themed goodies – here are our faves!

 

Hoop-themed donuts

 

Ingredients

●        2 cups all-purpose flour

●        ¾ cup sugar

●        2 tsp. baking powder

●        1 pinch ground nutmeg

●        1 pinch salt

●        ¾ cup buttermilk

●        2 eggs, beaten

●        2 tsp. vanilla extract

●        2 ½ tbsp. vegetable oil

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 and spray your donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
3. In a smaller bowl, stir together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and vegetable oil. Whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix well.
5. Fill each donut cavity about ¾ full.
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the doughnuts spring back when touched. Allow to cool slightly in the pan before removing.
7. Add basketball themed glaze or frosting!

Basketball cookies

 

Ingredients

●        2 sticks (8 ounces) of unsalted butter, softened

●        1 ½ cups of granulated sugar

●        2 eggs

●        2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract

●        ½ tsp. baking powder

●        ½ tsp. salt

●        4 cups all-purpose flour

 

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.     Place flour in a bowl and set it aside.

3.     Place butter in a bowl and beat until smooth.

4.     Add the sugar and mix until combined.

5.     Add eggs one at a time mixing well in between each addition.

6.     Add the vanilla, salt, baking powder and mix

7.     Mix in the flour one cup at a time until the ingredients are combined.

8.     Divide the dough into three discs and roll each one out on a mat. Freeze for 10-15 minutes and cut out into circles to bake for 6-9 minutes.

9.     Add orange frosting with black icing.

 

 

Elite Eight

Only the best make it to the Elite Eight, so up your game by pulling out some classic snacks.  Encouraging guests to bring snack food themed to their favorite team is a great way to fill out the table and make sure everyone has something they love. Add to that a tried-and-true option like nachos and guests will be ready to celebrate.

 

Final Four

Finish the tournament strong with a crowd-pleasing main dish.

 

Slam Dunk Sliders

 

Ingredients

●        2 lb. ground beef

●        ½ tbsp. olive oil

●        1 tsp. salt

●        1 tsp. black pepper

●        1 tsp. garlic powder

●        ½ large yellow onion, finely diced

●        ¼ cup mayonnaise

●        8 slices medium cheddar cheese

●        6 oz. medium cheddar, shredded

●        24 dinner rolls

●        2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet
2. Place a large skillet with olive oil over medium/high heat. Add diced onion and ground beef and break up with a spatula. Season with salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Sauté until cooked through.
3. Discard excess liquid, then add mayo.
4. Cut buns in half. Place bottom half on buttered baking sheet and line buns with sliced cheese. Spread the ground beef mixture evenly over the top of sliced cheese and square off edges with the back of a spatula. Cover the ground beef with shredded cheese.
5. Place the top of buns over the burgers before brushing the tops with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tops are golden brown.

 

Tex Mex Chili

 

Ingredients

●        1 lb. ground beef 

●        3 (15 oz.) cans ranch beans

●        1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes

●        ½ red bell pepper, chopped

●        1/3 green bell pepper, chopped

●        ½ onion, chopped 

●        16 oz. of salsa

●        1/8 cup chopped cilantro

●        1 tbsp. chipotle in adobo sauce

●        1 tbsp. chili powder 

●        ½ tsp. cumin and paprika

●        1 tsp. garlic powder and onion powder

●        salt + pepper to taste

●        Toppings: roasted corn, cotija cheese, cilantro, green onions, sour cream, chips

 

Directions

1.     In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat. Break into small pieces with a spatula and cook until browned. 

2.     Add the chopped red and green bell peppers and onion to the pot with the beef. Sauté for about five minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.

3.     Stir in the chipotle in adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

4.     Pour in the ranch beans and fire-roasted tomatoes. Give it all a good stir to combine. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

5.     Stir in the salsa and chopped cilantro. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then let the chili cook on low for at least 1-2 hours.

6.     Ladle into bowls and add toppings!