March Madness Recipes

Love March Madness? We do, too! Skip the restaurant scene and throw a March Madness party, complete with winning appetizers and treats.

By Beth Nervig

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Picadillo Poppers

Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

All-Star Cake

See How to Make a Team Jersey Cake

Mini Burgers with Cheesy Onions

Beef and Blue Pizza

Slam-Dunk Basketball Cupcakes

Triple-Pepper Nachos

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

See How to Make Pork in a Slow Cooker

Cheesy Snack Mix

Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Blue Cheese and Bacon

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Picadillo Poppers

Get your party poppin' with our rice- and beef-stuffed peppers. One reader suggests serving with a dipping sauce made by stirring together one 8-ounce carton of sour cream, a little milk, 1/2 cup ground toasted almonds or pecans, a squeeze of lime juice, and a pinch of cinnamon.

Picadillo Poppers

Yield: 24 poppers

Prep: 45 mins

Grill: 8 mins

Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

You don't have to go to a sports bar to enjoy saucy, bold chicken wings with a creamy dipping sauce. Serve with an ice-cold beverage and extra napkins.

Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

Makes: 8 servings

Start to Finish: 30 mins

All-Star Cake

Make our showstopping jersey cake in the colors of your favorite NCAA team.

Cut a 13x9-inch cake in the shape of a basketball jersey, as shown. Frost the entire cake with your frosting color of choice. Create stripes along the armholes with candy-coated milk chocolate pieces. Use candies to write "All Star" (or your favorite team name) and a player number in the center of the jersey.

Decorate the bottom edge of the jersey with Yellow Cutout Stars (below) and red shoestring licorice.

Yellow Cutout Stars: In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup white frosting, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and a few drops of yellow food coloring. Add additional powdered sugar until mixture is firm enough to roll out. On a surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar, roll the frosting mixture to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a small star-shape cookie cutter to cut out stars from the frosting mixture.

Quick Chocolate Cake

Makes: 12 servings

Prep: 5 mins

Bake: 35 mins

Oven: 350°F

See How to Make a Team Jersey Cake

Watch how easy it is to make our team jersey cake from an ordinary 13x9-inch cake.

Mini Burgers with Cheesy Onions

Caramelized onions mixed with smoky Gouda cheese make an irresistible topper for beefy, restaurant-worthy sliders. With these mini burgers on your buffet table, guests will be happy regardless of what team wins.

Mini Burgers with Cheesy Onions

Makes: 12 servings

Prep: 35 mins

Grill: 8 mins

Beef and Blue Pizza

Steak, blue cheese, and red onion team up for a winning combo atop a warm pizza crust that's ready in less time than delivery. Now that's what we call a buzzer beater.

Beef and Blue Pizza

Makes: 4 servings

Start to Finish: 18 mins

Slam-Dunk Basketball Cupcakes

These little gems take the ball to the hole?the doughnut hole, that is. You'll need a referee to keep guests away from these tasty basketball cupcakes.

Place green decorating frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or multiopening (grass) tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes to resemble grass.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave orange candy coating disks on 100 percent power (high) for 1 minute. Stir; microwave for 30 to 60 seconds more or until melted, stirring once more.

Using a fork, dip doughnut holes, one at a time, into melted candy coating, turning to coat completely. Place on waxed paper until set.

Use a tube of chocolate icing to pipe lines onto coated doughnut holes to resemble basketballs. Place a decorated doughnut hole on each cupcake, pressing into frosting grass.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Yield: 12 (2 1/2-inch) or 48 (1 3/4-inch) cupcakes

Prep: 30 mins

Cool: 45 mins

Bake: 20 mins 350°F

Triple-Pepper Nachos

Score a three-point play with three types of peppers?red, pepperoncini, and jalapeno?alongside beans and melted cheese in these fully-loaded nachos. They're so tasty, no one will ever know our nachos can easily fit in a healthy eating plan. Score!

Triple Pepper Nachos

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 25 mins

Bake: 13 mins 425°F

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Let your slow cooker be the MVP of your March Madness party. Cook pulled pork in our sweet and savory root beer and hot pepper sauce. It'll be ready to serve atop a hearty bun with lettuce and tomato just in time for tip-off.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 4 hrs

See How to Make Pork in a Slow Cooker

Watch how easy it is to make pork in a slow cooker and turn it into saucy, delicious pulled pork sandwiches.

Cheesy Snack Mix

Our easy, make-ahead snack mix features shoestring potaotes, rice cereal, and cheese crackers baked to savory perfection in our Parmesan-garlic seasoning mix. It's the perfect clutch snack when the game goes down to the wire.

Cheesy Snack Mix

Makes: 18 servings

Yield: 9 cups

Prep: 15 mins

Bake: 30 mins

Stand: overnight

Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Our spinach and artichoke dip belongs in the party food hall of fame. We added in star players bacon and blue cheese, and cooked them in a slow cooker for easy cleanup. According to one fan of this recipe, "This is the best dip I've ever had!"

Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Makes: 24 servings

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 3 hrs to 4 hrs (low)

March Madness Recipes

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