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My best March Madness recipes include party snack ideas like soft pretzels, slow cooker dinner recipes (chili, anyone?), festive drinks, and winning dessert recipes. From Selection Sunday to the Final Four to the championship game, these crowd-pleasing party recipes will keep your entire squad satisfied.
Just like with football, come basketball season, I might as well be donning a shirt that says “Just Here For the Food.” 🤣 So today, I’m revealing my absolute best March Madness recipes, according to Culinary Hill fans and my game-day guests.
While I may not know all the win-loss record for any of the 64 teams and my bracket is probably busted by the end of day one, I’m definitely confident in my abilities to predict how to get the party started: delicious food and drink!
Including appetizer recipes that feed a crowd, set-and-forget slow cooker dinners, handheld desserts, and drinks that are prime for party time, my March Madness menu is worthy of the number one seed.
Table of Contents
March Madness Appetizer Recipes
True, buffalo wings and layered dips are frequent party stars. But for my March Madness menus, I prefer handheld desserts that aren’t quite so drippy or messy so passionate fans can set them on a plate or use the other hand to cheer (or hold a drink).
For the ultimate March Madness snack, pretend like you’re sitting in the stands and dive into a pillowy, warm Homemade Soft Pretzel. Kid-friendly Pigs in a Blanket, no-delivery-required Pepperoni Pizza Bites, and hearty Mini Twice-Baked Potates are also strong contenders to consider for your March Madness recipe line-up.
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Homemade Soft Pretzels
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Pigs in a Blanket
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Mini Twice Baked Potato Skins
Or try individually-portioned apps! It’s a breeze to portion out platters full of Homemade Chex Mix cups and Jarcuterie so diners can grab and go…watch the game.
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Homemade Chex Mix
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Jarcuterie
March Madness Dinner Recipes
I’m a huge fan of a build-your-own-bowl concept for casual parties. That way, diners with different food allergies, intolerances, or preferences can customize to their heart’s content. Come gameday, when I’d rather “watch the first couple quarters” (AKA eat the snacks), I often opt for a set-and-forget recipe that can simmer itself until halftime of the mid-day match.
Follow the slow cooker instructions for my Sweet Potato Chili with Black Beans, then position the crock and a ladle at the center of a spread featuring Cornbread squares or wedges, crumbled Homemade Tortilla Chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, lime wedges, and fresh herbs. Plus bowls and spoons, of course!
I also love a crockpot of Hot Dog Chili and a pile of “tube steaks” for Chili Dogs.
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Sweet Potato Chili
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Hot Dog Chili
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Cornbread
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Homemade Tortilla Chips
March Madness Dessert Recipes
Just like with the snacks, handheld single-serving recipes are my go-to play for March Madness desserts. I love piping some white icing “laces” on Peanut Butter Cookies to make them look like basketballs.
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Peanut Butter Cookies
If you have strong allegiance to a specific team, customize my Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, M&M Cookies, Brownie Pizza, or Thumbprint Cookies to feature candy, fruit, or jam to match your team’s colors.
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
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M&M Cookies
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Brownie Pizza
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Thumbprint Cookies
March Madness Drink Recipes
Since the early days of March Madness span from morning to late-night news, I prefer to offer a lower-alcohol option so fans have the energy to go the distance. My new Chelada recipe is essentially a dressed-up beer. It feels more festive than just cracking open a can or bottle, but doesn’t take much more work! Plus, you can recreate this with your favorite brand(s) of ale.
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Chelada
My Moscato Sangria and Champagne Cocktail are also fun and festive, especially the bubbly bevvie for the championship game! Or for a family-friendly sip, try a big batch of Fruit Punch.
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Moscato Sangria
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Champagne Cocktail
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Fruit Punch
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.