It’s Game Time
Midway through March into the first week of April, basketball fans get busier, and baseball fans have a tight schedule late March into early Fall. Sound familiar? Between the World Series and March Madness, and any other event right around the corner, the time is here to indulge in the extensive lineup of finger foods that only taste this good when you’re cheering on your favorite players!
From March Madness potlucks to baseball barbecues, game-watching parties are not only a great way to bond with friends and family over the game and the teams, but also over food! Spend less time planning what to make and more time enjoying your team, check out this list of go-to spectator snacks that will leave you licking your fingers and cheering for more!
Appetizing Starters
Crabcakes and Baseball
Imagine you’re eating a crispy crab cake, watching your favorite team, and surrounded by your favorite people… sounds amazing, right? This easy and delicious Crab Cake recipe is a power hitter! The green onions, parsley, and dijon mustard form the perfect combination of flavors that make them great for dipping in homemade mango curry sauce.
Start by preparing the Mahatma® Basmati Rice, let it cool. The next step is mixing the crab meat and other ingredients in a bowl, and folding the rice throughout the mixture, creating the base for the “patty” of your crab cakes. Return the mixture to the refrigerator, take it out after about 15 minutes.
While the mixture is chilling in the refrigerator, prepare the mango curry sauce. Similar to when you make a jam, combine the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to enhance the flavors of the sauce.
Remove the rice mixture from the refrigerator and create the patties by forming evenly sized balls and patting them into the proper shape with clean hands. Kids can help with this step! The next step is to fry your crab cakes. The crab cakes will be freshly fried and very hot, so let them cool 3-5 minutes before serving.
Stack the cakes on a plate and serve the mango sauce in a dipping bowl. Don’t strike out on your opportunity to get your hands on one of these. They’ll be gone faster than your guests can tell you you’re out!
Versatile Stuffed Mushrooms
These stuffed mushrooms are a true triple threat! They can be served as an appetizer or an entree, at lunch or dinner! If you’re making appetizers, use small, finger-food sized portobello mushrooms. If you are using this recipe to make an entree, shoot for a larger portobello mushroom.
First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Next, prepare the mushroom for the stuffing by carving out the stem and middle, leaving the cap intact. Dice the carved out stems and create the filling by combining cooked rice, pimientos, and parmesan in a bowl. Fill the mushrooms with the mixture, leaving a mound on top.
Lay foil on the bottom of a baking sheet and lay out the mushrooms. Bake for 20 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and garnish with chives.
The best part of a stuffed vegetable is it’s open to substitutions. Sub out the pimiento peppers and parmesan cheese for different options, get creative, and discover new delicious combinations!
Meatball Sliders
Mini hamburgers like these are fun to eat and super simple to make in the oven. Kids love them, friends love them, and they are great as a main dish for dinner or at a barbeque. Throw your guests a curveball with the rice and quinoa ingredients, and they’ll be delighted with how well the grains go with the heartiness of the beef. Send these sliders home with some mozzarella cheese to bring the flavors together for a complete mini hamburger.
These sliders start with the Jasmine Rice and Quinoa cooking in a small saucepan on the stove. Add a bouillon cube to the cooking water to add extra flavor. Let the rice simmer in the water for 15 minutes. While the rice is simmering, set your oven to 400°F and coat a large baking tray with cooking spray.
When the rice blend has cooked, add it with the extra-lean ground beef, chopped onion, grated carrot, ketchup, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, salt, oregano, dried thyme, and egg into a large bowl. Set aside the marinara sauce, cheese, and parsley to add to the sliders later.
Form the mixture into walnut-size balls and arrange on the baking dish, keep the patties separated— roast patties for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon the marinara sauce and cheese on top. Roast in the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with a sprinkle of parsley.
Use dinner rolls cut in half or slider buns and compile your mini-burgers and serve! Take your sliders to the professional level by toasting them in the oven with some butter and garlic. Here we go sliders, here we go!
Cheer Worthy Wedges
Double Play Barbeque Quesadillas
These BBQs (Base-Ball-Quesadillas) are a complete entree as well as a convenient snack great for pairing with other salsas and dips at your game day celebration. These quick and easy quesadillas are a crowd-pleaser that don’t take too long to make, leaving you more time to enjoy the fun with your loved ones. Game-Winning Dip
Coat the chicken thoroughly in barbeque sauce by placing the chicken in a bowl along with the green onions and rice and tossing until the meat pieces are evenly coated in the sauce. Set out a tortilla with a sprinkle of cheese along the bottom. Add a dash of cayenne or some chopped jalapeños if you’re after some extra spice. Add the chicken on top of the cheese.
Spray or splash a bit of cooking oil into a pan and add the tortillas, cook until the cheese has melted the two sides of the tortillas together. Flip the quesadillas every 2-3 minutes until each side is golden brown.
Cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with sour cream, guacamole, or a creamy Rice Dip.
Vegetarian? Substitute the rotisserie chicken for your favorite meat-free option like tofu or roasted veggies.
Game-Winning Dip
Ranch Dip Assist
No game day is complete without chips and dip! This Ranch and Sriracha Dip is an excellent pairing with your favorite chips or for watching a game. Sriracha and ranch come through as the MVPs in this recipe, coming together to create a killer combo that is both sweet and spicy.
Start by cooking the rice according to the directions on the package. Next, saute the corn in a pan with some cooking oil until the kernels look a bit roasted. In a separate bowl, combine the ranch and sriracha, and then fold in the rest of the ingredients.
And just like that, you have a sweet, savory, and spicy dip that will leave you scraping the bottom of the bowl for every last bit! The sauteed corn kernels, bell peppers, and Mahatma® Jasmine Rice (or Jasmine Rice Instant Pot) make this dip a slam dunk every time!
What are your team’s colors? Do they happen to be red, orange, yellow, or green? Use bell peppers in your team’s colors to commit to the team spirit down to every last detail!
As this fun spectator sports season marches in, there are suddenly so many great excuses to spend time with family and friends and have tons of fun bonding over your favorite athletes, teams, or rivals!
If you’ve ever wondered how to make coconut rice or any other recipes along with the arroz con leche origin, check out our website!
