Game-time Snack Recipes that Will Have You Cheering for More
March Madness is a time of year when basketball fans fill out their brackets and get ready to cheer on the top teams in the country to see who will out-hoop the rest. All of the top college teams in the country have one goal: playing in the Final Four at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Kansas Jayhawks, four-time National Champions, are poised to be the top seed heading into the tournament. They will face some stiff competition from top programs like UCLA, Alabama and Houston—who will become the first team to win a national championship in their home city! There are several blue bloods, like Duke and Kentucky, who are lower seeds this year but aren’t ready to be counted out just yet. And everyone is looking for the next Cinderella story to make a deep run. Vermont from the American East Conference or Furman from the SoCon could be underdogs to keep an eye on.
As the competition gets higher, get your themed snacks ready for the final four parties of your basketball dreams. Adding sweet, healthy pineapple is a great way to incorporate a springtime treat your guests will cheer about. Here are a couple of March madness pineapple fruit recipes that will have everyone begging for more!
Grilled Pineapple Fruit Pizza
A twist on an old favorite, this March Madness fruit recipe is perfect finger food for any party. Pizza is the perfect party food, easy to make and easy to pass around. Fresh pineapple keeps things light for when you’ll be loading up on lots of snacks throughout the tournament.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Chestnut Hill Farms Pineapple
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Caramel topping
- Toasted pecans
- Fresh mint sprigs
Instructions:
- Prepare Homemade Pizza Dough, and grill both sides of rounds according to Our Grilled Pizza Technique (below).
- Cool crusts 10 minutes. Stir together 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar and 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon. Cut pineapple into 1/2-inch slices, and spread brown sugar mixture on both sides.
- Grill, covered with grill lid, 1 minute on each side or until grill marks appear. Stir together softened cream cheese, 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar, and 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon.
- Spread about 2 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture on each grilled pizza crust, and top with grilled pineapple slices.
- Drizzle with warm jarred caramel topping, and sprinkle with toasted pecans and fresh mint.
Hawaiian BBQ Meatballs
Looking for something to change up your March Madness fruit recipe spread? Then look no further than these tangy BBQ meatballs! These meatballs are full of protein and flavor. There won’t be any hungry stomachs when the final buzzer hits.
Ingredients:
Meatballs
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped orange pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic diced
- 2 lbs ground beef
- Salt and pepper
Sauce
- 1 Chestnut Hill Farms Pineapple, 1/2 of the pineapple fruit diced
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 1-2 rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine meatball ingredients until integrated.
- Using an ice cream scoop, create balls (1” for small, 2” for large) and set them on the cookie sheets. Bake meatballs 20-45 minutes, until cooked.
- Watch them so they don’t dry out. Make the sauce by combining diced pineapple and BBQ sauce. Place meatballs in a crockpot and pour the sauce on top. Cook 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Pineapple Habanero Dip
Nobody can go wrong with some party dip! Spicy and sweet, this is a perfect March Madness fruit recipe for all those picky eaters at your party.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3-1/2 Cup Queso Fresco or Cotija is fine
- 1 Chestnut Hill Farms Pineapple, 1/4 of the pineapple fruit diced
- 4 plum tomatoes, diced.
- 1/2 large red onion, diced.
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced (or 2 jalapeno peppers, depending on whether you want it spicy or not)
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- salt, to taste
- Chips for serving
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cheese and spread into a mound on a platter.
- In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients to make fresh pineapple salsa
- Spread salsa evenly over the top and sprinkle with a little extra cheese as garnish.
- Enjoy!
Original Recipe Modified from Oh Sweet Basil
The Perfect Pineapple for Any Recipe!
Chestnut Hill Farms offers the perfect pineapple for any March Madness fruit recipe spread! We monitor our fruits and pick them at the right time, we guarantee to have the sweetest pineapple you’ll ever try, guaranteed. Look for us at your local market today? Looking for more pineapple based recipes? Check out some of these for your next party!