Buh buh buh buh buh basketball, gimme gimme gimme the ball because I'm gonna dunk it!

Luke is a writer and actor based in Philadelphia who loves deviled eggs and elaborate food adventures.

I, too, hold the ball of whatever sport I'm watching.

Every party needs chips, but how mad would it be if you made your own? No one would suspect it!

Why stop at chips? Make your own cheddar cheese popcorn in honor of Orville Redenbacher, an alum of the men's Elite Eight team at Purdue University.

More like white queso dunk, right? This Tex-Mex classic is perfect for all the University of Texas supporters whose women's team made the Final Four.

What's better than one cheese? Two cheeses. If you don't have two, it's a technical (party) foul.

One of the best meals I ever had was pimento cheese and fried green tomatoes in Charleston, South Carolina. Fry these up to celebrate the University of South Carolina's women's team making the Final Four.

There's a lot of Carolinas representation in this year's tournaments: South Carolina is in the women's Final Four, and both Duke teams made it to the Elite Eight. You can't go wrong with this Carolina breakfast classic at any hour of the day.

These bite-sized taco cups kinda look like basketball nets, right? After a few hours of Madness, your guests won't be able to tell the difference.

You can rename this party ring a Lasagna Party Rim and all your friends will think you're a genius.

At some point in the night, these cheesy chicken nuggets are going to start resembling basketballs, and that lasagna ring looks like an appropriately-sized basketball hoop.

An egg roll filled with corned beef and cabbage is just as Irish as a French-named school with an Irish mascot. Make these if you are a fan of Notre Dame, whose women's team made it to the Elite Eight this year.

Pokey Stix are a regional breadstick variety popularized by Gumby's, a pizza joint right by the University of Iowa, whose men's team made it to the Elite Eight this year. Do you think Caitlin Clark ever ate pokey stix after a big game? Probably.

The chimichanga is said to have its Tex-Mex origins in Arizona, making it perfect for fans of the Arizona men's basketball team, who are one of the favorites to win the whole shebang this year.

If you're trying to funnel all of your energy into making the University of Illinois men's team win it all, you definitely have to make some classic Chicago dogs at your party.

In 2025, TCU introduced the Half-Acre Korean Corn Dog to their menu, a purple-crusted corn dog that is the Waluigi to the Chicago dog's Luigi. You can try modifying this Korean corn dog recipe to match the Half-Acre in celebration of TCU's women's team making it to the Elite Eight. Let chaos reign.

Both teams from UConn made it to the Final Four this year, so you have two Connecticut-themed options to add to your party menu. First, you can go with the warm lobster rolls, a spin on the Maine lobster roll, which is usually served cold.

Your second UConn choice is the steamed cheeseburger, for those March Madness fans who live in areas where it's still too cold to fire up the grill.

California is the fish taco capital of America, so why not try your hand at some to celebrate UCLA's women's team making the Final Four? It's a flimsy excuse to eat something delicious.

Pasties were the preferred lunch of Cornish miners throughout the United States; I made them before to honor my Cornish ancestors who mined in northeast Pennsylvania, and they are awesome. They are also very popular in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (hence the Yooper part of the name) and, since Michigan made the women's Elite Eight and men's Final Four, now's the perfect time to whip them up again.

It doesn't take much to convince me to eat Nashville hot chicken; it's one of my favorite foods. It's about time to try making it now that the Tennessee men's team made the Elite Eight. Just make sure to invite me over when you do.

Your March Madness party doesn't have to be all savory. This sweet and salty party mix is good whether your team won, lost, or you literally don't care at all about basketball.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Snack Mix