March Madness Menu and Party Tips!

It’s March Madness! My brother, who played for UNC as a freshman, shared this photo on the family thread. Little did he know it would end up in The Dish!

For those who enjoy the madness of March, we revel in all things basketball! My brother, Phil, and two others on this roster played together for basketball powerhouse, Raleigh Broughton, before landing spots on this team. Roy Williams and Bill Chamberlain were also teammates with Bill Guttheridge as coach.Even if you’re not a crazy fan, you can still embrace the madness with my Effortless Entertaining March Madness Menu and Tips. March Madness parties give you built-in, super casual fun, and there’s no need to even set a table. Just let everyone graze, stand, and sit wherever they’d like while watching their favorite teams. If you’d like your fans to sit together at the table for dinner, this menu is also easy to serve during half-time or between games.

For your March Madness gathering, I offer Ribs and Barbecue with easy sides. If doing both the ribs and the barbecue feels like a lot to you, just serve the slow cooker barbecue.  What’s that? You don’t want to cook at all? No problem! Just use this menu as a guide for what to serve with a caterer doing it all or by procuring similar items from local sources.

You can also divide and conquer. You can provide the barbecue and let your friends chip in for the rest. They are happy to help!  If you like these recipes, send them to your friends to make. They will love being given a new and delicious recipe, or let them bring whatever side they’d like.

One of the things we talk a lot about in the 30 Days to Effortless Entertaining workshop is to entertain effortlessly, you must decide what works for you. If you like to cook, do it! If you don’t, then don’t! It’s not about entertaining the way I do or the way your best friend, Suzie Q, does. It’s about finding your sweet spot and doing the things you enjoy. Do what you enjoy, source out what you don’t.

Entertaining with ease and confidence is about hosting a party that you and your guests will enjoy! The 30 Days to Effortless Entertaining workshop offers a step-by-step approach to finding your way!

If you missed the workshop happening now, be sure to register for the next one starting April 4th. Let’s get ready for our spring and summer gatherings together! Learn more and register here.

 

RIBS AND BARBECUE MENURibs and Barbecue Plate

For this menu, you can use bottled barbecue sauces for the slow cooker barbecue. I also like to make homemade for the ribs. Do what works for you!

Printer-Friendly Menu, GamePlan, & Recipes

 

 

 

STYLE POINTS

SETTING THE TABLE

Casual dinnerware for a casual party!

Go super casual with palm leaf plates.
available here

Elevate your style with serving on wood plates or as chargers for your palm leaf plates.
available here

I love white plates and these melamine plates from Vietri fit the bill when entertaining casually … stylish, lightweight.
available here

Another option … World Market Coupe White Dinner Plate
available here

SETTING THE BAR

Cocktails and Mocktails — Let’s set the bar!

To set an attractive bar, I recommend including three or four glass pitchers or carafes for water and fruit juice mixers. Carbonated beverages are best left in the bottles, but a glass pitcher or carafe is a nicer touch than a carton of Tropicana grapefruit juice. Carafes are also a nice, space-efficient choice and one of my favorites is this attractive and well-priced Pinch Carafe from Crate and Barrel.

 

Moscow Mule … a casual cocktails for Game Day!
available here

Hudson Grace offers cool glasses in many colors including Carolina Blue!
Light Blue Spotted Glass  |  Light Orange Henri Glass

Fun colored almost like cloth cocktail napkins with Toasting with Tara — and look, Carolina Blue!
available here

I also love Tara’s Cocktail stands — I have one on our bar!
available here

TIPS & QUIPS

To make the slow cooker barbecue sauce I like to mix a thicker sauce with a vinegar-based sauce. A few of my favorites available at many grocery stores are George’s, Scott’s, and Bone Suckin’ Sauce.

 

We want to hear from you!

We loved hearing how much you enjoyed the Ribs and Barbecue.
Send us comments and photos!

 

 

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