By now your basketball brackets have been filled out and you’re ready for the games to commence.  68 teams all vying for the number one spot and winning the NCAA basketball tournament.  There are 63 games and the odds of a choosing a perfect March Madness bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion.  In case you don’t know what a quintillion is, it is one billion billions.  Wow, making my head spin.

It is estimated that around 139 million brackets will be filled out for this year’s March Madness.  This is a staggering number and I’m sure there are some office productivity issues this time of year with all of the excitement.

And, if you are wondering where the NCAA basketball tournament falls into the rankings with the biggest betting volume, well it sits at #3.  It follows the FIFA World Cup and the Super Bowl.  Sports fans are definitely passionate about their teams.

So what will you serve at your March Madness party?  Now is the time to start thinking about it and pulling out your favourite recipes.  You will need big eats for the big game.  One awesome dish to try is my recipe for Slam Dunk Meatballs!  This recipe is sweet, spicy and delightful and is sure to be a slam dunk!

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup cubed white sandwich bread, crusts removed (To save time use the cornbread stuffing mix)
• ½ pound ground pork
• ½ pound ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• ¾ tsp. salt

Sauce Ingredients:

• ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 (8-oz) can of jellied cranberry sauce or grape jelly
• ½ bottle of chili sauce or to taste
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot, from one shallot
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a Le Creuset baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up and place an ovenproof Johnson Rose baking/cooling rack over top; spray rack generously with nonstick cooking spray.  Using the cooling rack allows the grease to drip to the bottom of the baking sheet.
2. Place egg, cream, bread, pork, beef, garlic, allspice, salt and, pepper in the container and secure the lid. Select Variable Speed 1. Turn your Vitamix blender on and slowly increase to Variable 5. Remove lid plug and use tamper to push ingredients into the blades. Process until desired consistency is reached.
3. Scrape out mixture and using moistened hands (it's sticky and wet hands help; keep wetting them as you go), form the meat mixture into tablespoon-size round meatballs and place on the prepared rack. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, turning once.  Set aside.
4. While meatballs are baking, take a large sauté pan, mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until thickened, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat evenly. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter, spear with toothpicks and spoon the sauce over top. Garnish with parsley or minced chives if desired.

Serve with a side of crudités!

Pre-made Instructions: The meatballs and sauce can be frozen in separate containers for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat the meatballs in their sauce on the stove top over medium heat until hot in the center.

Recipe inspired by Vitamix and Once Upon a Chef