We all watched Saturday as the Illini moved one win away from the first championship in their 100-year history. If you thought the NCAA Final Four game was a big deal with a 72-57 victory over Louisville, today the ILLINI are going to take it all the way.

As many waited anxiously for 5:07 p.m. to roll around on Saturday, stomachs were being fed with some of the best “game” foods out there when the game began. See, a lot of people fail to realize how food and basketball go hand in hand. From Chicago style deep-dish pizza to hot wings and beer, it is almost a guarantee that there’s something for everyone, when it comes to snack foods.

There’s nothing better, as far as I’m concerned, than to kick back, chill out, watch a game and eat, eat, eat! Now, I know that some of you will be hosting some fanatic parties today to share in the camaraderie of Illinois success. I have some excellent recipe ideas from the Food Network Web site that will surely bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Red Potato Bites

1 1/2 pound of small red potatoes

4 slices of bacon

1 cup of sour cream

1/4 teaspoon of seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives

1 cup of shredded cheese

Parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place potatoes in a saucepan, and add enough water to cover. Bring to boil, and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and cool in a bowl of cold water.

2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside.

3. Remove cooled potatoes from water. Pat dry with a paper towel, and cut in half. Using a small spoon, carefully remove a small amount from center, leaving an approximately ¬-inch rim around each potato. Set reserved potato aside.

4. In a bowl, mix together reserved potato, sour cream, bacon, seasoned salt, pepper and chives. Spoon a small amount of mixture into each potato half and place on a baking sheet. Top each potato off with some shredded cheese.

5. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and potatoes are warmed through. Garnish with parsley and serve. Yields 40 bites.

Chicken Enchilada Dip

3 cooked boneless chicken breast halves, shredded

2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese

4 green onions, chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 green chile pepper, diced

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken, light cream cheese, green onions, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, garlic and cilantro. Season with chili powder, cumin, oregano and paprika. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Antipasto Squares

2 (10 ounce) cans of refrigerated crescent rolls

1/4 pound of thinly sliced ham

1/4 pound of thinly sliced provolone cheese

1/4 pound of thinly sliced Swiss cheese

1/4 pound of thinly sliced Genoa salami

1/4 pound of thinly sliced pepperoni sausage

1 (12 ounce) jar of roasted red peppers, drained, cut into strips

3 eggs

3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, unroll one package of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Layer the ham, provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, salami, pepperoni and red peppers, on top of the dough.

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and stir in the Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Pour _ of this mixture over the peppers. Unroll the second package of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.

3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Bahama Mama

1/2 fluid ounce of rum

1/2 fluid ounce of coconut rum

1/2 fluid ounce of grenadine syrup

1 fluid ounce of orange juice

1 fluid ounce of pineapple juice

1 cup of crushed ice

Directions:

Combine regular rum, rum with coconut flavoring, grenadine, orange juice, pineapple juice and crushed ice in an electric blender. Blend until the drink consistency is slushy.