Hungry Happenings

  • RECIPES
    • All Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Decorated Cookies
    • Decorated Cakes
    • Cheesecake Recipes
    • Everyday Desserts
    • Homemade Candy
    • Everyday Meals
    • Readers’ Gallery
  • HOW TO
    • Chocolate Making Tips
    • Chocolate Making Course (video lessons)
    • Make Modeling Chocolate
      • Modeling Chocolate Recipe and Tutorial
      • How to Color Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Store and Work with Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Fix Greasy Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Fix Dry Modeling Chocolate
      • Use Colored Candy Melts to Make Candy Clay
    • Candy Clay Creations
    • How To Color White Chocolate and Candy Melts and Paint Candy Molds
    • How to Use Food Coloring Markers
  • HOLIDAYS
    • ALL HOLIDAY RECIPES
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patrick's Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
      • Hungry Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year's Eve
    • MORE HOLIDAYS
      • Mother's Day
      • Father's Day
      • April Fools
      • Chinese New Year
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Day of the Dead
      • Earth Day
      • Mardi Gras
  • PARTY FOOD
    • Super Bowl
    • Graduation
    • Birthday Party
    • March Madness
    • Summer Fun
    • Baby Shower
    • Wedding Shower
    • School/Teacher
    • Movie and T.V. Characters
    • Kid's Treats
    • Fun Party Recipes
  • MY COOKBOOKS
  • ABOUT
  • MY BLOGS
    • HowToMakeCerealTreats.com
    • HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    • HowToMakeEasyFudge.com
    • TheSugarAcademy.com
menu icon
go to homepage
  • recipes
  • chocolate tips
  • about
  • cookbooks
  • subscribe
  • holiday recipes
  • Halloween recipes
  • party food
  • appetizers
  • decorated cheese balls
  • cute food for kids
  • dessert recipes
  • chocolate recipes
  • homemade candy
  • decorated cakes
  • cupcake recpes
  • cheesecake recipes
  • cookie recipes
  • rice krispie treats recipes
  • fudge recipes
  • modeling chocolate treats
  • ice cream recipes
  • popcorn recipes
  • everyday meals
  • recipe roundups
  • readers' gallery
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • recipes
    • chocolate tips
    • about
    • cookbooks
    • subscribe
    • holiday recipes
    • Halloween recipes
    • party food
    • appetizers
    • decorated cheese balls
    • cute food for kids
    • dessert recipes
    • chocolate recipes
    • homemade candy
    • decorated cakes
    • cupcake recpes
    • cheesecake recipes
    • cookie recipes
    • rice krispie treats recipes
    • fudge recipes
    • modeling chocolate treats
    • ice cream recipes
    • popcorn recipes
    • everyday meals
    • recipe roundups
    • readers' gallery
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » March Madness

    Mini Basketball Cheeseburgers

    Modified: Feb 15, '23 · Published: Feb 15, '23 · By: Beth Klosterboer · Commission earned on paid or sponsored links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Serve a March Madness appetizer that your friends will cheer for. These Mini Basketball Cheeseburgers are served on a fried potato round and are topped with a slice of cheese that's decorated like a basketball.

    cheeseburger topped with a slice of cheddar cheese decorated to look like a basketball

    When your friends gather together to watch the Final Four, serve them a fun March Madness appetizer like these cute basketball sliders. These fun little bite-sized cheeseburgers served on fried potato rounds are sure to get rave reviews.

    Topped with a slice of cheese decorated to look like a basketball, these will be so much fun to serve during the final four games or at a basketball-themed party or event.

    These basketball sliders are easy to make. Let's start by making the basketball cheese slices.

    making basketball cheese slices

    Make cheese basketballs.

    • Cut 1-inch or 1 ½-inch circles out of your cheese slices using a round cookie cutter. The larger circles will completely cover your burgers while the smaller circles will allow the burger to show beneath the cheese.
    • Dip a fine-tip paintbrush into a bowl filled with a few drops of black food coloring.
    • Paint the black food coloring onto the cheese to look like basketballs.
    • Let the food coloring dry.
    slice a potato on a mandolin then soak in water and pat dry

    Slice potatoes.

    • Cut russet potatoes into ⅜″ thick slices using a Mandolin or a knife.
    • Use a 2″ round cookie cutter, to cut rounds from each potato slice.
    • Fill a mixing bowl with hot tap water.
    • Place potato rounds in water and set aside for 10 minutes.
    • Remove potato rounds from the water and set them on paper towels.
    • Blot dry.
    oven frying potato slices

    Oven fry potato slices.

    • Dry out your mixing bowl.
    • Combine the vegetable oil and ½ teaspoon salt in the mixing bowl.
    • Line a heavy-duty baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. (You can also use a heavy-duty non-stick pan – my non-stick pans are too thin and they warp at high temperatures.)
    • Pour 3 tablespoons of the oil onto the foil-lined pan.
    • Use your hand to swirl the oil around to get an even coating all over the pan.
    • Be sure the get the salt evenly distributed.
    • Place potatoes in a mixing bowl and toss to coat evenly with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
    • Lay potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
    • Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the potatoes.
    • Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
    • Bake for 10 minutes.
    • Remove foil and bake for 8 minutes.
    • Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue to bake for 8 minutes.
    • Remove pan and flip potatoes over.
    • Bake for 8-14 more minutes until golden brown.
    • Remove from oven and place potato rounds on paper towels to remove excess oil.
    make panade using bread and milk then mix it into hamburger meat

    Make burger meat with panade.

    • Tear a slice of white bread into small pieces.
    • Place in a mixing bowl.
    • Pour in milk.
    • Use a fork to smash the bread into a paste.
    • Add ketchup, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper.
    • Stir to combine.
    • Add ground chuck and stir just until combined.
    making sliders (mini hamburgers) on a griddle

    Shape and cook sliders.

    • Scoop out 22 portions of meat by the tablespoon. I used a 1 tablespoon – 18/8 ice cream scoop.
    • Press a ball of hamburger meat into a 2″ round cookie cutter to form it into a nice circle.
    • Heat one teaspoon of vegetable oil on a griddle pan, skillet, or grill pan until smoking.
    • Cook burgers in two batches until well browned on both sides and cooked through.
    • If serving these right away, set a piece of cheese on each burger after you flip it to cook the second side and allow the cheese to melt slightly.
    basketball cheese-topped sliders with lettuce and tomato

    Making your sliders ahead.

    If you plan to prepare the burgers and potatoes hours before your party, you can reheat them just before serving. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place potatoes and burgers on a baking sheet and heat for 5 minutes.

    Remove from oven and top burgers with a slice of cheese. Heat just until the cheese melts and the burger is heated through.

    More March Madness Recipe Ideas

    • basketball bean dip and basketball tortilla chips.
      Basketball Bean Dip and Chips
    • Basketball pinata cookies filled with Skittles are decorated with orange candy melts.
      Basketball Piñata Cookies filled with Skittles
    • Roasted Vegetable Pizza recipe
      Roasted Veggie Pizza with Homemade Crust
    • NCAA® March Madness Party Mini Cherry Coke Basketball Cakes

    Recipe

    basketball cheese burger sliders
    Print
    Mini Cheeseburger Sliders with Basketball Cheese
    Prep Time
    45 mins
    Cook Time
    40 mins
     

    Serve delicious cheeseburgers on a fried potato round then top each slider with a cheddar cheese basketball. These snacks are perfect for your March Madness party.

    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: baby cheesecake, cheeseburger dip, hamburger
    Servings: 22
    Calories: 78 kcal
    Author: Beth Klosterboer
    Ingredients
    Basketball Cheese Slices:
    • 6 slices cheddar or American cheese
    • black food coloring
    Fried Potato Rounds:
    • 3 russet Idaho potatoes
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil
    • ½ teaspoon table salt plus a pinch
    Mini Hamburgers:
    • 1 slice of white bread crusts removed
    • 1 ½ tablespoons milk
    • 1 tablespoon ketchup or steak sauce
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • pinch of black pepper
    • 1 pound ground chuck
    • 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil
    Optional toppings:
    • lettuce
    • 22 tomato slices
    Instructions
    Make Cheese Basketballs
    1. Use either a 1 ½" or 1" round cookie cutter to cut 22 rounds from the cheese slices.

    2. Pour a few drops of black food coloring into a small bowl.

    3. Dip a fine-tip paintbrush into the food coloring.

    4. Paint seam lines onto each cheese slice creating basketballs.

    Potato Rounds
    1. Move an oven rack to the lowest position.

    2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

    3. Wash potatoes.

    4. Cut, using a Mandolin or a knife, into ⅜" thick slices.

    5. Use a 2" round cookie cutter, to cut rounds from each potato slice.

    6. Fill a mixing bowl with hot tap water.

    7. Place potato rounds in water and set aside for 10 minutes.

    8. Remove potato rounds from the water and set them on paper towels.

    9. Blot dry.

    10. Dry out your mixing bowl.

    11. Combine the vegetable oil and ½ teaspoon salt in the mixing bowl.

    12. Line a heavy-duty baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. (You can also use a heavy-duty non-stick pan - my non-stick pans are too thin and they warp at high temperatures.)

    13. Pour 3 tablespoons of the oil onto the foil-lined pan.

    14. Use your hand to swirl the oil around to get an even coating all over the pan.

    15. Be sure the get the salt evenly distributed.

    16. Place potatoes in the mixing bowl and toss to coat evenly with the remaining tablespoon of oil.

    17. Lay potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet.

    18. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the potatoes.

    19. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

    20. Bake for 10 minutes.

    21. Remove foil and bake for 8 minutes.

    22. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue to bake for 8 minutes.

    23. Remove the pan and flip the potatoes over.

    24. Bake for 8-14 more minutes until golden brown.

    25. Remove from oven and place potato rounds on paper towels to remove excess oil.

    26. While potatoes are baking, make burgers:

    Make Burgers
    1. Tear a slice of white bread into small pieces.

    2. Place in a mixing bowl.

    3. Pour in milk.

    4. Use a fork to smash the bread into a paste.

    5. Add ketchup, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper.

    6. Stir to combine.

    7. Add ground chuck and stir just until combined.

    8. Scoop out 22 portions of meat by the tablespoonful. (I used a 1 tablespoon - 18/8 ice cream scoop.)

    9. Press meat into a 2" round cookie cutter to form into a nice circle.

    10. Heat one teaspoon of vegetable oil on a griddle pan, skillet, or grill pan until smoking.

    11. Cook burgers in two batches until well browned on both sides.

    12. If serving these right away, set a piece of cheese on each burger after you flip it to cook the second side and allow the cheese to melt slightly.

    13. If you plan to prepare the burgers and potatoes hours before your party, you can reheat them just before serving. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place potatoes and burgers on a baking sheet and heat for 5 minutes.

    14. Remove from oven and top burgers with a slice of cheese.  Heat just until the cheese melts and the burger is heated through.

    15. To assemble: set potato rounds on a serving platter and top with lettuce and tomato, if using. Then top with a cheeseburger. Serve immediately.

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth Klosterboer
    Beth Klosterboer
    Hi, I'm Beth Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth Klosterboer
    Latest posts by Beth Klosterboer (see all)
    • Irresistible Sweets with Dixie Crystals® - July 13, 2024
    • How to make peanut butter? - February 15, 2024
    • OREO Penguins - December 20, 2023

    More March Madness Party Food Recipes

    • March Madness Party Food - Blackened Turkey Basketball Sliders
    • Easy Super Bowl Appetizer Recipe - Chip and Dip Chicken Skewers
    • basketball cheese slices served on crackers or bread with round pieces of ham
      Basketball cheese slices

    About Beth Klosterboer

    Please leave a comment. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

    Read more about me →

    Popular

    • Mini cheesecakes collage of images with plain cheesecakes, cheesecake cups with toppings, and decorated edible flower cheesecakes.
      Mini Cheesecakes
    • homemade candy bars including dark chocolate bars, milk chocolate cashew bars, white chocolate cookies and cream candy bars, and more
      The Best Step-by-Step Chocolate Bar Recipes
    • Marry a chocolate cake ball with a chocolate dipped maraschino cherry to get these amazing Chocolate Cherry Bombs.
      Chocolate Cherry Bombs - Cherry Filled Cake Balls Dipped in Chocolate
    • Giant Reese's Cup on a cake stand with a slice cut and served on a small dessert plate.
      Giant Peanut Butter Cup
    • Cakesicles with red and green drizzle, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle
      How to make Cakesicles (cake pop popsicles)
    • Delicious chocolate truffles coated in chopped cashews, shaved dark chocolate, cocoa powder, cookie crumbs, and a blend of dark and white chocolate shavings.
      Chocolate Truffles Recipe

    Buy my cookbooks

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    use policies

    • privacy policy
    • photo-use policy
    • terms of service

    join us

    • subscribe (newsletter)
    • our online courses
    • readers' gallery

    contact

    • contact
    • about Beth
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Hungry Happenings