This article may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Privacy Policy.
Banner Image: StockphotoVideo / Shutterstock.com
Whether you’re a golf fan or not, the Masters Tournament is a fantastic time to host a little springtime party. An event that takes place in April every year, the tournament not only brings out the best of the best in golf, but it’s also the time of year where you’ll see some of the yummiest recipes in southern cuisine.
However, if you’re not from the South, you might have a bit of trouble choosing the perfect food spread for your golf-inspired shindig. Luckily, the tournament food is nearly as famous as the tournament itself.
If you’re planning a golf-inspired soiree this spring, here’s what you should add to your menu. Below, you’ll find both the classics that your guests might recognize from the official tournament and a handful of new takes on traditional Southern fare.
Masters Tournament Classics
If you want to really stick to the old-fashioned and traditional classics, start here!
1. Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
Likely the most famous food from the Masters Tournament is a pimento cheese sandwich. The Augusta National Golf Club serves up its pimento cheese sandwiches on plain white bread that is then wrapped in green paper.
If you’ve never had pimento cheese before, it’s basically a mixture of cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and pimento peppers and people in the South love it. Every woman over a certain age has her own recipe and there’s a reason folks refer to it as the caviar of the South. As such, it’s present at every party and special occasion, including the Masters!
This Masters-style pimento cheese recipe comes together in a snap and doesn’t even require you to turn on your stove.
2. The Green Jacket Salad
Green jackets are synonymous with the Masters, but if you don’t plan on dragging your own green blazer out from your wardrobe, you can make up for it with this Green Jacket salad, created by a long-ago restaurant in Augusta. It’s fresh, light and easy, and basically is just lettuce, tomatoes, pita chips, parmesan and an oil and vinegar-based salad dressing.
3. Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Another item you’ll find for sale at the Augusta National Golf Club, alongside those pimento cheese sandwiches, is barbecue sandwiches. The golf club serves ‘em up piled high on a plain bun and wrapped in foil. However, you don’t need a Georgia barbecue pit in your backyard to make up a batch of your own. This oven-roasted pulled pork recipe makes it easy. Throw it on your favorite bun and you’ve got lunch.
4. Egg Salad Sandwiches
The Masters egg salad sandwich could rival the pimento cheese sandwiches for simplicity, if not necessarily fame (though the egg salad is pretty famous). With only three ingredients — eggs, mayonnaise and paprika — it also comes together quickly and is served on plain white bread. For extra authenticity, hunt down Duke’s mayonnaise at your local grocery store; even if you can’t find Duke’s, though, don’t you dare swap the mayo out for Miracle Whip. The Southerners would shudder to think of it.
5. Masters Club Sandwiches
Yes, even more sandwiches. After all, what else do you want when you’re standing underneath the hot, Georgia springtime sun all day? A cool sandwich does the trick, hitting the spot without weighing you down. Another sandwich recipe on the Masters menu is this classic club.
6. Masters Chicken Sandwiches
The Masters OG, classic chicken sandwich has come and gone and come again, and stalwart fans were excited when it made its appearance on the Masters menu in the last decade. It’s simple, but a bit like a Chick-fil-A copycat. However, that particular fried chicken sandwich was replaced last year, in 2021, with a chicken salad sandwich. Here’s how to make the new version.
7. Grilled Chicken Wraps
If all of the above options sport a little too much bread for your liking, you can always go with the Masters grilled chicken wrap. On the plainer side and topped with cheddar cheese, it doesn’t get rave reviews like the above options. However, you can kick your version up a notch with a bit of sour cream, salsa and guacamole to round out the chicken-cheese duo.
Masters Party Drinks
You’ll need something to wash down all those sandwiches. Try one of these delicious drinks.
8. The Arnold Palmer
Just about everyone’s heard about the Arnold Palmer, even if they couldn’t exactly tell you what the Masters is. The mixture of lemonade and ice tea, named after the famous golfer, is a fun beverage for the summer, and it can be mixed with your favorite booze for an extra-adult option. As a heads up, a spiked Arnold Palmer is usually called a John Daly, and it’s made with vodka as the liquor of choice!
9. The Azalea
Looking for a boozy treat but don’t quite care for tea? The Azalea cocktail, served at the Augusta National Golf Club and named for the azaleas that grow around the course, is made with vodka, fruit juices and grenadine.
Masters Party Desserts
Want a sweet treat to end your party right? Try one of these options.
10. Ice Cream Sandwiches
The go-to dessert at the Masters is a Georgia peach ice-cream sandwich. While you might not have access to fresh Georgia peaches in your neck of the woods, you can still whip up some tasty ice cream sandwiches with whatever you do have, for a fun replica.
Creamy and rich gelato makes a good filling for chocolate chip and lemon sugar cookies. This recipe shows you how to make both homemade vanilla and strawberry gelato, as well as the cookies. (However, no one would blame you if you just purchased some cookies and gelato at the store, for quick assembly at home.
Related: The 9 Best Ice Cream Makers [And Our 9 Favorite Ice Cream Recipes]
11. Augusta National Sour Cream Pound Cake
You’d be hard-pressed to find a southern pound cake recipe that doesn’t include sour cream. The addition just makes for a creamier, lusher, moist crumb. While simple and unassuming on the outside (it’s not covered in any sort of icing or glaze), this cake is a favorite at both the Masters and around the Augusta region. It comes together with only a few basic pantry ingredients that you probably already have lying around.
12. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
While ice cream sandwiches are a go-to treat at the Masters, the golf club also offers oatmeal raisin cookies. Soft, crumbly and served in a checkered paper bag, this recipe might just become a favorite in your house, no matter the season.
13. Mixed Fruit Bowls
Okay, so mixed fruit is technically on the Masters breakfast menu versus the dessert menu, but if you’re not planning to host a breakfast-time soiree, you may want to opt to serve a simple mixed fruit bowl with your dessert buffet.
14. Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry muffins are likewise on the Masters breakfast menu, so make them in the morning, on the day of your party, or go ahead and serve them with dessert. These blueberry muffins are so good that they’re definitely delicious enough to fall into the dessert category.
New Takes on Masters Tournament Classics
But what if you want to liven things up a bit? Here are a few ways to make the old, new again.
Pimento Cheese Dishes
If you’ve already experienced pimento cheese in your life and you’re rather bored by the classic mixture slathered on a piece of plain white bread, consider one of these new takes on the beloved southern staple.
16. Hot Ham and Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
18. Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
19. Jalapeno Pimento Cheese and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich
22. Pimento Cheese Sausage Balls
23. Pimento Mac and Cheese Bites
Peach-Inspired Ideas
If you’re not really an ice cream fan, but you do love a good peach, consider harnessing the flavor of those favorite Georgia peach ice-cream sandwiches by baking your own peaches. You can serve the peaches with a dollop of whipped cream for a simple, summery treat. You can also add a bit of doughy goodness, with peach cobbler.
24. Baked Peaches
25. Peach Cobbler
You can additionally make a peach ice-cream pie if you do like the peach and ice-cream combo, but you want something a little less messy than an ice-cream sandwich.
Egg Salad
If you have bad childhood memories of soggy egg salad sandwiches stuffed in your stinky lunchbox, then you might find yourself shying away from adding these sandwiches to your buffet. However, you might just find that, with an update, there’s a lot for you to love when it comes to egg salad.
Here are a few new ideas to try:
27. Fried Egg Salad
Cocktails
If you’re not up for an Arnold Palmer or John Daly, and the Azalea cocktail is a bit too fruity for you, consider one of these other southern staple cocktails instead!
31. Mint Juleps
32. Sazerac
34. Gin Fizz
Related: 26 Tasty Air Fryer Recipes To Try This Fall
More Tips for Throwing Your Masters Party
Even though these are all amazing recipes that are sure to improve the quality of your golf celebration, parties aren’t only about the food. Don’t get us wrong, though! That is a pretty big part of what makes or breaks a good time. However, here are a few other tips to make sure your springtime, golf-inspired festivities become a tradition that everyone looks forward to every April.
Test Your Tech Ahead of Time
Just like you want your tech to be ready for action before any major sporting event, you want to ensure your television and sound system are ready for the Masters. After all, this is one event that’s pretty… Well, quiet!
You’ll need the right sound system to be able to hear every tiny detail and piece of commentary, and you’ll need the right screen to see every last hole-in-one. Also, since the Masters are now being broadcast in 4K UHD, you’ll want a screen that can handle that level of advanced picture.
Don’t Forget the Decor
Sure, the Masters Tournament is a classy event, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a bit of color and pizzazz to your home in preparation for your party. Think flower arrangements sporting azaleas and magnolias, as well as yellow tulips and daffodils.
Head to the party store and look for anything in that classic Masters green, whether it be a simple balloon bouquet or just a tablecloth and napkins. Add in some yellow and you have a color palette that’s not only Masters-approved, but super cheery and spring-ish, too.
Have Something For the Kids To Do
If children will be attending your Masters Tournament party, make sure you give them something to do, too. After all, golf isn’t exactly known as being a sport that kids love! If your party space is adjacent to or overlooking a lawn, set up some kid-friendly lawn games for the kiddos on your guest list.
If the weather is poor or you don’t have access to any outdoor space, you can set the kids up with some fun indoor activities instead. With these creative ideas, you might just notice that some of the adults will start joining in as well.
Break Out Your Golf Clothes
Don’t have a green blazer? No worries. Dress for the course anyway! Think country club casual, and make sure your guests know the dress code as well. Country club casual typically includes khaki or colored slacks for the men and skirts paired with polos or sweaters for the ladies. Plus, minimal accessorizing and the right shoes, whether that’s loafers or flats, will top off your look in the best of ways.
A Masters Party to Remember
Whatever the results of the Masters, everyone will be talking about your stellar Masters party long after the last tee off. Plus, you may discover some new favorite recipes along the way. Whatever happens, you can’t go wrong with these 34 southern and Masters-inspired eats!
You might also be interested in: 3 Things To Consider Before Choosing A Golf Workout Program
34 Recipes to Make For Your Masters Party:
- Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
- The Green Jacket Salad
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Egg Salad Sandwiches
- Masters Club Sandwiches
- Masters Chicken Sandwiches
- Grilled Chicken Wraps
- The Arnold Palmer
- The Azalea
- Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Augusta National Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Mixed Fruit Bowls
- Blueberry Muffins
- Pimento Cheese Sliders
- Hot Ham and Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
- Pimento Cheese Muffins
- Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
- Jalapeno Pimento Cheese and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Baked Pimento Cheese Dip
- Pimento Cheese Ball
- Pimento Cheese Sausage Balls
- Pimento Mac and Cheese Bites
- Baked Peaches
- Peach Cobbler
- Peach Ice Cream Pie
- Fried Egg Salad
- Curried Egg Salad
- Pesto Dijon Egg Salad
- Smoked Salmon Egg Salad
- Mint Juleps
- Sazerac
- Mississippi Bourbon Punch
- Gin Fizz
Holly Riddle
view post
