As the intensity of the college basketball tournaments continues to ramp up, so too are the snacking and entertaining options of millions of people across the country. That's why as the games get bigger, Hormel Foods Corp., a Fortune 500 global-branded food company, and its leading brands are providing basketball fans with expert snacking and entertaining tips and recipes.

Here's how you can elevate your tourney-time snacking and entertaining experience:

• Hormel Gatherings Party Trays — Simply pop off the lid to unveil a variety of meats, cheeses and crackers. For more information, visit https://www.hormel.com/Brands/PartyTray.aspx.
• Columbus Charcuterie Tasting Board — Although crafting your own charcuterie board can be a fulfilling experience, it's also a challenge and a time-consuming one. Thankfully, the team behind the Columbus brand has you covered with its ready-made charcuterie board, carefully curated with its premiere Columbus salami and premium charcuterie accompaniments such as white cheddar, Castelvetrano olives and La Panzanella crackers for a convenient charcuterie experience.
• Chocolate-Covered Hormel Black Label Bacon — This sweet and savory treat takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. Recipe link: https://www.hormel.com/Recipes/Chocolate-Covered-Bacon. Want to add a little hardcourt authenticity to this recipe? Find out how you can enter to win a limited run of hardcourt Hormel Black Label bacon by visiting https://hardcourt.blacklabelbacon.com/.
• Buffalo Chicken Dog – Introducing, from Applegate Organics, The Great Organic Uncured Chicken Hot Dog. Just add your favorite blue cheese dressing and/or hot sauce, and you have an instant classic. Full recipe: https://www.applegate.com/recipes/buffalo-chicken-dog.
• SPAM Musubi – This iconic Hawaiian snack takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Check out the recipe: https://www.spam.com/recipes/spam-musubi.

"The only thing basketball fans take more seriously than their brackets are the game-day food options," said Henry Hsia, vice president, Retail marketing – snacking and entertaining. "Food is integral to the whole game-day experience, so our team of culinary experts wanted to highlight these ... elite options to make your tournament gathering that much easier with helpful recipes, tips and serving suggestions."

Source: Hormel Foods Corp.