It's that time of the year again-- we're spending our weekends rooting for our favorite football teams-- including my brother and the Thomas More Saints, Ohio State Buckeyes, Bengals... and of course, whoever is playing Michigan (or Florida for that matter). I don't know about you guys, but when we're watching football, we (unfortunately) snack. Dustin's favorite staple is this buffalo chicken dip.
First, I must give credit where credit's due. I first learned this recipe from a college roommate, Megan. She and I prepared this as part of a spread of food we put on for all our parents during the weekend we graduated from college. Ever since, this dip recipe has slowly become a staple for both our families and is continuing to grow in popularity with anyone who has a taste.
It combines the deliciousness of a hot wing with the fun of a dip and is SUPER easy to make. I have done it several ways-- in the crockpot, on the stove top, baked in the oven and all work just fine. I will say that the biggest pain with this dip is shredding the chicken-- but it's absolutely necessary to have the right texture. I used to always bake or boil the chicken, let it cool and shred it with 2 forks or my fingers. Not gonna lie though-- if you are feeling lazy you can totally use canned white mean chicken (I do make sure it's good quality like Tyson in the can, etc) or you could even buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery and come home and shred it as well.
Plan on combining about 1.5 lbs of chicken (one package of boneless, skinless breasts for example), 1 to 2 blocks of cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat and it still tastes great), 1 bottle of your favorite buffalo wing/hot wing sauce (We prefer Texas Pete), 1 16 oz. bag of shredded mild cheddar cheese, and about half a bottle (it's really up to your taste preferences) of your favorite blue cheese dressing. ( I realize some people hate blue cheese and you could certainly substitute a ranch.) The great thing about this recipe is you really can't screw it up and you can totally create it the way you like your hot wings. Some like to use an extra chunky blue cheese dressing while others prefer a milder flavor.
Usually, I first combine the cream cheese and wing sauce on the stove top until I get a creamy sauce (should be pretty orange-red at this point if you like things fairly spicy). I then add the shredded chicken and blue cheese (just keep tasting until you get the heat you want) and lastly add in the shredded cheese and allow it to melt as you stir things together. You can then throw in a crockpot to keep it warm or serve it up immediately with tortilla chips. Another great tip-- if you're cooking this for a big party with adults and children, I'd go a little milder and provide a bottle of hot sauce next to the dip for those who want to add more heat.
Below is my beautiful sister-in-law, Sarah, helping me whip up some buffalo chicken dip on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. The boys were hungry (and getting grumpier by the minute) but boy, did this dip cheer them up!
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