Buffalo chicken dip absolutely is my favorite hot dip right now and it is truly addictive, trust me. My sweet and beautiful niece, Ashleigh, brought some to a potluck family dinner last year and she gave credit to her Mom for making it. It really didn’t matter who made it – I was in dip nirvana once I had my first bite. I ate so much that I had no room for anything else, which was fine by me. I even packed a few containers and stashed them in the fridge downstairs just to make sure I had some of this awesome dip for several days to come.

This dip is just like buffalo chicken wings without all of the mess, and it’s so easy to assemble. I added some diced celery to the mix for some crunch, but that is certainly optional. Many online recipes call for canned chicken in this recipe, but I add a bit of extra flavor by sautéing a chicken breast in olive oil, seasoned salt and fresh ground pepper, and then chopping it once cooled.

If you’re going to an upcoming Super Bowl party, bring this and you will be a big hit! Seriously. Actually, bring this to any party. Especially one of mine!

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 (8 oz.) package reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup buffalo wing sauce
• ½ cup ranch salad dressing (I like peppercorn ranch)
• ¼ cup bleu cheese crumbles
• ½ cup celery, diced small
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar (I use 2%), divided into 1 cup portions
• Green onions, sliced (both white and green parts) for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, buffalo wing sauce and ranch dressing until fairly smooth.

Fold in the chicken, celery, bleu cheese and 1 cup of the cheddar.

Spread the mixture in a shallow baking dish (mine was 9”x9”x2”).

Top with the remaining cheddar and bake for 25 minutes.

Once the top of the dip starts to brown, remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes or so.

Place in a serving dish, garnish with the green onions and serve with celery, carrots, crackers, Scoops®, etc.

Leftovers? Okay, I guess that might be a possibility. Just reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes and you’re good to go!

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

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