Buffalo Chicken Dip is a Midwestern staple at any picnic or covered dish party. I have been eating this for years, trying different versions of my own until I perfected it (and believe me, I have a tough group of critics). Frank’s Hot Sauce is the key. Somehow this decadent dip had eluded Jackie for most of her life. I think it is because she left the Midwest. Apparently New Yorkers are not scooping this up at their parties like we do here in Pittsburgh. Man are they missing out!!
I introduced this to Jackie for the first time at a local sports bar in Harrisburg. It was a beautiful fall day, and we were watching a football game and enjoying some beers. I saw it on the menu and insisted that we partake. At the first bite, her Midwestern eyes lit up and I knew she was hooked.
While Buffalo chicken wings started not too far from Harrisburg, Buffalo chicken dip is an instant hit among most people who try it. I recently made eight pounds of it for my daughter’s birthday party, and there was only one cup left at the end of the night! This was when Jackie had the chance to try this recipe. She agreed that it was much better than the one from Harrisburg.
I have even gone as far as spreading it on a chicken sandwich or even straight on a bun for a sandwich all by itself. While most people serve this with tortilla chips, Jackie and I prefer eating it with Wheat Thin crackers. It has a stronger breaking point so you can scoop deep to fill the cracker, where as tortilla chips sometimes leave the dip itself crunchy from the broken and less sturdy chips.
Please try this at your next party. I guarantee it will become an instant favorite and your stand-by party dish. This dip will hopefully get you invited to most every party around.
- 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
- 8 oz. chicken cooked, shredded and chopped
- ½ C celery finely diced
- ½ C ranch dressing
- 5 oz. red hot pepper sauce (adjust according to taste) I use Frank's Red Hot
- 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ C blue cheese crumbles (optional)
- In a sauté pan add chicken. Canned chicken breast works well also, just drain liquid if using this. If using a fresh chicken breast cook until done and let cool until you can pull it apart with fingers. Once done chop chicken into small pieces.
- Over medium heat add the hot sauce, ranch dressing and celery and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese,cheddar cheese and blue cheese and turn heat down to low.
- Continue to cook until the cheeses have melted and all ingredients are combined.
- Remove from heat and add cheddar cheese and blue cheese (optional)
- Serve with tortilla chips or wheat thin crackers.
- This can be placed in a crock pot to keep warm.
[…] my intake of some of my favorite of his creations (i.e his Amazing Mashed Potatoes and glorious Buffalo Chicken Dip). Fortunately for me, I actually like a lot of things that are good for me. These […]