For the Love of Buffalo Chicken Dip!

Buffalo chicken – it has become quite the staple in my life lately; due in part to the fact that my boyfriend considers it a food group. Because of this, I have literally made buffalo chicken everything – but this particular recipe is one of my favorites. Buffalo Chicken Dip.

I honestly prefer to make everything myself – I feel like I’m cheating by using pre-made food in my recipes. But, there are times when if it will enhance the overall recipe, then I get off my high horse and use it.

That being said, here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

12 - 16 oz of cream cheese

Shredded boneless chicken breast (approximately 3) -- I actually recommend buying a rotisserie chicken instead. I think the flavor is better, and the chicken is more tender and easier to shred. 

1/3 cup of Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce

1/2 cup of blue cheese dressing

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese

Note: for  the buffalo sauce, blue cheese, and mozzarella cheese I just make sure that the top is coated really well.

When I first began making this recipe I used to boil the chicken, wait for it to cool, and then shred it. I always felt that the chicken tended to be on the tougher side, so I found an alternative. I would recommend purchasing one of those already cooked rotisserie chickens. If you just get the original recipe one it will have great flavor, and will cut the overall cooking time for this recipe in half.

To begin this recipe, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While your oven heats, begin to shred the chicken with your hands, and fill the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.Once the bottom is coated with chicken, begin spreading the cream cheese over the top, and mixing everything together. For this I find that the bottom of a large spoon works well. It also helps if you let the cream cheese soften before doing this. (I can never wait so I end up with a sore arm for the next few days from trying to spread the cream cheese - I'm not proud of how week I am, but it's my reality). Also, I’m not a huge cream cheese person, So I usually use just over 8 ounces, but use your judgment. What’s great about this recipe is that you really can’t go wrong – for example, if you love blue cheese then just load it on there! After all of the chicken is coated with cream cheese, add the layer of 
buffalo sauce, then blue cheese, then mozzarella cheese.

Shred...

Spread with cream cheese...

Layer with hot sauce and blue cheese....

Mix everything together.

Cover your pan with foil, and let it bake in the over for 30 minutes. Remove the foil (add more cheese if desired) and then bake uncovered for an additional ten minutes. I think this is best served with Tostitos scoop chips, but go ahead and dip whatever you want in there! (I realize this last part sounds dirty - not my intention).

Yum!!