Buffalo Chicken Party Dip

A New Crowd Favorite

Yesterday, we were invited to an impromptu party, which of course meant I needed a quick snack idea to take along. Not really having time to go to the store (we ended up going anyway), I took a quick mental inventory of my pantry and turned to my favorite recipe app. to perform a quick ingredient search. Within minutes I had the perfect find – a buffalo chicken dip. Several of the party guests, including our hosts are from or have lived in New York State, so what better way to show our appreciation for their hospitality than pay tribute to one of New Yorks greatest contributions to pop culture (and sports bars) today – the Buffalo Wing?

Oh, and I had all the ingredients. After studying the recipe for a bit, I decided (as I usually do) that it was going to need a little help to achieve the flavor I wanted. I also needed to pad the serving size just a little. So, in typical Cucina di Kate fashion, I plotted a few detours and an extra stop or two, and then it was off to the races. The result was remarkable (even I was pleased with the outcome... not normal). The dip was a huge success, and we left at the end of the night with an empty crock pot. I hope you will experience the same result.

Buffalo Chicken Party Dip

Ingredients

½ of an Onion, finely diced

1 Large Clove of Garlic, minced

2 Cans (12 oz.) - Chicken Breast, shredded

1 Cup – Frank's Red Hot Pepper Sauce

2 Packages (8 oz.) - Cream Cheese, softened

1 Can (10.5 oz.) - Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Cup – Ranch Dressing

1½ Cups – Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Tabasco Sauce – To Taste

Preparation

• Add onions, garlic, chicken, and pepper sauce to a large skillet, and cook on medium heat until heated through
• Add cream cheese, soup, and ranch dressing to chicken and mix well
• Transfer ingredients to a slow cooker and add shredded cheese
• Add Tabasco sauce or additional pepper sauce as desired
• Cook on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally
• Keep warm until ready to serve

Serve

• Serve the dip warm with tortilla chips and celery stalks
• Have extra Tabasco sauce and some Ranch and/or Blue Cheese dressing available for your condiment lovers

Tips

• I put the cream cheese in my food processor along with the chicken soup and blended it before adding to the chicken. This helps speed up the mixing process considerably.
• I added about a Tablespoon of Tabasco sauce to my dish, and it was just enough to give it a little heat without taking your breath away.
• It's not important to cook the chicken mixture thoroughly in the skillet, as the ingredients will finish in the crock pot. This step is more for the purpose of getting things mixed together easily and getting some of the hot sauce flavors to permeate the chicken.
• I am not sure how many servings to call the output, but there were about a dozen or so people at the party, and there was not so much as one morsel left in the pot by the end of the night.

Enjoy, and happy cooking!

Kate

Bella Pollo (Beautiful Chicken)

I thought it fitting that my first recipe be the one that inspired me to begin writing them down again. It is because of this dish, that my new blog exists.

Bella Pollo

This is an incredibly easy dish to prepare, and the flavors absolutely explode in your mouth. My family loved it, and I hope yours will too.

4 Cups – Water (approximate)

2 Tablespoons – Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon – Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon – Crushed Red Pepper (optional)

4 – Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts

½ Cup – Butter or Margarine

1 – Medium White Onion, sliced

1 – Green Bell Pepper, sliced

1 – Red Bell Pepper, sliced

1 lb. - Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Marinading the Chicken

• Pour about 2 cups of water into a large mixing bowl
• Stir in Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and crushed red pepper until salt dissolves
• Add chicken breasts to the bowl and add enough water to fully immerse.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour

Preparation

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat
• Place chicken breasts in the skillet then cover with onions, peppers, and mushrooms
• Cover and cook for approx. 10 minutes, stirring vegetables occasionally
• Turn chicken, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until juices run clear, stirring vegetables occasionally

Serve

• Plate the chicken immediately with white rice (my preference)
• Drizzle vegetables and broth over the rice
• Serve with warm Italian bread and your favorite bottle of white wine.

Tips:

• I usually marinade the chicken for a full 24 hours, unless it came out of my freezer.
• I marinade chicken breasts ahead in the Worcestershire sauce / garlic salt mixture, and freeze them along with the juices in gallon size freezer bags for quick use later. The marinade has a wonderful flavor and is very versatile
• Pounding out the chicken breasts before cooking will reduce the cook time.
• Try the same recipe (minus the marinade) with Italian sausage links!

Enjoy!