Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip

Super Bowl weekend!  Big Pete always makes me prepare a menu entirely of appetizers.  I like to make as many things as I can beforehand and have them waiting in the freezer.  I made this recipe and placed it into two small dishes.  We ate one and I froze one for this Sunday.

This is an easy dip with few ingredients.

This seems to be a very popular dip right now and most of the recipes are pretty similar.  It's hot and spicy, creamy and bold. It has all the flavours of your favourite Buffalo chicken wings and blue cheese dressing with a lot less work.

You will need:

• 1 small 250gr/8oz tub container of plain Philadelphia Cream cheese –  at room temp
• 2 cups of cooked/chopped chicken breast
• ¼ cup of diced scallions/green onions
• 2-4 tbsp Frank’s Redhot Sauce- original (if you prefer another variety other than the original use it)
• ½ cup chopped/crumbled blue cheese
• ¼ cup grated aged cheddar cheese
• Salt/pepper to taste

Step 1: Heat  oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2:  Chop the blue cheese, the scallions and the cooked chicken into chunks.  You can use a precooked,  store bought chicken  here or 2 small chicken breasts can be poached in some chicken broth until cooked through.  Let cool, then chop.

Step 3: In a bowl take softened cream cheese and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.   Add chicken, scallions, blue cheese, and hot sauce. Taste it. If you start with 2 tbsp of hot sauce and you want it spicier continue adding until it has the heat level you like. Taste again. Add salt & pepper. Taste it again.

Step 4: Divide into 2 oven safe baking dishes and top with shredded cheddar cheese. I like to put into 2 dishes even if I know I will serve them both to my crowd. This way you can start with one and serve it piping hot with slices of French bread or crackers. You can space out the serving of the second portion so that  the first is gone before the next one comes out hot and gooey.

Step 5: Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until the top is browned around the edges and bubbling hot. I only like this kind of dip when it’s really hot. In my opinion it’s better to serve a smaller amount and get the plate cleaned in minutes rather than prepare a large dish and have it go cold before its eaten. 

Enjoy Super Bowl Sunday! I am cheering for the PATRIOTS!