Buffalo Chicken Dip (double batch)

A couple of years ago a co-worker brought this awesome dip to our office potluck. I seriously could have stood over the crock pot dipping celery sticks all day.

If you are a lover of buffalo wings this is the dip for you. If you are a lover of cream cheese, this is the dip for you. If you aren’t on any type of diet and really don’t care that you need to be on a diet, this dip is for you. Of course, enter at your own risk! One could probably get the same result by just slapping the this dip right on the ol’ hips and thighs instead of eating it (especially if your hubby picked up regular cream cheese instead of reduced fat . . .eek!). But, it’s much better to savor and enjoy Buffalo Chicken Dip with friends and family. Here is how I make a double batch . . .

For a double dose of YUM you’ll need . . .two rotisserie chickens, four 8 oz packages of cream cheese, one 12 oz bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, one 16 oz bottle of Ranch dressing, and 2-1/2 cups (or more) of cheddar cheese.

The bird is the word . . . Remove all of the meat from both chickens. Dice or chop into bite-size pieces. I used my new Pampered Chef Salad Chopper. I love this tool!

You can also use canned chicken (two 10 oz cans, drained). Or, if you are Superwoman (or man), you can certainly bake your own chicken. I personally prefer the taste (and convenience) of rotisserie chicken.

Note: If you have two dogs and two cats at your feet ready to “assist” you with the meat removal, you may just want to throw them a piece or two . . . but no bones! :-)

Gettin’ Spicy!Combine chicken and the entire 12 oz bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce in a large pan. Heat through.

That’s a lot of meat . .   If making a double batch, you may want to use a large pot (I switched because I knew this double batch could get out of hand). 

Time for some love . . .Melt in the blocks of cream cheese. I melted two at a time to make sure they melted evenly.

 You can’t have wings without the ranch . . .Stir in the entire 16 oz bottle of Ranch dressing. 

It’s gettin’ It’s gettin’ It’s gettin’ kinda heavy . . . 
Add 2-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.

Old FaithfulContinue to cook on low heat until the cheese is completely melted.

After adding the shredded cheese, you can transfer to a slow cooker (and, if desired, add additional cheddar). This is great if you are serving at a party, potluck, etc. Since I was making the dip ahead of time (to put in slow cooker the next day), I continued to cook on low heat until the cheese was completely melted.

I love how this dip bubbles while cooking. It makes me think of little tiny geysers. You just don’t want to have an “Old Faithful” moment like I had. That is, unless you like cleaning your cupboards, stovetop, and everything else in the area. So, you may want to put a lid on it.

 Gonna make you sweat . . . I love how the Frank’s Red Hot Sauce “sweats” from the cheese mixture. Don’t worry . . .unless you use the really spicy version of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, you won’t burn your tongue with this dip.

Ready to enjoy . . .I think this dip tastes best with celery sticks and tortilla chips. I’ve also used carrot sticks and chicken-flavored crackers.

Ok, who am I kidding?? Truthfully, this dip is so good you could lick it right out of the bowl! Ha! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 

Buffalo Chicken Dip (double batch)                Printable Recipe

Ingredients:        2 rotisserie chickens    4 packages of cream cheese (8 oz each)    1 bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (12 oz) or other pepper sauce    1 bottle of Ranch dressing (16 oz)    2-1/2 cups (or more) of shredded cheddar cheese Directions: 1. Remove all of the meat from both chickens. Dice or chop into bite-size pieces. 2. Combine chicken and the entire bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Saucer in a large pan. Heat through. 3. Melt in the blocks of cream cheese. I melted two at a time to make sure they melted evenly. 4. Stir in the entire 16 oz bottle of Ranch dressing. 5. Add 2-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. 6. Continue to cook on low heat until the cheese is completely melted. Notes: You can also use canned chicken (two 10 oz cans, drained) or bake your own chicken. I personally prefer the taste (and convenience) of rotisserie chicken. After adding the shredded cheese (step 6), you can transfer to a slow cooker (and, if desired, add additional cheddar). This is great if you are serving at a party, potluck, etc. If you are making the dip ahead of time (to put in slow cooker the next day), continue to cook on low heat until the cheese is completely melted. Refrigerate and warm in slow cooker on low heat. Serve warm with celery sticks,  tortilla chips, carrot sticks, and chicken-flavored crackers. For a single batch, you will need:   1 rotisserie chicken   2 packages of cream cheese (8 oz each)   1 cup Ranch dressing   3/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce   1-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Slaw Salad

This salad is another favorite from the “How Lovely Cooks the Meat” cookbook. In case you missed it, you can read about the family cookbook in my post about Spanish Rice.

Like Spanish Rice, Slaw Salad is another dish you will find at a Davis family reunion. That is, my Davis side. (Side note: For those new to my blog, my maiden name was Davis and I married someone with the same last name. While I’m from the Nebraska Davis clan, James is from the Texas clan). Anyway, I digress as usual . . .

I often referred to this salad as Sue’s Salad because it was my Aunt Sue who first brought the salad to a family gathering many many years ago. This is the easiest and quickest thing in the world to make. If you have a potluck to go to, I would highly recommend taking this. I personally like this salad on the crunchy side (ie, tossing everything together and then eating it soon after). My husband likes it when the noodles have had a chance to soak up the dressing and soften up. Either way Slaw Salad is the perfect “go to” salad.

The Ingredients . . .Green onions, two packages of ramen noodles (oriental flavor is the best), shredded cabbage (I use the bag mix), slivered almonds, sunflower kernels, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and sugar.

You can certainly shred your own cabbage. I can pretty much guarantee that my aunt does. I am, however, lazy and like the bag mix. I only used one bag of cabbage (approx. 4 cups) for this salad, but I should have used a bit more. I would recommend 1-1/2 bags of pre-shredded cabbage or 6 cups of shredded cabbage.

 

Taking out some frustration . . .My favorite part . . . crushing the ramen noodles. It’s kind of like one of those stress balls. Just don’t pulverize the noodles.

 

Putting it all together . . .Combine the shredded cabbage, crushed noodles, sliced green onions (white and green parts), slivered almonds, and sunflower kernels in a big mixing bowl.

 

For this salad, I used a 2 ounce bag of almonds and added an equal amount of sunflower kernels. Pine nuts are also good for this salad.

 

Dressing it up . . .

Measure

Mix

 PourCombine seasoning packets (from noodles) with  2/3 cup sugar,
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 of vegetable oil. Pour over cabbage/noodle mixture. I used my Pampered Chef Measure, Mix, and Pour to combine everything.

 

 All mixed up . . .and ready to eat!

As I mentioned before, this is perfect for potlucks. I’ve also served this at Thanksgiving as a side salad. It’s something you can prepare in advance (ie, night before) for softer noodles. If you want to serve right away, let it sit for at least 20 minutes. The noodles will still be crunchy, but they will absorb some of the dressing. I hope you enjoy!

One more thing . . . I will continue to include the text recipe below the picture version, but I’ve also added the ability to print recipes without having to cut and paste somewhere else first. Just look for the “Printable Recipe” link.
 

Slaw Salad                      Printable Recipe

Ingredients:    5 green onions, slice (white and green)   1-1/2 bags of shredded cabbage (approx. 6 cups)    2 packages of ramen noodles (oriental flavor)    2 oz package of slivered almonds    2 oz (approx.) of sunflower kernels     2/3 cup sugar    1/2 cup apple cider vinegar    1/2 cup vegetable oil Directions: 1. Crush ramen noodles. Put seasoning packets aside. 2. Combine the shredded cabbage, crushed noodles, sliced green onions (white and green), slivered almonds, and sunflower kernels in a big mixing bowl.You can also add pine nuts or use in place of the almonds and/or sunflower kernels. 3. Combine seasoning packets with sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Pour and stir into cabbage/noodle mixture. Note: For softer noodles, prepare in advance (ie, night before). If you plan to serve right away, I recommend letting it sit for at least 20 to 30 minutes. The noodles will absorb some of the dressing but will still be crunchy.