Buffalo Chicken Dip is the dip I never knew I needed. I’m not a big buffalo wing fan so never would have thought to make it, but after trying at my sister’s house I just wondered why I’d been missing out all this time! This stuff is good. Just spicy enough, but creamy and cheesy too, it has all the qualities you need for a good party dip. And it’s filling too! Thanks to that chicken, it’s more than just an appetizer — this works beautifully as a packed lunch with some veggie dippers to go along with it, if that’s more your style.

The base of this is cooked chicken. I like shredded, because it makes for better dipping than chunks, and you’ll want about two cups. (That’s a great use for leftover rotisserie or roasted chicken, if you’re asking me.) Then, you’re going to make that chicken creamy with cream cheese and some salad dressing — you can use ranch or blue cheese. Most blue cheese dressings are pretty mild, but keep in mind that you can also add some crumbled blue cheese to the top here. (And you very much should.)

Colby Jack is your best cheese option because it combines flavor with supreme meltability and all you need for that little kick is a half cup of buffalo sauce. See? It’s all your favorite wing things, in dip form.

Because I want to make your life easy, I’ve got slow cooker AND oven instructions for you here. This dip takes little more than heating the ingredients through, so either method is very simple and you can choose what fits best for you.

If you’re opting for the slow cooker, you just want to stir together the cream cheese, chicken, buffalo sauce, dressing, and most of the cheese and then cover it and let it cook until it melts together, which should take an hour or two on low. Then, you can uncover and top with more cheese (and blue cheese too) and cover it just until it’s melted. Simple!

The oven method is equally easy — just combine the same ingredients in a baking dish and then top with the cheeses and bake until bubbly, which is about twenty minutes. You get a little more of a broiled cheese effect here, which is nice, but if you’re looking to hold the dip for a party, you can’t beat that slow cooker.

When it’s time to sit down and watch the game, we’re all about hot wings. They’re spicy and so

finger lickin’ good, we thought we might as well try our hand at a dip version. And boy, are we glad we did. This Buffalo Chicken Dip has all the things we love about hot wings – the spice, the flavor, the succulent chicken – without (as much of…) the mess or the big ol’ pile of chicken bones.

It’s got all of the kick of buffalo sauce, plus that cool flavor of ranch dip is packed right in. With cream cheese, ranch, and sour cream, the bottom layer of this dip is a creamy, cheesy extravaganza. That means every bite of this dip is layered with chicken, spicy buffalo sauce, and some extreme cheesy goodness. Did we mention there’s more cheese on top?

Hot and spicy and packed with chicken and cheese, this dip is exactly what you need for the big game… or any other party. Eat it with tortilla chips, or some nice crunchy celery, just be warned: the people will gather ‘round, so make sure to get your fill early on – this stuff is addictive!

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups assorted cheeses (cheddar and monterey), shredded
• 1 cup buffalo sauce, divided
• 2/3 cup ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• tortilla chips, as needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, ranch and sour cream. Mix together until mostly smooth.
3. Combine chicken with 2/3 cup buffalo sauce and mix together.
4. Spread cream cheese mixture out in the bottom of a 9-inch round baking dish and cover with buffalo chicken mixture.
5. Top with remaining buffalo sauce, then sprinkle cheeses evenly over the top.
6. Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
7. Serve immediately with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Spend With Pennies