12 Days of Christmas: Day 1

I know, I know, it's not even December yet, but in my book, the Christmas season starts immediately after Thanksgiving :) Thus begins my installment of the 12 Days of Christmas - 12 posts between now and Christmas Eve celebrating recipes that represent Christmas to me. To kick it off, I'm posting one of my favorite appetizers, Buffalo Chicken Dip.

On Christmas Eve, my family all gets together to exchange gifts and spend time together. For many years we've had an appetizer party, where some of the best party food is served. I really love appetizers, much more than dinner, so it's one of my favorite times to break out the tried and true recipes and to experiment with new ones. My mom got this recipe several years back from a family friend, and it has since become very popular with us. I've made it for parties that Bob and I have hosted, and it always goes quickly. It's actually the ultimate football food in my opinion, so it's perfect for Superbowl as well. It's buffalo wings without the mess, plus any dip you can scoop up with a tortilla chip is a winner! I'm sure there are a lot of versions of this recipe floating around, but this is the first and only one I've tried, and I think I'll stick with it!

I didn't get a good picture of it baked because I took it to a party and baked it there, but here's what it looks like right before going in the oven. The final product isn't very photogenic anyway, but SO tasty!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

5 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed or shredded (about 3 cups of cut-up cooked chicken) *I usually get a grocery store pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and shred all of the meat from it - white and dark

8 ounces hot wing sauce

8 ounces ranch dressing (I use light)

8 ounces cream cheese, cut in cubes (I use light)

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, or combo; 2% cheese is fine)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

1. Layer all ingredients in a 13 x 9 baking dish.

2. Bake for about 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

3. Serve with tortilla chips, like Tostitos Scoops (or anything else you'd like to dip in there!)

Alternately, assemble the layers WITHOUT the cheese and bake for 15 minutes, then stir the dip and top with shredded cheese. Finish baking for another 15 minutes.

My mom's notes: You can make a 1/2 recipe in an 8-inch pan, or divide the whole recipe between 2 8-inch pans - use one and freeze the other.

Source: My mom's friend Margaret S.