Buffalo Chicken Dip

A month or so ago we had some people over at the last minute to watch a basketball game.  I needed to throw together some quick snacks and I decided to make this buffalo chicken dip.  It's super simple and always well received.  Sorry for the blurry picture.  I snapped one at the last second as people were ready to dig in.

Ingredients

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese

1/2 C Frank's Original Sauce

1/2 C ranch dressing

2 C chicken, cooked and shredded

1 C cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together in bowl.

Spread into a casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until heated through.

Serve with crackers or celery.

Super Bowl Recipe Ideas

Are you hosting or attending a Super Bowl Party this weekend?  Here are some recipe ideas for the party...

Super Simple Pizza Rolls  (left) and Pigs in a Blanket (right)

Pioneer Woman's Restaurant Style Salsa

Funeral Sandwiches

Betty's Cheese Ball

The Dip

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Click the links to the right for other ideas, especially the appetizers, party foods, dips, and salsa categories.

Betty's Cheese Ball

I have had this recipe for quite some time and have never actually gotten around to making it.  I'm not sure why, it wasn't hard and it got lots of compliments.  Betty is my uncle Bryan's mom and she made this cheese ball a few years ago at Christmas, I have been meaning to make it ever since.  I did adapt it a bit mainly because I didn't have all the ingredients.  We served this at our house prior to going out with friends for dinner on NYE.    

Ingredients 1 pkg cream cheese 1 C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 4 tsp chives (the recipe called for onions) 3 tsp green pepper, finely diced 4 tsp pimiento a few shakes of Salt 1/4 C mayo 2 T of milk several generous shakes of tabasco crushed pecans     Mix all ingredients except pecans together with mixer.     Shape into a ball with your hands.   Roll in crushed pecans   Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.  

Most Popular Recipes of 2013

I thought I would recap some of the most popular recipes on the blog for 2013.   These are the top recipes by page views and pins on pinterest.   Far & away this was the most popular post...   Beef & Broccoli  

  Followed by my Crockpot Buffalo Chicken  

  Pesto  

  Pizza Rolls  

  Pumpkin Dip  

  Baked Ziti  

Pasta Primavera   

      NOW FOR SOME OF OUR FAVORITE DISCOVERIES OF THE YEAR... Strawberry Rhubarb Pie  

   Grilled Pizzas  

Shrimp & Grits

 Oven Roasted Butternut Squash  

The Dip

This dip recipe probably dates back to 1995 or so and anyone who went to St. Luke's with me or was in any of our high school Spanish classes probably knows what I'm talking about. It is a simple recipe for a Mexican style dip but we always referred to it as "the dip".  I would say that 90% of the people in our small class knew how to make the dip and everytime there was a class party or event someone volunteered to bring the dip.  It is really easy & quick to make but it tastes really good.    

 

Ingredients:

(Makes 1 8x8 pan, to make a 9x11 pan triple ingredients)
1 block cream cheese
1 can chili with no beans
1-1.5 C shredded Mexican blend cheese

I like to make this in a disposable pan just because it's easy to take places and then just trash when it's done.  When the cheese hardens up it can be a pain to clean the pan.  But I will use a glass dish if baking to keep at home.

Spread bottom of pan with block of cream cheese (or 3 if using a large rectangle pan)

Cover with canned chili.  (This may be the only time I ever tell you to use canned chili)

Sprinkle top with generous amount of shredded cheese.

 Bake on 350 degrees until shredded cheese is cooked and bubbly and dip is heated through...approximately 30 minutes.

If the cheese starts to harden up on top you can always plop the whole thing back in the oven and reheat it.

 

Meal Planning Monday!

  I don't have a meal plan for this week.  We have so much stuff going on and a few meetings between when Eric gets home at 5:00 and I leave at 6:30 this week so there will be very little time for us to sit down and eat together.  Meals will likely amount to one of two things quick or frozen.  Then I am headed out Saturday morning for my vacation.  So what I have is a week in review.     Monday Plan: Baked Spaghetti    We made spaghetti on Sunday and made it baked spaghetti on Tuesday.  I forgot to take a picture after we added the cheese and baked it so it just looks like spaghetti here.  Eric made homemade sauce for the spaghetti and I shared the recipe here.

    Tuesday Plan: Smoky Corn Chowder We ate baked spaghetti again. I did end up making the chowder on Sunday for our football party and I will share the recipe this week.     Wednesday Plan: Drunken Noodles   This was a Schwan's meal that we had in our freezer.  We ate it along with some potstickers.  

    Thursday Plan: Bowling Alley Ate at the bowling alley.     Friday Plan: Charlottesville We headed down to Charlottesville when Eric got off of work to meet some of my college/sorority friends for dinner.  We got there earlier than they did so we headed to one of our favorite spots, Miller's, for drinks and appetizers before they arrived.   Then we met them at South Street Brewery for dinner.  These pictures are from Miller's.  I didn't take any at South Street...or with my friends...fail!  

    Saturday Plan: Zuppa Toscana Fail!  We went out to El Jaripeo with our friends Travis & Erika.  Who can pass up Mexican?     Sunday Plan: Football Party We had so much good food for our party.  I made crockpot chicken chili, smoky corn chowder with shrimp, pigs in a blanket, Mexican dip, and pumpkin dip.  We also had homemade salsa, bacon wrapped deer tenderloin, chips & dip and Reese's peanut butter rice krispies.   Click the links above to see the recipes.  I will share the dip & corn chowder recipes this week.  Of course, I forgot to take the picture before we started eating so this is all half eaten and no longer pretty.  

The half eaten spread

Crockpot Chicken Chili

"The Dip"

Smoky Corn Chowder with Shrimp

  I apologize if this week's menu seems a little boring.  I didn't have many recipes to share.  But as a bonus I made these Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies and we thought they were pretty amazing!

 

Pumpkin Dip

My Gramma was in town for one day yesterday so my mom had the family over for a big potluck style meal.  I had to work so I made a few things up for my mom to pick up the day before and have on hand.   I've seen all kinds of recipes for different pumpkin dips floating around Pinterest & various blogs and thought I'd give it a try.  I used this recipe from Christina at Carolina Charm.  But my friend Sarah at Sweet Happenings also happened to post a variation here.    

Ingredients
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 large (4.5 oz) pkg vanilla pudding mix
16 oz Cool Whip
1/2 T pumpkin pie spice
1/2 T cinnamon.

Thaw Cool Whip.  Stir all ingredients together.  Sprinkle with cinnamon on top.  Serve with graham crackers, gingersnaps, animal cookies or apple slices.   **If I was being super Pinteresty I would have carved a small pumpkin and used it as a serving dish for the dip but I worried about letting it sit in the pumpkin for 24 hours and I didn't want my mom to have to deal with assembling it since I wouldn't be there, so a bowl it is**    

Pigs in a Blanket

Eric & I always celebrate 4th of July with the Dennee family.  They have a ton of people over and do hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken & shrimp on the grill and everyone brings sides, appetizers, desserts, etc.  So I decided to make pigs in a blanket since I know Keith loves them.  Eric also picked up the stuff at the store for my pizza rolls so I made those too.  I may have used 7 packages of crescent rolls for these snacks.

Ingredients:

Makes approximately 40.

1 package little smokies (found near the hotdogs at the store)

2 packages crescent rolls

Cut each crescent roll into 3 pieces.  These do not have to be perfect or even by any means.

Place smoky at the the large end of crescent roll.

Roll up

Bake according to crescent roll package instructions - 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.