I’ve encountered a number of recipes for Buffalo Chicken Dip and this one may be one fo the ones I’ve had on occassion at a party. But if you’re going to do it, do it right: take the little extra time involved here. Rather than cracking open a can of chicken, prepare the chicken and the blue cheese dressing yourself rather than cheating not only the recipe, but also your guests.
- Chicken
- 1.5 lbs. boneless chicken breast (about four packets from Costco)
- 1 small onion (quartered)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and halved)
- 2 Tablespoons black peppercorns (or colored medley)
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or gourmet)
- 1 bay leaf
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- 4 ounces quality blue cheese, crumbled (Danish, preferred)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup good mayonnaise (Hellman’s – NOT Miracle Whip, for crying out loud!)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (OK, use the reconstituted kind if you must)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teasoon sea salt
- pinch of white pepper
- 2-8 ounce packages of cream cheese
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (Frank’s or, if desired, Cholula)
Place chicken, onion, garlic, peppercorns, olive oil, and bay leaf in 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook for approximately 10 – 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked but not over cooked. Remove chicken using a slotted spoon; discard water and remaining ingredients. Allow to cool on a cutting board.
Meanwhile, combine ingredients for blue cheese dressing. If you’re not using blue cheese crumbles, cut the cheese into brittle chunks. Mix thoroughly and chill in refrigerator until chicken and remaining dip ingredient are ready – this will allow the dressing to set. (You can adjust the blue cheese ‘setting’ to your preference; if you happen to love blue cheese, by all means go wild.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. When the chicken is cooled, shred the chicken…by hand. Do not chop it into convenience, tastless chunks – I agree this is much easier and less time consuming, but, again, you’re cheating yourself. To assist in the shredding, I will take the dull side of a chef’s knife and ‘cut’ the chicken with the grain. This will loosen the stringy meat of the chicken; once loosened, I shred it by hand into smaller, say 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.
Now put the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and hot sauce in a big bowl; stir in the chicken and about 1 cup of the blue cheese dressing*. Mix together with a heavy wooden spoon, smashing the cream cheese against the side of the bowl; blend thoroughly. (Don’t break the spoon or else use a strong metal spoon – I ended up breaking a couple of spoon my first go or so.)
Spread dip out in a 13 by 9 inch glass (or other) baking dish. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until cheese bubbles and top of the dip is slightly browned. Let cool for about five minutes, then serve immediately. If you didn’t cheat, you should get raves…Enjoy.
* Save the rest of the blue cheese dressing for the salad eating folk in the crew – the level 6 Vegans, the ones who won’t eat anything that casts a shadow? Those people