Buffalo Chicken Dip

I have been seeing variations of this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip floating around cyberspace recently.   Eric and I both had it at our work potlucks.  It's apparently a big deal. Tonight we had leftover Spicy Bean Chili for dinner, so I thought it would be a good dish to pair with some of this majestic buffalo chicken dip.

I decided to use the recipe on the official Frank's website as a starting point for my own version of this spicy addictive dip.

1- Gather your things!  I choose to take the easy route (do you a see a theme in my cooking?) and use three 5 oz. cans of chicken, as well as Frank's Red Hot (and Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce, not pictured), light ranch, shredded Mexican style cheese and 8 oz. softened neufchatel cream cheese.

2. "Marinate" your chicken.  Some recipes call for actual shredded chicken and others say to use canned.  I'm sure you can safely go either route.  However, I did read in several reviews people complaining that the chicken had a metal/canned taste.  So after draining the chicken, I covered it with a few table spoons of Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce in hopes of de-canning it.

3- Mix remaining ingredients together.  Mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup of Frank's hot sauce, 1/2 ranch dressing, 3/4 cups of shredded Mexican cheese.  I also added in some creole seasoning, because I put THAT shit on everything.

4- Stir chicken mixture into cheese mixture.  Luckily, I've eaten this dip before, so I was quite sure this would taste good.  But at this point, this dip is looking pretty unappetizing.

5- Sprinkle with cheese.  I added another handful of cheese on the top, about 1/4 cup.

6. Bake for 20 minutes.  Pop this sucker into a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, until everything is warm and gooey.

7- Eat it up!  As soon as I opened the oven, my kitchen filled with the delightful scent of cheesy heaven.  We ate this with tortilla chips, but you could serve this with tortilla chips, Fritos scoops, veggies, pita bread or crackers.

No wonder why this recipe is so hot right now.  It was quick, easy and delicious.  The only problem I can foresee, is that you will run out!  This serving size would probably be good for 6-8 people.  I would double the batch if you planned on serving a larger group.

Variations: Add sliced jalapenos or crushed red peppers to kick up the spice.  Throw everything in a slow cooker to bring to a potluck or party.  Sprinkle with blue cheese before baking.  Use leftover shredded rotisserie chicken instead of canned.