By Emily Laskey
Columnist
Are you craving authentic buffalo wings, but you can’t afford to go out to a restaurant? Are you looking for a shareable snack to enjoy with friends on a night in? The TCNJ Culinary Club is here to help satisfy any hankering — mild, medium or hot — you may have this season.
Buffalo Chicken Dip is a quick, tasty alternative to traditional hot wings. The dip can be almost entirely made with ingredients found on campus. Customize it to your liking by adding as much hot wing sauce as you’d like, or serve it with celery sticks instead of tortilla chips for a healthy alternative.
Whichever way you choose to shake it up, you really can’t go wrong when it comes to this addictive treat.
This easy appetizer can be done in less than half an hour. It is the perfect dip to serve up with friends (or for yourself) on game day or movie night.
It’s all about staying warm — and full — as we take on these next months of cold weather. So, whether you opt for a subtle buffalo flavor or extremely hot, this alternative take on one of America’s favorite appetizers is sure to bring on the heat and leave you wanting more.
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup ranch dressing
½ cup hot wing sauce (add more or less to adjust the hotness of the dip)
¾ cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
2 cups shredded chicken or two cans of premium chicken breast in water
Optional:
Tortilla Chips
3-4 celery stalks, cut into sticks
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, ranch dressing, wing sauce, ½ cup shredded cheese and the chicken breast (dried, if from a can) with a fork or small whisk.
- Spoon into a small baking dish.
- Top with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes and serve with tortilla chips and/or celery sticks.
