Food For Thought | My Favorite Super Bowl Dish

Okay foodball, commercial + Justin Timberlate fans! Tomorrow is the big day! Super Bowl is one of my favorite days of the year + my team hasn’t been in it since 2006. For the last few years, I’ve been throwing a party with my best friend Dan + it’s been the best time. It’s always low key. We try to guess what each commercial is for before it reveals itself. I once guessed the Betty White Snickers commercial on a whim. We don’t win anything, we just laugh. Everyone brings a dish, pizza rolls + beer abound + a great time is had by all. It sounds overly cliche, I know. BUT it’s true! Why? Because of my buffalo chicken dip. How can a buffalo chicken dip ensure a good time? Well it’s solidified my friendship with Dan + I’m not invited to any party we cohost unless I bring it.

I found this recipe on Pinterest in 2014 for Dan’s first Super Bowl party. This was prior to my cohosting days. I was only invited because his sister + his best friend were my best friends + I happened to be home that weekend. I can’t find the recipe now to cite my source, I’ll just send a “thank you” out to the universe to whomever pinned their recipe. I went from friends to best friends with one of the most important people in my life + no one is ever unhappy after trying my dip. That said, who’s ready to make the best dip of their life?

Buffalo Chicken Dip

• Four  large chicken breasts, cooked + shredded. You can find my painless way of shredding chicken here. You can also buy a bag of Tyson pre-cooked chicken if you’re short on time. If you buy the cubed, you’ll want to break the cubes up so your dip isn’t chunky.
• One 16 fl oz. bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
• One 16 fl oz bottle of your favorite ranch dressing (you may or may not use all of it)
• One eight oz. package of cream cheese, softened (I find that, as unhealthy as it is, the full fat makes for a better texture than the reduced fat)
• Three cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. In a large sauce pan on medium heat, coat your chicken in buffalo wing sauce.
3. Add cream cheese. I break up with a spoon to help it melt faster.
4. Add ranch dressing to taste. If you like it spicier, like my friends + I do, I’d only add maybe 1/3-1/2 of your bottle. If I’m making it for my family, my dad doesn’t do spicy so I’ll put all of the ranch in.
5. Add two cups of cheese + melt.
6. Transfer to an 13×9 pan, add last cup of cheese + heat at 350* until cheese on top melts  + browns. (If desired)

If I’m making my dip then taking it somewhere, I’ll transfer to my 13×9 pan, cover + bring to my destination with my cheese still in the bag + I’ll heat just before serving.

What are your Super Bowl party must haves? I’d love to hear about them! I hope you enjoy the game tomorrow + that you team wins. Personally I’ll be cheering for “Anyone but Tom Brady.”

xo.