Buffalo Chicken Dip

I made this dip to take into Ben's school for their teachers' meeting. It's not typical "ladies' fare," but men and women both seem to love it! It's great for football season or anytime you want a very heavy appetizer. My sister-in-law is famous for it! She and my brother-in-law did the low carb thing a few years back, and this was perfect - they ate it with low-carb tortilla chips and celery sticks.

To be honest, I must say it is one of the most unhealthy things I make. At times I  have used all low-fat dairy products, including Trader Joe's parmesan ranch, which tastes good but is very thin. The dip is not as creamy as normal, but it also doesn't make me feel quite as guilty eating it for supper! For social occasions, I don't skimp as much, though low fat cream cheese or low fat Hidden Valley Ranch taste fine.

You can add blue cheese crumbles or use 1/2 blue cheese dressing if you like. You can also use a white cheddar instead of the Monterey Jack. I prefer Monterey Jack because it is so mild and doesn't take away from the buffalo wing flavor.

My sister-in-law uses canned chicken, which works great because you need shredded chicken for this recipe. When I need shredded chicken, I put boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crockpot with a little salt - no liquid. Frozen or not, low or high heat, they turn out perfectly. They take about 2 hours on high if thawed.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

4 boneless chicken breasts, boiled, drained & shredded with two forks
1 (12 ounce) bottle of original Frank's red hot sauce (do not use Tabasco or buffalo wing sauce)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (16 ounce) bottle ranch dressing
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine shredded chicken and Frank's Hot Sauce and spread in the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cream cheese and ranch dressing, stirring until smooth and hot. Pour this mixture over chicken forming a second layer. Sprinkle celery on top and top with shredded cheese. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes until hot & bubbly (do not let it get browned or it will be hard). Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.