Gameday Buffalo Chicken Dip

Oh, it's football season you say?  Funny, I was just daydreaming about buffalo chicken wing dip, a favorite introduced to Scott and me by one of our dear friends now ex-boyfriend (and that's a good thing) about five years ago.  At least he contributed something positive and lasting to our group of friends!  We first had it at a tailgate outside FedEx Field (#HTTR) and were floored - a way to feel like you're eating wings and a yummy dip??  The recipe was immediately adopted and has since been tweaked and enjoyed by Scott, our friends, and me every season since then.  Below are the basics along with ingredients or changes I made.  Feel free to put your own twist on it, you really can't go wrong!*

Ingredients:

Either 1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs poached and then shredded or 1 rotisserie chicken, meat taken off and shredded (much easier and tastier)

1 block of extra sharp cheddar cheese, or your cheese of choice, shredded

8 oz. (approx.) of cream cheese (room temperature)

1 bottle buffalo wing sauce of your choice (this is usually near the bbq sauce in the condiment aisle)

~3/4 a bottle of ranch or blue cheese dressing

Half of one red onion, sauteed

1 small can of diced green chiles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Shred the cooled chicken and saute the onion.  When both are complete and cooled, toss together in a large mixing bowl.  Add the green chiles, cream cheese, and your choice amount of wing sauce (not too much so that it becomes soupy, I usually use about 1/2 to 3/4 a bottle) to the bowl.  Mix thoroughly.

Place chicken/cream cheese mixture in greased 8" x 8" baking pan or glass pan.  pour as much ranch or blue cheese dressing as you desire over the top but enough to cover the chicken mixture.  Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top of the ranch dressing.

Bake dip for approximately 20 minutes.  If cheese on top starts to bubble but the dip is not warmed through, tent some foil over the top so the cheese doesn't burn.

Serve and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips!

*This recipe is not recommended for the calorie-conscious!