Buffalo Chicken Dip

The past week has been a whirlwind of emotions, especially for hubby. Not only was it hubby's birthday, but his long-awaited board exam was also on his birthday. So the beginning of the week was pretty tense in our household, to say the least. However, the early Friday morning after his birthday, we received the most happiest news that after his 2 years of studies taking him away from his family, he passed his boards. It was a very emotional morning and we're so thrilled that its finally over and we can now finally move on with our lives as a complete family without worrying about him having to study, having to go to class, or having to go to his internship. So to commemorate both of our birthdays this month and the passing of his boards, we decided to throw a little pool party with our loved ones present.

I decided to have the food catered by one of the BBQ restaurants we frequent, Stonefire Grill. Then one day last week, I was looking through some recipes from the Brown Eyed Baker and came across this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip that I thought would be great to serve as an appetizer. I was a little nervous about making this because I didn't know how anyone would take it being spicy. I like to eat a little spice every now and then, but sometimes I feel like the flavor of the dish gets lost in the spice. I prefer flavor over the spice. So for this recipe, I decided to use a milder hot sauce and it came out so yummy! It was very well received and I'm so glad I made it. It was not too spicy and so we were able to enjoy the flavor. This is definitely going to be repeated again and again.

4 boneless chicken breast halves, boiled and shredded (or use a whole rotisserie chicken)

12 oz bottle hot sauce

16 oz bottle ranch dressing

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

2) In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken and hot sauce until well combined. Spread in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or any 3 quart baking dish.

3) In a medium sauce pan, combine ranch dressing, cream cheese, and mayonnaise over low-medium heat until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Pour mixture evenly over chicken. Evenly spread cheese on top and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with tortilla chips, carrot sticks, or celery sticks.

Happy birthday to hubby and me. Congratulations to hubby!

One side of this yummy Banana Nutella Chocolate cake had a sign that said "Happy Birthday." The other side said "Congratulations (hubby), PTA, ATC." Yummy!