Newton Citizen

Buffalo chicken dip can be is a crowd-pleaser for any gathering.

We had our own little football kickoff party here at the Citizen office last Friday.

Everyone was invited to bring a little dish and wear their favorite football team's colors. I think it took some persuading on my part for a couple of folks who aren't huge football fans to wear red and black -- but, hey, it worked. I think it is safe to say it might have been a one-sided party.

But the best part was the food. So over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing some of the staff's delicious appetizer recipes with you.

This week we will feature a very rich, mouth watering dip -- buffalo chicken dip.

It happens to be a crowd-pleaser with my circle of friends and church family, and you always see folks going back for seconds for this creamy dip.

This is a dip that can be made as spicy as you like or as mild as you like. Texas Pete sauce is one of the ingredients used, so I will leave it up to you as to how you like to prepare your buffalo chicken dip.

Buffalo chicken dip

2 to 3 cups of cooked chicken breasts, shredded

8 ounces of cream cheese

1 to 2 cups of shredded cheese

1 cup of ranch dressing

Texas Pete wing sauce, to taste

1/2 cup of salsa, optional

One bag of tortilla chips

Spray the bottom of a casserole dish with a non-stick cooking spray.

Place the shredded chicken in bottom and sprinkle as much Texas Pete sauce as you would like over the chicken.

Stir thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese and ranch dressing together.

Spread that mixture over the chicken.

Top with the shredded cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with the tortilla chips.

Tip: To save yourself some time, mix all of the ingredients together in one large bowl instead of layering the dip.