Buffalo Chicken Crock Pot Dip

   Ya know what makes a great party? No, it's not the friends, or the conversation.
   It's the dip.

   Ok, I am kidding, but for realz, a great dip makes an awesome party awesomer! : )  Awesomer may not be a real word, but it is in my house with a 5 & 6 year old, and it describes this dip!

   First up....I took crappy photos of said dip. Thumbs down. I was (happily) busy getting ready for my birthday party, and only stopped briefly to take a few pictures. The starting point for this recipe can be found here, at mom4real and her photo of the dip gives it a little more justice. 

    "Buffalo Chicken" refers to hot wings, btw. When I was young, I really and truly believed that these "buffalo wings" that I heard grown-ups talking about were some sort of genetic mutation specialty food....buffalo with wings? Yikes! Well, let me put your mind at rest, according to the internet (where all pieces of information are true-haha), Buffalo wings got their name from their originated location, Buffalo, New York. I read this enlightening piece of information here, on todayifoundout.com. I know I went, "ohhhh, Buffalo, New York!" when I found out. I knew as an adult the wings weren't part of a buffalo, but my brain blanked beyond that and never thought of the New York city! Duh. 

   Typically, Buffalo wings are served with blue cheese dressing, and other Buffalo chicken dip recipes use blue cheese, but I can't. I loooves me some cheese, but blue cheese? Nope. Can't do it. Anyway, ranch is equally as popular now for chicken wing eaters, and well, there's no rules when it comes to wing eating or dip making!   

   Anywho, the real surprise twist here is what we did with the leftovers....oh good golly, it was gooooooood. 

​   But first, the dip!

Buffalo Chicken Crock Pot Dip
Adapted from mom4real

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce 
• 1 Package of (dry) ranch dip mix (I found this hiding on the highest shelf in the bottled salad dressing isle, fyi!) : )  
• 4- 170g cans of Chunk White Chicken (this about 2-12.5 ounce cans for my American friends). You could also use cut-up rotisserie chicken 
• 2- 8 oz bars of room temperature cream cheese, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese (an older, or sharper cheese is great, but any cheese will do!)
• A slow cooker (I used  3 quart)
• Corn chips, crackers, veggie sticks, whatever you want to have to dip into this! 

Method: 

1. Pour the hot sauce into the slow cooker, then empty the contents of the ranch dip mix into the hot sauce and stir to combine
2. Now empty the cans of chicken into the pot and stir to combine
3. Place the cream cheese and shredded cheese into the pot, and stir until everything is covered in hot sauce
4. Place the lid on the crock pot, turn to low and allow the mixture to melt and come together, depending on how hot your crock pot runs (they really are all different!), this melting can take 2-4 hours. Mine is sufficiently melty in about 2 hours
5. Serve with whatever your heart desires! I think corn chips are the bees knees, but some people prefer bread (cut up baguette, for instance), pita chips, crackers or veggie sticks

    Well now, you can see the pic below ruining the surprise of what we did with the leftovers! We made it into the most fantastic grilled cheese sandwich ever!!! I guess if you're not a grilled cheese lover this won't be that appealing to you, but let me tell you, this treat day dinner was right up my alley!  

   We buttered some fresh bread, then prepared the sandwich by loading it with leftover dip, an extra splash of Frank's Hot Sauce, a drizzle of ranch dressing, and a little extra grated cheese. 

   This sandwich could be replicated without making the dip too. Simple empty the contents of a can of chunk chicken into a bowl. Mix in some Frank's, ranch dressing, and a little cream cheese (if you have any). Mix up well! Then, butter 2 pieces of bread and put some shredded cheese on the non-buttered side of one piece, top with some of the filling, add a little more cheese, then finish with the second piece of bread (butter side up. Then grill to melty perfection! 

    Let's talk about my Jekyll & Hyde thing I've got going here, shall we? 

   On Monday I started my new Health & Fitness page. So....where does cheese laden dip and buttered smothered grilled cheese fit into this? 

   I eat Paleo....80%-90% of the time. Paleo is a whole foods lifestyle with lots of fresh veggies and fruits, meat, nuts and seeds, and avoiding things like grains, (refined) sugar, and dairy. But I am (at heart) a food lover. A lover of ALL food!

   So, 5-6 days a week I eat strictly Paleo, but the 1-2 days a week I don't eat Paleo, my "treat day(s)", I don't worry about what I eat! Sounds crazy? Maybe. But it works for me, it keeps me on track, really. If I looked into the endless future, knowing I would never again enjoy a grilled cheese, a or a bowlful of Maynard's gummy candies.....I would be so sad. So very, very sad.

   I love healthy food, and I love how I feel when I create something delicious with it, and how I feel knowing my body is being well fuelled. But, taking a break mentally from good eating re-charges me to keep eating healthy! 

   So, to ya'll going, "whaaaaat?" to the seemingly random recipes I post, this is the "why" to your "what". : ) 

   Happy Friday everyone! Please leave a comment if you stop by here, or share this recipe with someone you know would love it, or make it for your next party so that you'll be the most awesome person ever! Awesomer.


​xoxo