Dips are the best way to get a holiday party started and now that the season has changed, it’s time to switch to warm dips rather than chilled ones. The cast iron skillet becomes your new best friend here because it retains heat for such a long period of time. I used it this past weekend for this Bacon and Buffalo Chicken Dip and it kept the mixture nice and warm for an hour while the rest of dinner was being prepared. It’s easy, addictive and there will be no leftovers! It seems like a half cup of hot sauce is too much, but it doesn’t overpower this dip. Rather it has a nice little kick. Bring on the holidays!
Bacon & Buffalo Chicken Dip
Yield: 8-10 servings
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup hot sauce (I used an Apricot Hot Sauce – Mango Hot Sauce would be great as well)
2 tablespoons dry Ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
8 strips applewood bacon, cooked and crumbled
Crackers or chips (I used Whole Grain Scoops)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, dressing mix, salt and pepper until well mixed. Fold in the chicken, Cheddar and Mozzarella and transfer to the prepared skillet. Top evenly with the blue cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake for 25 minutes or until the dop is bubbly. Serve warm.
Haute Flavor 