Article and Photo by Justin Isaiah Iriarte
Introduction
Welcome, readers, to the first installment of a brand new column for Roundabout magazine, Roundabites. I, Justin Iriarte, want to use this platform to share my lifelong love of cooking (and eating) with others and to share my take on various recipes requested by Roundabout staff members, community patrons and friends. I hope everyone is as excited as I am to start this journey through the culinary arts.
Introducing the Recipe
For this inaugural issue of Roundabites, I, along with many of my friends and Roundabout peers, think it’s only fitting I share my recipe for this American gameday classic, buffalo chicken dip. It’s delicious, easy to make and one of my go-to people-pleasing dishes for potlucks, parties or those late-night study sessions where a savory pick-me-up is my only saving grace.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Boiled and shredded
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Or ¼ Greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup buffalo sauce (I use Frank’s RedHot)
- 1 packet of ranch seasoning mix (I use Hidden Valley)
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of celery salt, optional
- 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- Reserve ½ cup to sprinkle on top
- Oil or butter, for the pan
- 1 stalk of celery, optional for boiled chicken
- 1 carrot, optional for boiled chicken
- A sprinkle of salt, optional for boiled chicken
Instructions
- Cook chicken and prepare for shredding. If chicken is not yet cooked, bring water to a boil on medium-high heat. Though unnecessary for this specific recipe, I choose to add celery, carrots and salt into my boiling water to give the chicken a nice flavor. After the water starts boiling, add the chicken breasts, cover with a lid and boil for around 20 minutes or until no pink shows in the center. After cooking, allow the chicken to sit in the broth for around 10 minutes, then take them out of the water and leave it on the side to cool. Once the temperature is suitable for the hands, shred it to your desired thickness.
- Prep oven and dish. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F before preparing the sauce base. Secure a dish. A metal, 9×9 baking pan works well, but I prefer ceramic or glass bowl for aesthetics. Spread oil or butter on the bottom and sides to prevent sticking.
- Mix. In a large bowl, soften the cream cheese with a spoon ensuring there are no chunks (some smaller chunks are okay, though, since they’ll melt in the oven). Then, add sour cream (or Greek yogurt), mayonnaise and buffalo sauce until combined. After this, combine shredded chicken, ranch seasoning mix, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, cheddar cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the optional celery salt. Mix well to combine. Sprinkle the remaining ½ of mozzarella cheese over the dip before baking.
- Bake and broil. Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes or until bubbling at the edges. Once that’s done, set the oven to a high broil. Leave to broil for approximately five minutes to allow the dip to form a golden-browned and crispy top layer. Remove after to prevent burning.
- Serve. Serve dip with tortilla chips, crackers or vegetable sticks like celery, carrots or cucumbers,if you’re feeling healthy. Enjoy!
Justin’s Notes
- Rotisserie chicken is a great option for those who don’t want to boil their own chicken, as it both comes pre-made and has a great flavor that adds something extra to the dish. I find that at least 3-4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken yields the same amount of shredded boiled chicken you would need, but you are the maker of your own dish.
- I choose Greek yogurt over sour cream in various cases, such as when it’s the only thing I have on hand, when I want a lighter-feeling dip or when I’m feeling a tiny bit healthy (even if the other ingredients nullify this specific point). The Greek yogurt makes the final product less tangy than sour cream, if that’s your vibe. The substitution will result in a slightly thinner dip, but that can be easily remedied with a little extra cheese at your discretion.
- Though optional, I have always stated that celery salt adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the final dish; it compliments the sourness of the buffalo sauce the same way eating it with a celery stick would. As someone who hates raw celery but still loves the flavor and smell, I always try to add celery salt in for some added pizzazz.
- I keep leftover dip (if there ever is any) for up to five days in the refrigerator. Simply pop the cold dip in the microwave or in the oven (if still in the original dish) at the original temperature until bubbly and warm.
Final Thoughts
With this being the first dish to be featured on Roundabites, I wanted to make an easier dish which happens to also be one of my favorites to make for others. I had the pleasure of sharing this dish with my fellow Roundabout staff members last year and I was met with rave reviews (which I hope were not just pleasantries). This time around, I served this dish to a couple of my friends for one of our group’s favorite pizza-and-dip nights where we indulged in the truly fine dining experience of dipping pepperoni pizza in this glorious orange elixir which never fails to cure our semester woes.
I hope this recipe makes its way to all of the future buffalo chicken dip masters out there, and if you make this dish, please remember to give thanks to the countless buffaloes that were sacrificed for us to enjoy this amazing creation. Thank you, and come back next time for Roundabites volume two!