Appetizers/Small Plates

Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip for Game Day

Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

This upcoming weekend will be jammed packed with events. I’ve got our niece’s 9th birthday party Saturday morning with her school friends, our monthly Family Dinner that evening, Tết (Lunar New Year) celebration with the clan on Sunday, and of course– the Super Bowl later that afternoon.

I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

By the time the game rolls around on Sunday, all I will have the energy to do is plop myself on the couch with an iced cold brewskie and have delish snackies within an arm’s reach away from me. I’m hoping for the usual suspects like pizzas, ribs, nachos, tacos, and wings. Mmmm…..buffalo wings. I love buffalo wings.

But as tasty as buffalo wings are, they are just a mess to eat. I pretty much go through a few trees worth of napkins every time I have them. So instead…..

SAVE THE TREES and MAKE DIP!

Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

My Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip is a nod to the lip-smacking, scrumptious wings. It’s made with lots of chicken (leftover rotisserie is great in this), hot sauce (I like Frank’s® RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce), tons of cheeses and a few other goodies. Once it comes out of the oven, the dip is super bubbly and is just waiting for a potato chip or celery stick to be dunked into it. It is sinfully cheesy so don’t even bother to count calories while you’re inhaling it.

Need some other Super Bowl menu ideas? Here are a few other bites that are sure to please a crowd:

Whatever you choose to fix up, enjoy the Super Bowl!

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Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoon ranch salad dressing
3 tablespoons (or more) hot sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 scallions, chopped and divided
4 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles, divided
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 ounces cooked chicken, roughly chopped
celery sticks
potato chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and ranch salad dressing until well combined. Stir in the hot sauce, garlic and all but 1/2 tablespoon of the chopped scallions. Mix in 3 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles, Monterey Jack cheese, pepper, cayenne and chicken.

Spoon the mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining blue cheese crumbles on top. Place the baking dish on top of a baking sheet. Bake the dip for 25 minutes and then turn on the broiler to allow the top to become bubbly and turn golden brown.

Sprinkle the remaining scallions on top of the dip and serve hot with celery sticks and chips.

Seafood

Sriracha Crab Cakes–Bringing the heat to Valentine’s Day!

Sriracha Crab Cakes

Oh l’amour…..

However, if you’re like the gazillion of other folks out there, you may be still scrambling to solidify your plans to woo your loved one.

So let a sistah help you out……..skip the overpriced restaurants with the “meh” prix fixed menus and jump in the kitchen to cook a delish meal for your sweetie.

Sriracha Crab Cakes

But that doesn’t mean you need to slave away in the kitchen all day to impress your Boo. In fact, not only are these Sriracha Crab Cakes super easy to make but they are sure to BRING THE HEAT to your Valentine’s Day!

The crab cakes are jammed pack with lump crab and have a wonderful kick of heat from the Sriracha and jalapenos. Oh yea…..

Sriracha Crab Cakes

Pair them with a bright bottle of bubbly and chocolate covered strawberries and BOOM! Instant recipe for love.

You’re welcome 🙂

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Sriracha Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade
Serves 2 entrees or 4 appetizers

Ingredients:

Crab Cakes:
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 garlic clove, finely minced
12 ounces cooked lump crab
1 red jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, divided
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
½ tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
2 pinches cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Begin preparing the crab cakes by whisking together the Sriracha, egg white, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika, and garlic. Once combined, gently fold in the crab meat, jalapeno, scallions, parsley and ¼ cup of the bread crumbs. You may add additional breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture into fourths and form each portion into equal sized patties. Dredge the crab cakes with the remaining breadcrumbs. Cover the crab cakes and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the sauce by whisking together the sour cream, mayonnaise, Sriracha, cayenne and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

Heat a large skillet or cast iron on medium heat. Melt the 1 tablespoon butter into 2 tablespoons oil, swirling the liquid around the skillet. In batches, fry two of the crab cakes for 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and heated through. Remove the crab cakes and wipe the skillet with a paper towel before adding the remaining butter and oil. Fry the remaining two crab cakes.

To plate, drizzle some of the sauce of each over each of the crab cakes and sprinkle additional chives and minced jalapeno over the top. Serve with additional lemon wedges.

Appetizers/Small Plates · Poultry

Celebrate the Return of College Football….with Buffalo Wings!

Buffalo Wings

 

 

Thank the Heavens…….

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RETURNS THIS WEEKEND!!!!

 

 

Buffalo Wings

As my mighty USC Trojans kick off their season this Saturday, I will be eagerly cheering them on with a buffalo wing in one hand and—let’s be honest, an adult beverage in the other.

Buffalo Wings

 

 

But I must confess to you my friends. I am a severely LOYAL and sometimes insane FANATIC when it comes to my USC Trojans and Minnesota Vikings.

You’ve been warned.

FIGHT ON, SC!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

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Buffalo Wings
Serves approximately 4

Ingredients:

2 Pounds Chicken Wings, separate wings at the joint with tips removed
½ Cup Unsalted Butter
¼ Cup Hot Sauce (I like to use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce)
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
Vegetable Oil

Fill a large pot or dutch oven with about 2 inches of oil and heat until 350-375 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, toss the chicken in the flour. Shake off excess flour and carefully fry the wings in the heated oil for about 3-4 minutes on each side and until they become golden brown. This may need to be done in batches to not overcrowd your pot.

When the last batches of wings are frying, melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat and stir in garlic powder, onion powder, and hot sauce. When the wings have all been fried, toss them with enough of the butter-hot sauce mixture until the wings have been well coated. Serve warm with blue cheese dressing, carrot sticks, and celery sticks.