Spicy buffalo chicken dip

Uhh, it's t-minus less than a week until the big game! But are you ready?

Every year my family watches the game together + food is a major part of the evening. Sure, commercials are entertaining + the game is for brushing up on how the sport thing works, but the food is king.

most years we've dug into game day favorites like homemade buffalo wings + spinach & artichoke dip. this recipe is kind a marriage of the two, it's spicy spinach, artichoke and buffalo dip. it's the two combined!

not to brag, but this dip is award-winning. I submitted it for the dip competition at work (yeah, we have dip competitions) + it came in first place. I attribute much of its success to how it hung out in a slow cooker for around an hour before it was served. i mean, it's also really really good.

the dip has that creaminess of a spinach + artichoke dip, but the heat of spicy buffalo wings. heck, it even has chicken in it so it's kind of like an entire meal in one. an entire meal that you scoop up with a blue corn tortilla chip in one hand + a stick of celery in the other.

enjoy this one warm while you watch the game this weekend. no matter what team you're rooting for.

Spicy Buffalo Dip

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 2/3 cup sour cream

• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup hot sauce

• 1/2 packet of ranch seasoning

• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained

• 1/2 of a 12 oz. can of marinated artichokes, roughly chopped

• 1 large roasted chicken breast, shredded

• 2 green onions, sliced thinly

1. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, hot sauce, ranch seasoning, spinach and artichokes. Stir to combine. Fold in the shredded chicken. 

2. Pour this mixture in an oven-safe dish. 

3. Bake in the oven until warm, 375 for 20-30 minutes. For the last five minutes of baking, top the dish with the remainder of the cheddar cheese and green onions. Allow the cheese to melt, then serve.