BBQ Chicken Dip.

September 28, 2012

I’ve… been holding out on you.

And no, I’m not talking about my grey’s anatomy thoughts on twitter or how it’s Bloomingdale’s friends and family sale through Monday or how crushed potato chips on top of boxed macaroni and cheese is seriously a thing (thanks for giving me that terrible habit 20 years ago Dad), or how this scarf slash blanket slash vest is the most amazing piece of clothing you will ever own.

No.

I’m talking about this dip. You’ve probably already figured out that it is buffalo chicken dip’s – you know the dip that people lose their head over and make for every single sporting event every single weekend? – stepsister or once-removed cousin or something like that. I mean, it’s exactly like buffalo chicken dip but with some caramelized red onions and barbecue sauce and… wait for it… butter roasted chicken.

And maybe it’s not that big of a deal, and maybe I’ve been living under a rock all this time by secluding us from this dip with barbecue sauce, but then a reader sent me this recipe right before Labor day and… I freaked out. Because ever since discovering bone suckin’ sauce a few years ago it’s safe to say that I’m a thousand times more obsessed with that than I am with buffalo wing sauce, and the simple thought of the sweet and tangy flavors mixed with cheese and that freaking butter roasted chicken was enough to OMG make me go crazy. Oh and I sort of figured that someone else in this house might enjoy it too. Just a hunch.

I follow the same rule with this dip as I do with the others: if I’m making it just for us or for a small crowd and want to keep things light, it’s totally fine to use lighter cream cheese and lighter cheddar and MAYBE (ugh) skip the butter roasted chicken. But if you’re making it for a giant crowd and you’re going to watch a bunch of people throw a pigskin around, I think you want something that is going to melt in your mouth. Take that as you will.

Now add it to your list of football food and go wild.

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BBQ Chicken Dip

Yield: serves 8-10

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

3 bone-in chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2/3 cups ranch dressing
2/3 cups your favorite BBQ sauce
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
crackers or chips for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Rub chicken breasts with softened butter then season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely then pull chicken off the bone into bite-size pieces. While the chicken is roasting, heat a skillet oven medium-low heat. Add olive oil and onions, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramely. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix together softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, 1/3 cup of the BBQ sauce, onions and half of the cheddar cheese. Fold in chicken.

In a casserole or baking dish (mine was 8-inch round, 4-inch deep), layer the cream cheese mixture, smoothing the top off. Cover it with the remaining BBQ sauce, then the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and hot. Serve with crackers or chips.

recipe provided by reader Jessica