Broncos Buffalo Chicken Dip

Everyone seems to have his or her own favorite buffalo chicken dip recipe. And I respect that. In a world full of choices and tough decisions, it’s important to have something familiar – an old standby!

Buffalo chicken dip is obviously delicious, but did you know that it’s also incredibly EASY to make? Buy the few required ingredients, combine them in a bowl, and heat it up in the oven, on the stove, or in a slow cooker. Serve with chips and celery sticks and call it a day!

The past two years I’ve made “skinny” buffalo chicken dip, which means I used low-fat versions for each of the ingredients. Some people may think my reason is because I’m trying to lose weight. Puhleasseee. It’s so I can eat more. Because like with most things more is better. And low-fat ingredients cost the exact same so why not.

You may have noticed that the title of this recipe is “Broncos Buffalo Chicken Dip.” That’s because I’m most definitely supporting the Broncos in this year’s Super Bowl. As an Indiana girl, I’m obviously rooting for Peyton. And Yia Yia loves him so much; it would make her so happy if they won! (How adorable does she look?)

I paired the buffalo chicken dip with blue tortilla chips – perfect Broncos colors!

Broncos Buffalo Chicken Dip

Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 4 ounces fat free cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded, fat free mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup plain fat free sour cream
• 1/2 cup reduced fat crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (or about 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; prepare baking dish with nonstick baking spray, set aside
2. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a medium-sized bowl; fold in shredded chicken
3. Transfer mixture into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges turn slightly brown
4. Remove and serve with chips and celery sticks

Also, be sure to check out these other recipes from Kylee’s Kitchen that are perfect for the Super Bowl!

• Dena's Famous Cheese Ball
• Guacamole
• Low-Fat White Chili and Honey Cornbread Muffins
• Sweet and Tangy Red Velvet Cupcakes
• 5-Ingredient Funfetti Blondies
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Brown Butter Blondies
• Slow Cooker Spinach Jalapeño Dip
• Classic Garlic Hummus
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Coconut Macaroon Easter Egg Nests

Easter has always been my favorite holiday. I love the pastel colors. I love the candy and chocolates. I love the warmer weather of spring. I love witnessing the earth come alive again after being dead all winter. And most importantly, I love the real reason that we celebrate – Jesus. 

Jesus paid the ultimate price for each and every one of us. He was nailed to the cross and died for our salvation. But His death was not the end because he rose from the dead. And on Easter we celebrate his resurrection.

Easter is a beautiful celebration of life, and I am eternally grateful for the sacrifice that was made for me. 

This year, I will be attending Easter service at Traders Point Christian Church, and I welcome all of you to attend and celebrate the Risen Lord with me.

Coconut Macaroon Easter Egg Nests

Yield: Makes about 24 nests
Approximate 160 calories for 2 nests

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (from 5 large) egg whites
• 10 ounces sweetened coconut flakes (I used Baker's)
• 6 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 48 mini egg-shaped candies (I chose M&Ms peanut butter eggs)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a heavy saucepan combine egg whites, coconut flakes, and sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until all the ingredients combine together, about 12 minutes. The mixture will be sticky and moist.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Set aside and let it cool 10 minutes.
4. Spray a nonstick mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Drop heaping tablespoons of coconut mixture into tin and lightly press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the tin to make "nests.”
6. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
7. Let the nests cool 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully remove from the tin.
8. Top each nest with two mini eggs.

Recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Surprisingly Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip

As I'm sure you already know, the Super Bowl is this Sunday. And since the Colts aren't in it, the only thing I'm concerned about is the food. And one of my favorite party snacks is chips and dip. 

The only problem with this snack is that it's so easy to rack up hundreds and hundreds of calories. I have this problem where I always put way too many chips on my plate and not enough dip, and so then I have to get more dip to balance out the chips, and the next thing I know I've had about 50 chips and enough dip to feed a small village.

But the thing is I don't plan on changing my "chipping and dipping" habits anytime soon. So instead I decided to create a healthy dip recipe. I used reduced fat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and reduced fat blue cheese to make this buffalo chicken dip surprisingly skinny. 1/3 cup of this dip will only cost you about 100 calories. I found a Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe on Taste of Home, and for the same serving size you'll rack up 800 calories. That's a huge difference!

Another great part about this dip is that it all comes together in a saucepan on the stove - you don't even have to bake it! And you can make the "dipping experience" even healthier by eating it with celery!

What's your favorite Super Bowl party snack?

Surprisingly Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip

Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 cups

Calories per serving: 105 calories per 1/3 cup serving

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ounces 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese
• 1 cup shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup hot sauce
• 1/4 cup reduced fat crumbled blue cheese
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (or about 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Constantly stir ingredients until cheeses are completely melted – about 15 minutes. 
2. Fold in shredded chicken.
3. Serve dip warm with celery and tortilla chips.