Ccccc what I made!

Chocolate and Chicken…

So no, I did not cook chocolate and chicken together! But I did cook two dishes that are chocked full of C words (count them, there’s 5! And add another c word to the mix, cheating. I have actually made these two dishes before. You wouldn’t realize that though once you read my results!

I was invited to watch the playoff games last Sunday and thought that three letters in, it would be time to share my cooking results with an objective audience…

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I made this dip for my Christmas party and it was a huge success!

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers

Directions
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

The recipe says to put the dip into a crockpot, but I just leave it on the stove and turn the heat down low. It’s pretty much the same thing. And I think it tastes best with Fritos, but what you serve is definitely a personal preference!

Now onto dish #2....

Chewy Candy Chocolate Brownies

This recipe I have made since college, courtesy of my first cookbook written by Paula Deen. It’s great for tailgating and is very easy (typically).


Ingredients
1 (17.6-ounce) package brownie mix with walnuts
Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 (6-ounce) candy bars with almonds and toffee chips (recommended: Symphony brand)



Directions
Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions.

Line a 13 by 9-inch cake pan with aluminum foil and spray with vegetable oil cooking spray. Spoon in half of the brownie batter and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Place the candy bars side by side on top of the batter. Cover with the remaining batter.

Bake according to package directions. Let cool completely, then lift from the pan using the edges of the foil. This makes it easy to cut the brownies into squares.


So I should also mention that a boy was coming to pick me up to go watch the game and I was going to meet his friends and bring my dishes. I would like to go ahead and get that out there as one added pressure that led to the downfall of my brownies. Paula recommends putting a sheet of aluminum foil down so the brownies are easier to take out of the pan. However, I learned the hard way that it takes longer for them to cook this way. And the dish has to be cool because it’s really hard to cut the brownies until the candy is cold. Needless to say my presentation wasn't great and the brownies got left at home!

I am behind a week, I know, but this week I plan to double up with letters D and E! Hope everyone is having a great week!