The Big Dipper

I saw this quick and easy Buffalo Chicken Dip on Latest Addictions a couple months ago. It caught my eye because it was so unusual and simple. She served hers in a bread bowl which I thought was such a great idea. However I know my family and once the dip was done, they'd toss the soggy bread in the trash so I opted for a colorful bowl instead. I also used a different hot sauce because it's what I had on hand. I know that doesn't make it "buffalo" flavored, but it was still good.

This dip was quite tasty and quick! The reason I made it is because my mom invited us over to her house for dinner at the last minute. She asked if I could bring something so I brought my Key Lime Frozen Yogurt Sammies. Then she asked if I could also bring something that wasn't sweet and I only had an hour to figure something out. I ran to the grocery store with this recipe in mind but I knew I wouldn't have time to defrost, cook, cube and cool chicken so I picked up a package of precooked, cubed chicken from the deli.

My husband loved it because he likes the flavor of buffalo wings but he doesn't like to get his hands dirty and saucy. My only complaint was that it was hard to scoop up the chunks of chicken with the bread. Maybe a bread stick or cracker would work a little better. Next time I will use fresh chicken and homemade ranch dressing for a fresher flavor. Overall the dip was wonderful. Thanks Finsmom!

Buffalo Chicken Dip adapted from Latest Addictions

• 1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened
• 1 regular sized bottle of ranch dressing
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 5 ribs of celery, cut into strips (for dipping)
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped*
• Frank's Red Hot sauce, to taste**
• 1 large loaf French bread, cubed

Place cream cheese and ranch dressing in a large bowl and mix well. Add hot sauce to taste. Stir in chicken and chopped celery.

Serve dip in bowl, with bread cubes and celery strips for dipping.

NOTE: *I used Cholula hot sauce instead of Frank's Red and **I used precooked and cubed deli chicken.

Happy Columbus Day!

It's A Wrap!

Jenn from No Lemon Juice made Caesar Club Sandwiches several weeks ago. I craved them the moment I saw them, except I'm not a fan of ciabatta bread sandwiches. I think it's too much bread to sandwich filling ratio. Does that make sense?

So I decided to make the dressing and make Chicken Caesar wraps instead. And they were yummy. The hubby liked them so much he even asked to have them for leftovers the next day, which he rarely does.

Caesar Dressing from Ina Garten

• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste*
• 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or in a blender) and process until minced. Add the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and process again to make a smooth dressing.

Refrigerate the Caesar dressing if not using it immediately.

NOTE: *I couldn't find anchovy paste at my supermarket, so I got a small can of anchovy fillets and used that instead. I used about 4-5 fillets in place of the 1 1/2 tsp. of paste.

Chicken Caesar Wraps

• 2 Tortilla wraps
• Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 Chicken breast, sliced
• Caesar dressing
• Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Fresh ground pepper

Place the wraps on a plate. In the center of the wrap, pile the romaine lettuce in the center. Top with sliced chicken breast. Spoon the desired amount of dressing over chicken and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper. Wrap up and enjoy!