Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip

Your Super Bowl snack spread wouldn’t be complete without buffalo chicken something…but odds are, your oven is already occupied (hopefully, with wings). Fret not, because this recipe for slow cooker buffalo chicken dip is both make-ahead friendly and almost entirely hands off (even more so if you use rotisserie chicken), plus it frees up that precious real estate for the important things.

Oh, who are we kidding? This dip is the most important thing.

15-Minute Buffalo Chicken Sliders

174 calories

14g fat

1g carbs

10g protein

1g sugars

2½ cups shredded cooked chicken

One 8-ounce block cream cheese

One 8-ounce block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

⅔ cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s)

½ cup ranch dressing

2 small scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Assorted sliced vegetables and chips, for serving

1. To a slow cooker, add the chicken, cream cheese, three quarters of the cheddar, the hot sauce and ranch. Stir to combine, then cover with the lid and set to cook on High for 2 hours. (Note that we used a 6-quart slow cooker. The cooking time may be slightly shorter for a larger capacity slow cooker, and slightly longer for a smaller one.)

2. Remove the lid and top with the reserved cheddar cheese. Return the lid to the slow cooker and cook on High until the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes more. (Alternatively, you can transfer the dip to an oven-safe serving dish, top with the reserved cheddar and broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes.)

3. Transfer the dip to a serving dish, top with the scallions and blue cheese, and serve with assorted vegetables and chips for dipping.

Note: The dip can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Re-warm it in the slow cooker, oven or microwave until piping hot.