My Love for Buffalo Chicken

No secret here...one of my very favorite foods right after pizza and burgers is buffalo chicken...gosh, how I love that hotness! I'm not a big fan of blue cheese so I have to use ranch dressing in place of that and how yummy that is! Here are a few buffalo chicken recipes I have made lately. Needless to say I have a bunch more to try! Will share those later! Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
8 oz. shell macaroni
½ c. celery, chopped (2 stalks)
½ c. carrots, chopped
½ c. Frank’s hot sauce
1 c. ranch dressing
1 lb. chicken

Cook your chicken however you want. I like grilling mine on an indoor grill as it is WAY faster than boiling or frying or baking. Mix it along with the other ingredients and chill in fridge. You may add more hot sauce or dressing to your taste.

Buffalo Chicken Potato Casserole
1 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
6 cups frozen southern-style hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing (I used ranch)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 10-ounce can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs (I used crumbled Ritz crackers, out of corn flakes)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 3 medium)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.

3. In large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup. Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips over potato mixture.

4. In small bowl, stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle on top of chicken strips.

5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.

Buffalo Chicken Casserole
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken strips
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 1 cup )
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank's)
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing

Cook the rice in the water as directed on the package.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the chicken and celery in the oil for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Add the stewed tomatoes and the wing sauce to the chicken.

Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon the rice into the dish to cover the bottom. Place the chicken mixture on top. Do not stir.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the cooked casserole.

Serves 4.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• 4 Servings

Ingredients
• 1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
• 1 cup buffalo wing sauce, divided
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon each garlic salt, pepper and chili powder
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Celery sticks and blue cheese salad dressing

Directions
• Unroll pizza crust into a lightly greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Bake at 400° for 7 minutes. Brush dough with 3 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce. Combine cheddar and mozzarella cheeses; sprinkle a third over the crust. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, cook the chicken, garlic salt, pepper and chili powder in butter until chicken is no longer pink. Add the remaining wing sauce; cook and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Spoon over cheese. Sprinkle with oregano and remaining cheese.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing. Yield: 8 slices, 4 servings.

Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce.