The Cold, Hard Football Facts crew stumbled – and we do mean stumbled – across Buffalo chicken dip at Straub’s, a nifty gourmet market chain in St. Louis.

 

We were there to see our pals from Anheuser-Busch and attend their big St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival in Forest Park – hence, the stumble part.

 

In any case, the folks from Straub’s tell us that Buffalo chicken dip became something of a tradition at – get this – wedding parties around St. Louis in recent years, to which we say, “alright f’in St. Louis!!!” Anything that puts a new twist on Buffalo chicken, the dietary foundation of the Cold, Hard Football Facts crew, is a-OK with us. And if it also produces marital bliss, who are we to argue?

 

The sad part, though, is that when we got back to the cardboard-box world headquarters and started telling people about Buffalo chicken dip, it turns out that a lot of people who pretend to be our "friends" and "family" knew how make it ... and apparently they had hid this tasty talent from us over the years. Thanks for sharing, Mom.

 

In any case, here’s one of the best versions of Buffalo chicken dip. This is a great tailgate dip for nacho chips or any other form of food, like crackers and bread, that need a little dab of spicy meat to satisfy the likes of a member of the 225 Club.

 

3 boneless chicken breasts

6 oz. Frank’s Red Hot (or other hot sauce)

8 oz. ranch dressing

8 oz. whipped cream cheese

8 oz. shredded cheddar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil chicken breasts in pot of water until cooked through. When chicken cools, chip or shred meat by hand into small pieces. In a separate bowl, mix Frank’s, ranch dressing, cream cheese and cheddar until well combined. Add shredded chicken to bowl and mix well. Spread mixture evenly in a 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot, room temperature or chilled. Either way it tastes nifty.