It seems that people this time of year take their football food very seriously, maybe as seriously as even the football. Okay, that might be a bit of a stretch, but I do think the two go hand in hand and Sunday game days aren't complete without the best lineup of appetizers and snacks to munch on throughout the games. While there are certainly many classics, with lots of games each year I'm always looking for something different, or a twist on an old favorite, and we've got you covered with this one!
I think it's commonly agreed upon that dips are one of the best snacks/appetizers/football foods/family foods/any-time-of-the-week foods, so it's no surprise that they're one of my gameday go-tos. Buffalo chicken dip has always been one of our favorites, which truly brought me to this idea. When I think of the BEST thing to pair with chicken in terms of a dip or appetizer, my mind always goes straight to buffalo or barbecue. Which got me thinking, how come you never hear of a barbecue chicken dip?
There really are few things better than barbecue chicken nachos, so naturally, this three-cheese barbecue chicken dip is the most delicious and perfect combination of flavors. It all starts with the classic creamy dip base. Now I don't know about you, but the ultra-creamy dips definitely aren't my thing. In my opinion, the best dips are super savory, with enough salty flavors to balance out the softer creamy cheeses.
We'll start with some cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch. Now, if cream cheese isn't your favorite, I can agree it's not mine either. But in certain cases like this delicious dip, it adds the perfect amount of creaminess (obviously) but also blends so well with the other flavors so that in the actual dip, you really can't taste it at all! The sour cream is also the perfect accompaniment, in that it's tangy flavor adds the savoriness we definitely want in this dip.
The last part of this puzzle is unsurprisingly ranch! While barbecue and chicken are certainly perfect with ranch, in some dip cases it may be tempting to keep a little ranch on the side for dunking, or drizzle a chip with a little. While still delicious, it is next level to swirl some ranch right in to the other dip ingredients. In terms of dressing, ranch may be superior to all, so a little drizzle right in this dip adds the best flavor.
Next it's as easy as adding these creamy additions to a bowl, adding some necessary spices, and mixing it all together until fluffy. The only spices I thought necessary here were a bit of garlic and onion powder, and some salt and pepper, of course. In terms of combining everything, you can either stir everything until evenly combined, or use a hand or stand mixer to mix everything to ensure it's extra creamed together.
Unshockingly, the best part of this dip might be the cheese. I say unshockingly because, I think in most cases, the best part of any recipe is often the cheese. This recipe calls for three cheeses:
Which I think are the perfect combination which all serve their unique purpose. Sharp cheddar, creamy gouda, and mild and melty mozzarella give us all the flavors we really need in this dip. Stir in part of the cheddar and mozzarella, all of the gouda, and grab the rest of the mix-ins.
The last things to stir into this dip before baking are the chicken, scallions, and barbecue sauce. For the chicken, you can either shred up a rotisserie chicken, or cook a chicken breast until cooked thorugh and ready to shred. A handful of scallions add the sharpness we're looking for, so chop those up and stir them up into the rest of the ingredients.
The last, last step before throwing this beauty in the oven is the key ingredient, barbecue sauce! Now while you could add the sauce into the mixing bowl, I actually preferred to carefully pour the dip mixture into a greased baking dish, spread everything out, then go for the barbecue sauce. By dolloping it on and then easily swirling it in, this ensures each bite will have the perfect combination of creaminess and BBQ sauce, which is truly ideal.
Once swirled, top with the remaining cheeses and bake for just 20-25 minutes until the dip is bubbling and the cheese is golden. Meanwhile, grab the classic nacho-flavor toppings that we all know and love- cilantro, diced red onion, and sliced jalapenos. If you don't love any of these, they aren't necessary, but they truly make for the perfect bite.
Grab all your favorite chips, whether they be tortilla, pita, or anything else you love, and dip away into this delicious fall, football food, creamy and delicious appetizer.
The best barbecue and chicken combo, complete with a little ranch, lots of creamy cheese, topped with cilantros, red onion, and jalapeños to make for the perfect cheesy and satisfying barbecue chicken dip.
Servings: 4-8
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, ranch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until fluffy and combined.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar, gouda, 1/4 cup mozzarella, chicken, and scallions. Spread into a small baking dish. Swirl in barbecue sauce, then top with remaining cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and golden. Broil for 1-2 minutes if needed.
4. Serve immediately topped with cilantro, diced red onion and slice jalapenos, if desired.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
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