Some Like it Hot

I’ve been craving a lot of Buffalo wings lately (no, I’m not pregnant). Not really sure why—other than the fact that they are awesome. You know what’s even awesomer—ahem, more awesome…Buffalo Chicken Dip. It’s everything you love about hot wings, minus the mess. I first saw the recipe in Taste of Home magazine but in my pre-Christmas cleaning frenzy, I apparently threw it away. So I Googled it (of course), searched through at least 100 versions that all claimed to be “the best” and finally settled on this one. How I have never heard of this before is BEYOND me. It was such a hit the first time I served it (to a bunch of hungry guys during a football game--no brainer), I made it twice in one week during Christmas. Sadly, no pictures of this one. You’ll just have to trust me.

Ultimate Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Adapted from Adrienne Bailey, Mary England and Susie Cromer Clements

1 cup Ranch dressing
¾ cup chopped red onion
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded OR one rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce (adjust to your tastes)
2 cups shredded Cheddar
Tortilla Chips and celery for dipping

Directions
1. Saute red onion in butter until tender (about 10 minutes); remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, half of shredded cheddar and sauted onions.
3. Mix thoroughly and pour into baking dish.
4. Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top.
5. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly.
6. Serve with tortilla chips and celery.

*Adrienne’s note said this goes best with a nice cold beer, and I must say, I agree (preferably, Stella).

Christmas Comes Early

Any of you who might know me are well aware of my Williams-Sonoma obsession. I will happily spend hours perusing the tools, gadgets, recipes, books, etc. (not to mention, enjoying the tasty samples). Well, they just made my Christmas season. Why? I’ve had my eye on this wonderful little pancake pan…not just any pancake pan, I tell you…an Ebelskiver pancake pan. I know, I know…an Ebil-WHAT? Let me give you a little back story…my dear Uncle Charlie used to make Ebelskivers, a traditional Danish pancake, for my family when I was little. It was always such a treat, since we never made them in my own house. They are basically round pancakes that are light, fluffy, slightly sweet and pretty much a small piece of heaven. So last Christmas when I was doing my daily drooling over the Breville Panini Press at WS, I spotted the pan! It had been years since I’d even seen one…I had kind of thought they were hard to find. In any case, it was a little pricier than I wanted to spend at the time and I have been coveting it ever since. Imagine my absolutely DELIGHT when I received an email from WS this morning, announcing 1-day deals that they will be promoting throughout the month. Today’s deal? The Ebelskiver pan HALF-PRICE! I bought two (one for my parents), as well as the cookbook that accompanies it. It is filled with both sweet and savory recipes; every one of them looks divine (especially the chocolate ganache, pictured here--YES PLEASE). If you’ve got a pancake-lover in your family, head over to Williams-Sonoma today and pick up this fabulous gift! i don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to Christmas-morning breakfast…

*Photo from http://www.williams-sonoma.com/