Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip & BBQ Pizza

As the Superbowl Season of party food favorites for rowdy and ravenous crowds continues, this post highlights what simple Philadelphia Cream Cheese-based dishes can be crowd pleasers for you and your party guests. Side dishes and finger food such as Salsa Rosemary Chevre Dip and Mexican Pizzas keep appetites (and hopefully also tempers) at bay while your main dish event perhaps of some slow-smoked ribs or burgers on the grill are getting ready to come in for some serious offensive eating. The key for the host or hostess with the mostess to churning out stellar side dishes and finger foods are one, ease of preparation and two, big flavor-boom. In a case of superb timing, LoveMyPhilly.com recently contacted me about testing recipes of my choosing from the Kraft Philadelphia Holiday Desserts pamphlet. Thanks to that window of opportunity I am able to present Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip and BBQ Buffalo Chicken Pizzas.

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Adapted from the Kraft Philadelphia Holiday Desserts recipe "Easy Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip"

• 1 pkg. (8oz.) Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese.
• 1 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked chicken*if cooking chicken, see below.
• 1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing**see homemade recipe below.
• 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce; 4 tblsp. butter melted and mixed with 1/4 cup hot sauce.
• 3 green onion stems
• Paprika & chili paste to increase heat.

*Optional. Cooking the chicken:1 1/2 cups of chicken = 6 raw tenderloins.

• 2 tblsp olive oil
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder

Bomb Blue Cheese Dressing

Yield - about 1/2 cup

• 2.2 oz. blue cheese crumbles
• 3 tblspn. buttermilk
• 3 tblspn. Kraft Breakstone's Reduced Fat Sour Cream
• 2 tblspn. cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 shakes of sea salt

Dressing Instructions:

1. In a small bowl using a fork, mix the blue cheese crumbles and buttermilk together.
2. Stir in sour cream, vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and the sea salt.
3. You can make and refrigerate this ahead of time.

Dip Instructions:

1. Cut small rings of the green onions until the pale green becomes white. Stop there.
2. In a medium microwave safe bowl, mix all the ingredients of the dip and microwave on high for 3-5 min.
3. ***Optional: Taste the dip and if you want to increase the spiciness, add 1/4 tsp. paprika and 1-2 tblsp. of a chili paste or chili sauce like Sriarchi.
4. Stir and serve with celery and carrot sticks and/or crackers.

BBQ Buffalo Cheesy Chicken Pizza

Serving Size: 2 individual 8" pizza crusts, or 12 mini-slices for appetizers.

• 2 8 in. Boboli Pizza Crusts
• 6 tblsp. Kraft Spicy Honey Barbecue Sauce
• 1/2 cup Kraft Cheddar Cheese Crumbles
• 4-6 tblsp. Creamy Chicken Buffalo Dip
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup pre-cooked bacon pieces

Pizza Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
2. Spread 2-3 tblsp. of Kraft Spicy Honey Barbecue Sauce on each crust.
3. Spread 2-3 tblsp. of Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip over the bbq sauce.
4. Sprinkle 1/4 of Kraft Cheddar Cheese Crumbles evenly over the dip and to the edge of the crust.
5. Sprinkle pre-cooked bacon pieces evenly over the entire pizza.
6. Place the pizza directly onto the top rack of the oven. Make sure a baking sheet or tinfoil is under the top rack to catch any debris.
7. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is brown and the cheese is lightly browned.
8. Let cool 5-7 minutes before cutting.
9. Sprinkle with finely chopped celery and serve.

Pace Picante Salsa Dishes Spice up Your Superbowl Party

With the 2009 holiday season laid to rest its important to keep the celebratory spirit alive by menu planning for the 2010 Superbowl Party Season! I am a Philadelphia Eagles fan myself and even though they lost to the Dallas Cowboys (ugh, really?), I'm still all geared up with party food recipes made with the samples of Pace Picante Salsa provided to the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program. Even though I won't be doing the touchdown dance for an Eagles victory, I still think my Pace Picante Salsa inspired dishes, Salsa Rosemary Chevre Dip & Mexican Pizzas, are not only winners-they're champions. Hut 1! Hut 2! Ready!? Set! Cook!

Salsa Rosemary Chevre Dip

Serving Size: 4-6. Double for more guests.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped or pressed
• 1 cup Pace Picanta Salsa
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tsp habanero hot sauce, or cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4oz. of goat cheese or chevre
• rosemary springs for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan.
2. Add the garlic and cook one minute.
3. Add the Pace Picante Salsa, lemon juice, habanero hot sauce, chopped rosemary, and the tomato paste.
4. Stir to combine and allow to simmer a few minutes to reduce.
5. Spoon the mixture into an oven proof dish.
6. Cut the goat cheese in medallions and line them in a diagnoal or vertical line splitting the mixture.
7. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
8. Let cool 3-4 mintues before serving.
9. Garnish with fresh rosemary.
10. Serve with crackers or slices of the baguette.

Mexican Pizza

• Serving Size: 2 8" Boboli Mini Crust*
• 4 tblsp. Pace Picante Salsa
• 4 tblsp. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 4 tblsp. Hormel Chili with no beans**
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 4-5 jalapeno slices per crust
• 1/4 cup small chops of green peppers

• *This recipe can easily be multiplied and varies in serving size according to your number of guests. If you're having a smaller get-together, perhaps each guest can be served their own individual 8" mini Mexican pizza. If you have a larger party, you can also use 12" crusts and cut slices to be served as snacks or appetizers.

• **Use whatever chili mixture you like. We aren't the biggest bean fans in our house, so we omit those. This recipe is so easy and versatile, it even works with beans.

1. Preheat the oven to 400. To prepare a 8" pizza:
2. Smear 2 tblsp of cream cheese around the crust evenly.
3. Add 2 tblsp Pace Picante Salsa and 2 tblsp. Hormel Chili. Also spread evenly around the crust.
4. Add green pepper pieces and jalapeno slices.
5. Sprinkle 1/3-1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese all the way to the edges of the crust.
6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minute or until the cheese is browning and the bottom of the crust
7. crisps up.
8. !IMPORTANTE! Tha Pizza Cutta says, "LET COOL BEFORE CUTTING!" This pizza can be a little oozey, so let it cool at least 7-10 minutes before slicing it up.
9. Serve to happy or really peeved football fans!