Matt's Buffalo Chicken Dip

INGREDIENTS:

(2) 8 oz. pkg. Neufchatel cheese, room temperature

(1) 8 oz. package of blue cheese crumbles

1/2 cup any flavor buffalo sauce

(2) cans (10-12.5 oz. each) chunk chicken, drained

(1) cup shredded Monterey Jack/Mexican/Taco style cheese

DIRECTIONS:

HEAT oven to 350°F

Chop/dice drained chicken

Place Neufchatel cheese into glass baking dish or bowl

Stir until soft

MIX in chicken and blue cheese crumbles until lumpy

MIX in buffalo sauce

Top with shredded cheese

BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through.

Garnish as desired.

Serve with cornbread crackers, tortilla chips, and/or vegetables.

Notes:

1. Neufchatel cheese is a lower fat version of cream cheese. You can make this recipe with cream cheese, but I have always used the other. You and the pickiest pallets will not be able to tell the difference.

2. You can find Neufchatel next to the cream cheese in most stores.

3. Room temperature will make it easier to beat and/or mix.

4. You can use a fork to beat the mix into a lumpy concoction or use a blender or mixer. You do not want it too smooth, it’s not as much fun to east if it’s too creamy. I use an OLD Sunbeam MixMaster from the 1970’s J.

5. I ALWAYS use more buffalo sauce, just know your audience and the level of heat they can tolerate.

6. I bake it until the cheese around the edges has a slight crust and the center is still a little gooey.

7. Fritos Scoops are the over-whelming option to east with this…I am just saying J.

Matt's Country Chicken Fricassee

Country Chicken Fricassee
1 Whole Chicken, cut into "20 pieces" with bones

1 large onion, diced large

3 carrots, diced large

3 stalks celery, diced large

1/2 bottle of wine

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp red pepper flake

salt

pepper

28 oz canned chicken stock

Serve over rice or noodles

First you open the bottle of wine and pour yourself a glass. Take a healthy sip.

Take the chicken and using a sharp knife take out the backbone. Start at the side of the neckbone and cut down towards the tail. Do both sides to get the entire backbone out. Then with the breast down on the cutting board, push the chicken hard in order to break through the underside of the breast and use your knife to cut through the rest of the way to the white cartilage. Next turn the chicken breast side up and cut off the legs, then halve them at the joint. Take the wings off. Take a large cleaver and separate the two breasts and then quarter each one. This is "20 pieces". Salt and pepper the pieces.

Finish your glass of wine and pour another.

Turn a dutch oven or other thick bottomed pot onto medium high and once hot, put about a tblsp of oil into it and sautee the chicken pieces until browned all over, rotating about three to five minutes. Do it in two batches so that you don't lose the heat and steam the chicken instead of sauteeing till brown. Remove browned pieces to a plate. Add the vegetables to the pot and sautee about 5-10 minutes on medium high until they are starting to have translucent onions. Add some salt and pepper and red pepper flake.

Take a sip of wine.

When the veges are done add the half bottle of wine and reduce the liquid until you are almost dry again and then add the chicken pieces and chicken stock (the stock should be just covering the chicken, if not then just add some water to cover it up). Bring to a simmer and put the lid on, simmering for an hour. When the hour is finished, use some flour and cold water (1:1 about a 1/4 cup each mixed well in a bowl) to thicken to the amount you would like.

More wine and serve over some rice or egg noodles.

Enjoy,

Matt

PS. This is NOT a fricassee chicken, but it's fun! Dancing Beer Can Chicken by Matt!