Crack Chicken-n-Crackers

This next recipe is c/o my good friend Ann.  She made it at her last birthday party and after seating myself conveniently next to the bowl and eating away at half of the dip, I understood why she called it "crack" chicken.  Easy to assemble and muy delicioso too, it makes for a great party dip (and the leftovers make for a great sandwich spread too).

Ann's Crack Chicken

1.25-1.5 lbs cooked chicken breast, chopped well
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella
crackers

Bake the chicken breasts at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  To help keep them moist, I sprayed them with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray and for a little extra kick sprinkled them with fresh cracked black pepper before wrapping them in foil to bake.

Once the chicken is cooked through, set it aside to cool to room temperature, or a temp that won't burn your hands while handling.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce, and cheese.

Once the chicken is cooled, chop it up and add it to the mix.  Blend well.

Serve with your favorite crackers and voila! Instant party hit.
NOTES

As a short-cut, you can use canned chicken (like tuna only chicken of the land, not of the sea).


If you prefer, you can substitute bleu cheese dressing for the ranch. 

You can serve with any type of cracker, but I recommend a buttery-based cracker, for no particular reason other than it tastes really good with a buttery cracker.


Now for a twist on this recipe, I used my friend Will's Gunshot Sauce. It's not a hot sauce, but a new vinegar-based BBQ sauce that he developed and is available online at http://gunshotsauce.com/index.html.  Gave the crack chicken an added flavor depth that's really quite tasty.

I'll tell you what, Will left some sample bottles with me his last time through town and they are looking for a good home.  The first 12 people to send their address (for purposes of this blog and not to be sold or used for other nepharious purposes) to theculinarycreative@gmail.com, I will send you a free sample of Gunshot Sauce.