A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

With Super Bowl 51 just around the corner I thought I would do a post on easy to make snacks for the game. My friends at Willow Tree Farm sent me over some of their chicken dips to get the party started. So no matter which team you are cheering for (ahem, the Patriots), you’re sure to be stuffed by the end of the game!

Let’s start with the Layered Buffalo Chicken Dip using Willow Tree Farm’s Buffalo Chicken Dip. This was super easy to make and you can serve it in the dish you baked it in. I added in extra bacon, the original recipe had 4 slices, but I bumped it to 6 because you know if you’re the 4th person to get to the dip, there’s not going to be any bacon left… You can serve it with tortilla chips (make sure they are the sturdy ones) or veggies.

Ingredients:

• Willow Tree Buffalo Chicken Dip
• 1 can of refried beans
• ¼ cup of hot sauce
• ¾ cup of crumbled blue cheese
• 1 block of cream cheese
• 6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
• 3 scallions
• Tortilla chips

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• In a small bowl mix refried beans with ¼ cup of hot sauce and then spread into baking dish as first layer
• Spread the cream cheese on top of the beans
• Spread Willow Tree Buffalo Chicken Dip on top of cream cheese layer
• Top with blue cheese
• Bake for 20-25  minutes
• Remove from the oven and top with scallions and bacon bits
• Serve with celery and tortilla chips!

Next up , the Chicken Caesar Dip Artichoke and Spinach Pizza using the Willow Tree Farm Caesar Chicken Dip.

Ingredients:

• Store-bought pizza crust
• Willow Tree Farm Caesar Chicken Dip
• Chopped spinach (I used 3/4 of a frozen container)
• Chopped artichoke hearts (I used about 4)
• Parmesan cheese to taste
• Olive oil
• 4 Garlic cloves

Directions:

• Let pizza crust sit out on the counter and come up to room temperature. Dust store bought crust with flour and spread into pizza pan.
• Mix the olive oil and chopped garlic and spread on pizza crust
• Spread Willow Tree Farm Cesar Chicken Dip on top of the olive oil and garlic
• Top with the artichoke hearts and spinach
• Top with grated Parmesan cheese
• Bake in oven (according to crust directions). I baked mine at 450 for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool

I might have even added some mozzarella cheese to this pizza – but it was delicious. You can cut the pizza into small squares or slices and have your guests serve themselves (that way you can enjoy the game!)

And finally, the Chicken Salad with Cranberry & Apple. The original recipe called for this to be on a rustic white bread. I decided to make these with a baguette, they are so cute when they are bite sized and this way people can help themselves (read: less work for you). I added the apple slices first because it was easier to balance the chicken salad on top rather than vice versa. I loved the flavors here, a little sweet, a little tart from the Granny Smith apples, creamy chicken salad and crunch from the toast.

Ingredients:

• Rustic white bread or baguette
• 1 tablespoon Willow Tree White Meat Chicken Salad
• 1 teaspoon dried cranberries
• ¼ apple, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon Vermont sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions:

• Lightly toast the bread so that it is crisp but not overly crunchy.
• Mix the cranberries into the Willow Tree White Meat Chicken Salad, then spread over the toast slice.
• Arrange the apple slices over the Willow Tree White Meat Chicken Salad and top with sharp Vermont cheddar.
• Place under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbling, golden brown.

Disclaimer: Willow Tree Farm sent me complimentary samples of their dips and chicken salad to use for these recipes. All opinions are my own.

For more information on Willow Tree Farm, check out their website.

 

Tags: holiday, recipes