Buffalo Chicken Dip (the lighter version)

My life has been overtaken by counting calories the past few months.  I actually really enjoy it, which is shocking because it's not something I ever thought I'd do.   BUT at the same time, it's also really awful because I actually see how many calories are in some of my favorite foods and it's depressing!   If anyone is interested in tracking calories....I use livestrong.com to track mine!  It's a super easy website and my favorite part is that I can plug in my favorite recipes and it tells me how many calories I'm actually eating in a serving!     Which leads me to my next Family Football Favorite......

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP!  YUMMY!!!   If you like buffalo-style chicken wings, you will love this dip!  It's creamy, with a little crunch and a whole lot of spice and it's really easy!  It's a perfect dip for anytime..but especially football season!   It's also one of my husband's favorites!

I tweaked my original recipe (which I got from one of my best friends, Alyssa) to make it a somewhat lighter version.   The only difference is to swap out regular cream cheese for the 1/3 less fat and serve it with crackers and tortilla chips instead of celery and carrots!    You decide which is the right fit for you!  :)

Buffalo Chicken Dip (the healthier version)

2 pkg. 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese (Neufchatel)

2 small or 1 large can of chicken (I use all white meat Swanson)

1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch (dry mix)

1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce (more or less to your liking)

1/2 cup diced celery

Celery, Carrots, Crackers or Tortilla Chips for dipping

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine cream cheese, hot sauce and ranch packet in a bowl and mix well with a mixer (hand or stand) until smooth.

Add chicken and celery and mix until it's incorporated.  

Pour mixture into an 8x8 baking dish.  

Cook for about 20 minutes or until it starts to bubble...stirring every so often.

Serve warm with celery sticks, carrot sticks, crackers or tortilla chips. 

ENJOY!

~Gianna~