It’s football season and I’m ready for some party food! Let’s take a quick time out from baby food posts, shall we? We had friends over this week for Monday Night Football and I immediately knew I had to try these Buffalo Chicken Bites that I had bookmarked. I also knew that if they turned out as good as I thought after reading about them on Stephanie and Melissa’s blogs, then these were going to instantly become a favorite – or should I say a staple – for our football parties. And wouldn’t you know, I was definitely right on this intuition.
One of the best things about this appetizer, is you can prepare these in the morning and keep them in the fridge until ready to bake. Or, make them days ahead and freeze them! If you freeze them, just bake them for about 5 minutes longer. (Yes, I even tested it!)
Stephanie, from Macaroni and Cheesecake, was brilliant for baking them instead of frying, which is the method I went with since they still end up crispy. Additionally, I decided to dip them in crushed Corn Flakes cereal rather than bread crumbs, since it works so well for my favorite Chicken Strips. I’m glad I made this change because the Corn Flakes add a crunchy texture and a sweet flavor.
If you love the taste of buffalo sauce, I recommend adding more of the hot sauce to the recipe. The original calls for only 1/4 cup, but I found myself adding at least 1/2 cup and could still possibly use a little more. My changes are reflected in my adaptation of the recipe below.
Dip these puppies in ranch or blue cheese dressing for a finishing touch. If you make these, I’ll guarantee the football game will be much more enjoyable and you’ll have everyone inviting themselves over for the next game!
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (About 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin discarded)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (or more to your taste)
- 3 1/2 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 3/4 cups sharp or medium shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 – 4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed
Preheat oven to 350?F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce until combined. Stir in the cheddar cheese and green onions.
Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop, spoon out the chicken mixture and roll into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on a plate or separate baking sheet (not lined) until ready to dip.
In three separate bowls, set out the flour, eggs and Corn Flakes. Dip each chicken ball first into the flour, then the egg and ending with the Corn Flakes. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
**If freezing for later, place the dipped and uncooked chicken balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready. To bake, place the frozen chicken balls back on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350?F for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
Source: Adapted from The Food Network via Macaroni and Cheesecake and Made by Melissa
http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/09/16/buffalo-chicken-bites/
But, as I think about it and rack my brain, I’m pretty sure it was around 48. I’m making them again soon, so I’ll definitely count them again!
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