By Andre's Netflix show premiered. The whole family watched — Curtis at his house (he doesn't do group viewing; he watches alone and forms opinions in private), me and the kids at the townhouse, Derek on FaceTime from his apartment. Andre appeared in the third sketch, playing a Southern grandfather at a barbecue, and the bit was so clearly based on Curtis that I texted Andre: "DADDY IS GOING TO KNOW." Andre replied: "That's the point." Curtis called the next morning and said, "That boy put me on television." I said, "Did you like it?" Long pause. "I didn't say that." Another pause. "But I didn't say I didn't like it either." Curtis Jackson, ladies and gentlemen.
Made a watch party spread: wings, popcorn, sliders, a cheese board (Curtis would have disapproved; I made it anyway). The kids laughed at Andre's sketches with the particular pride of people who know the real person behind the character. Marcus said, "Uncle Andre is actually funny." As if this were news. As if the man hasn't been making us laugh since 1993.
When you’re putting together a spread worthy of your son’s Netflix premiere, you need something that can bubble away on its own while you’re busy FaceTiming Derek and texting Andre about the inevitability of Curtis recognizing himself on screen. This buffalo chicken dip was exactly that — I set it in the crockpot before the show started, and by the time Andre’s sketch came on, it was perfectly hot and ready to be demolished alongside the popcorn and sliders. Curtis would have had opinions about the cheese board, but even he couldn’t argue with a dip this good.
Buffalo Chicken Dip (Crockpot Recipe)
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours | Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie works great)
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
- Tortilla chips, celery sticks, and crackers for serving
Instructions
- Layer the base. Place the cubed cream cheese in the bottom of a 2–3 quart slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken on top.
- Add the sauces. Pour the buffalo wing sauce and ranch dressing over the chicken and cream cheese. Stir gently to begin combining.
- Add cheese. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese and all of the mozzarella over the top.
- Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the cream cheese is fully melted and the dip is hot throughout. Stir well to combine everything evenly.
- Top and finish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese over the top, replace the lid, and let it melt for an additional 10 minutes.
- Garnish and serve. Top with sliced green onions and keep the slow cooker on the WARM setting throughout your watch party. Serve with tortilla chips, celery sticks, and crackers.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 480mg