Blissful Basil

When I first made the jump to vegetarianism, buffalo chicken dip was definitely something I thought I would never be eating again. And it made me sad. Not so much the part about not eating chicken, but not having a proper vessel to deliver the tangy, spicy, orange deliciousness that is buffalo sauce? I wasn’t okay with that in the slightest. So, I found new vessels for buffalo sauce: celery sticks, cucumber rounds, scrambled eggs, pita chips, etc (odd but delicious combos if you’re brave enough to try). However, none of these quite hit the sweet spot; that spot nestled between heart and cravings was simply unappeased by the shallow depth of flavor that buffalo sauce and {insert bland vessel} delivered. But in emptiness, there are answers…

Over the past month, I had dreams of making this typically meat-eater-only dip a vegan reality, and with a tiny bit of creativity this multi-layered loveliness came to be.

And I’ll never again be able to say that I miss buffalo wings because this dip is all that and a bag of pita chips. In fact, it’s so good that Dan and I may have eaten all 6-8 servings in one sitting. Hey, I said may have so don’t judge. Or do judge because we did and it was delicious.

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip (Serves 6- 8)

◊ 10 ounces “chicken” strips or breasts (I used Gardein Chick’n Scallopini), grilled or cooked according to instructions

◊ 8 ounces Tofutti cream cheese

◊ 4 to 6 ounces mozzarella cheese substitute (I used Almond cheese)

◊ 1/2 cup buffalo sauce of choice, plus more for garnishing

◊ 4 scallions, chopped for garnish

◊ Celery sticks, whole wheat pita chips, or tortilla chips for dipping

Heat oven to 350º F.

1. Shred or chop “chicken” strips.

2. In a small baking pan, spread tofutti evenly over bottom. Top with chicken, buffalo sauce, and mozzarella.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

4. Top with scallions and serve immediately.