The Simple Ingredient Swap For High-Protein Buffalo Chicken Dip

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Who doesn't love a spicy, creamy buffalo chicken dip on game day or for a tasty party appetizer? Made to mimic the flavor of buffalo chicken wings, the main ingredients in this baked dip typically include shredded cheese, shredded chicken, hot sauce, ranch dressing, and cream cheese to make it extra creamy. However, if you want to give your buffalo chicken dip a healthy protein boost, simply replace the cream cheese with another creamy but more nutrient-rich ingredient: cottage cheese. 

Cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein, with ½ cup of 2% cottage cheese containing around 12 grams of protein. It's made by adding an acid, such as bacterial cultures or vinegar, to milk, which causes it to separate into curds and whey. The protein-rich curds are cut into pieces and cooked to produce cottage cheese. 

Its creamy, milky, tangy flavor makes cottage cheese the secret to higher-protein banana pudding and the perfect ingredient swap for creamy protein mashed potatoes. These features also make cottage cheese ideal for buffalo chicken dip, not to mention a more nutritious option than cream cheese. Follow a few tips on how to incorporate this wholesome ingredient for the perfect protein-packed party appetizer. 

Buffalo chicken dip is a quick and easy appetizer that only takes around 5 to 10 minutes of prep and 10 to 20 minutes to bake. A serving size of six for this spicy dip requires around 2 cups of cottage cheese or a 16-ounce container. Low-fat (1% or 2%) cottage cheese has a thicker, less watery consistency than nonfat cottage cheese made with skim milk, making it the better choice for a creamy buffalo dip. 

If you don't mind a chunkier texture, simply add the cottage cheese to the other ingredients straight from the container. For a smoother consistency, use a food processor or blender to blend the cottage cheese before adding it. Alternatively, to make it taste extra creamy and blended, blend the cottage cheese with the buffalo or hot sauce and spices like garlic powder and salt and pepper. Food processors like Cuisinart's Mini-Prep Plus or Hamilton Beach's Food Processor and Vegetable Chopper make blending your ingredients super easy. 

If you want to replace the ranch dressing in your buffalo chicken dip recipe with a more nutritious option, try using Greek yogurt instead, which has a tangy flavor suitable for this zesty dip. Buffalo chicken dip is typically served with crackers, tortilla chips, bagel chips, or Fritos, but you can also add nutritious options like celery sticks, carrots, pretzels, bell peppers, or cucumbers. Your game day guests are sure to flock to this protein-packed baked dip.