Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole (Print Version)

Bold buffalo chicken and gooey cheese baked into a comforting pasta casserole for game day or family dinners.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (rotisserie or poached)

→ Casserole Base

02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1 cup ranch dressing
04 - 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, adjusted to taste
05 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
06 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
07 - 8 oz cooked pasta shells or rotini

→ Topping

08 - 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles (optional)
09 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
10 - 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, and buffalo wing sauce. Stir until smooth and creamy with no lumps remaining.
03 - Fold in the shredded chicken, cooked pasta, 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
04 - Transfer the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and spread it into an even layer. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheeses.
05 - If desired, sprinkle blue cheese crumbles and panko breadcrumbs over the top for extra flavor and crunch.
06 - Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and the top is golden brown.
07 - Remove from the oven and garnish with thinly sliced green onions. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It delivers every single flavor of buffalo wings without the mess of frying or the patience required for actual wings.
  • The cream cheese and ranch base makes it impossibly creamy, while the pasta turns it into something that actually fills people up.
  • You can throw it together with rotisserie chicken and pantry staples in about fifteen minutes before it handles itself in the oven.
02 -
  • Do not skip softening the cream cheese because cold lumps will survive all the stirring in the world and end up as chalky surprises in your finished casserole.
  • Reserve a half cup of pasta cooking water before draining, because if your assembled mixture feels too thick, a splash of that starchy water loosens it perfectly without diluting flavor.
03 -
  • Shred your own cheese from a block rather than buying pre shredded bags, because the anti caking agents on bagged cheese prevent it from melting as smoothly and luxuriously.
  • Let the finished casserole rest for five to eight minutes before serving, because the consistency transforms from soupy to perfectly scoopable as it settles.

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