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Buffalo chicken is truly one of my most favorite foods. I love making a big batch in my crockpot and then turning it into pizza, wraps or salads. Last year, I was looking for a healthier alternative and I saw this idea for buffalo chicken celery sticks in a magazine. I know for the life of me can’t remember what magazine it was or what the exact recipe was so I concocted my own. Not that it’s hard but the idea was quite innovative to me.
Celery is an obvious paring to go with buffalo chicken and the idea of stuffing it was genius to me. You completely eliminate any carb component, making it healthier. It’s also cheese free! You can actually make this a dairy-free recipe if you sub my “homemade” ranch with this dairy-free version from Daiya.
Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks
This delicious snack is a healthy alternative to traditional buffalo wings!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- 1 bunch celery
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix
- 2/3 cup mayo
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
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Place chicken in a 3-quart crockpot. Top with 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce. Cook on LOW for 4 hours (6 hours if frozen).
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Mix ranch mix, mayo, sour cream and milk in a pint size mason jar. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
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Once chicken is cooked, remove it to a bowl and shred. Add remaining 1/2 cup hot sauce and mix to incorporate. (Add more or less to achieve desired spice level.) Allow to cool.
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Remove celery stalks from the bunch and rinse well. Cut into 4″ pieces and lay on a platter.
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Stuff celery with buffalo chicken mixture. Drizzle with ranch dressing and top with dried parsley. Serve immediately.
Key Things to Know About This Recipe
First of all, you must use Frank’s RedHot Sauce. You guys know I’m all about a deal and I use primarily 85% generic brands for my cooking. However, Frank’s RedHot Sauce is the tastiest, hands down. It’s such an authentic buffalo chicken flavor, it can’t be skimped on. Aldi doesn’t carry it regularly, much to my dismay, so I usually stock up on the big bottles when I’m at Target. (As I’m currently using Aldi via Instacart exclusively.)
Do yourself a favor and make the “homemade” ranch. Sure you can substitute it with premade and I won’t judge but I urge you to try making your own with the mix. I’m sure the purists out there wish you were making it wholly from scratch but I find the mix is actually really good! You might notice that my instructions are a tad different than those on the mix packet. I just really like the combo of mayo and sour cream in the dressing. It’s the perfect topper to these buffalo chicken celery sticks!
Need Help With Consistent Meal Planning?
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Taran is a self-proclaimed undomestic mom. She thrives as a stay-at-home-mom by consistently carving out time for herself and practicing realistic self-care. As a busy mom of 3, she knows that if mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy! With a focus on how SAHMs can carve out time for themselves everyday, she teaches fellow SAHMs how they can do the same.
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