Sampler Platter Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish or an ovenproof skillet.

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Stir in sour cream, ranch dressing and hot sauce until fully combined.

Fold in the shredded chicken and 3/4 cup shredded cheddar. Season with salt and black pepper. If using blue cheese, fold in half now and reserve the rest for topping.

Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish, top with remaining cheddar and remaining blue cheese (if using). Bake 20–25 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives or green onions before serving.

Marinate and bread

Place cubed chicken in a bowl and pour buttermilk over it. Stir to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 hours).

While chicken marinates, combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or zip-top bag.

Remove chicken from buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge pieces in the flour mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on a tray and rest 10 minutes to let coating set.

Fry

Heat about 1 to 1.5 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry chicken in batches, avoiding overcrowding, 4–5 minutes per batch until golden-brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Drain on paper towels.

Make buffalo sauce & toss

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 4 tbs unsalted butter. Whisk in 1/2 cup hot sauce until smooth and warmed; remove from heat. Place fried chicken in a large bowl, pour the buffalo sauce over and toss to coat evenly.

Keep warm in a low oven (about 200°F / 95°C) if assembling platter, or serve immediately with ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side.

Prepare pretzels

Preheat oven according to frozen pretzel package instructions (typically 400°F / 200°C). Arrange pretzel nuggets on a baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Bake per package directions until warmed and lightly golden, about 8–10 minutes. Keep warm.

Make beer cheese

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 1/2 cup beer and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Warm until steaming but not boiling.

Reduce heat to low and add the shredded sharp cheddar and 2 oz cream cheese a handful at a time, stirring constantly until smooth and fully melted. Stir in Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. If the cheese is too thin, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tsp cold water and whisk into the sauce; simmer 1–2 minutes to thicken.

Keep the beer cheese warm (low heat) while plating. Serve pretzel nuggets alongside beer cheese for dipping.

On a large platter, place the baked buffalo chicken dip in a shallow bowl or dish near the center or at one end. Arrange the hot boneless wings (tossed in buffalo sauce) beside the dip.

Place the baked pretzel nuggets and a small warm bowl of beer cheese on the platter. Add small ramekins of ranch and blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Garnish the platter with chopped parsley and additional chives if desired. Serve immediately while wings and pretzels are hot and the dip and beer cheese are warm.