Buffalo Chicken Dumplings

You could put just about anything in a dumpling and I would be happy (the only non-negotiable exceptions are cilantro and mushrooms) so I’m always thinking about new fillings. Finger food is also important for my family as we plan what “snacks” we will have during football games and other sporting events. Chicken wings are one of our favorites. My husband and son like them plain but my daughter and I love spicy food so we opt for traditional buffalo wings with blue cheese dip on the side for me and ranch for her. We will of course have them for the Super Bowl this year but I wanted to take the flavors and see how they worked in a dumpling. There are great recipes for Buffalo Chicken dip, nachos, pizza, etc., So why not dumplings? I use egg roll wrappers and cut them into quarters but round or square dumpling wrappers would be great too. The filling is super simple – chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese and cheddar cheese – and you can either pan fry, deep fry or boil them. My daughter isn’t the biggest fan of blue cheese but if you like it, you can add a couple of crumbles of blue cheese to the mixture before you stuff the dumplings.

Ingredients

1/2 package cream cheese (I like Philadelphia), room temperature

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (a rotisserie chicken is a perfect shortcut here)

4 tbs hot sauce (I like the traditional Frank’s Red Hot) or more if you like a real punch

2 tbs shredded cheddar cheese

6 – 8 egg roll wrappers cut in quarters or 2 – 3 dozen dumpling wrappers

Directions

Combine the cream cheese, chicken, hot sauce and cheddar cheese together until well mixed.

Fill each dumpling with a small spoonfull of filling and dab some water along the edges to seal the dumplings. You can do whatever folding shape you like!

There are lots of methods to cook them (boil, steam, etc.) but my favorite is pan frying them. Just place a few dumplings in a pan with some oil and fry till golden brown on the bottom.

Add a tablespoon or two of water and cover till the water has evaporated and the dumplings are cooked, about three minutes. You can add a bit more water if they need more time to cook depending on how large your dumplings are.

Serve them with blue cheese dip or ranch dressing. Enjoy!