Tasty Tuesdays: Buffalo Chicken Bites

Photo Courtesy of The Other Side of 50

One of my very favorite things is stumbling on a fabulous blog.  I feel like I've hit the jackpot when I spy a site that encompasses everything I love to spend my free time reading about: food, travel, fashion, crafts. 

Last week, I found Your Southern Peach and fell in love with her Friday Five post.  Who doesn't love mason jar projects, football, and ice cream parties?!

One of Southern Peach's Friday Favorites took me to Copacetic in Carolina's post "Southern Fried Football: Tailgate Fare and SEC Superfans."  I was in heaven - two fabulous new blogs in one day!!! 

As you may have guessed from last week's post, I have football on the brain.  Going to training camp Saturday only exacerbated my condition.  It's all I think about.  Have we signed Zach or Jermon?  When will Cam Jordan finally come to camp?  Who will we get for depth at defensive tackle?  There's just so much going on in the frenzy that is the post-lockout NFL. 

I love Copacetic in Carolina's tailgate recipe collage!

While our final roster remains a mystery, one thing is certain...  it's August.  With August comes pre-season football and with football comes a tailgate.  In the South, that means only one thing - good food, good friends, good times.  When you're cooking for a crowd, you have to have tasty easy recipes that can be eaten on the go.  Every recipe featured in CIC's post is better than the next.  But, if I had to choose the one I cannot wait to try on Friday, August 12th (the night of the first Saints pre-season home game) it would have to be the Buffalo Chicken Bites.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Printable Recipe

Yield: 48 small bites, or 30 medium bites

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (About 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin discarded)
1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (or more to your taste)
3 1/2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sharp or medium shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 – 4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, mix the chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce until combined.  Stir in the cheddar cheese and green onions.

Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop, spoon out the chicken mixture and roll into about 1 1/2 inch balls.  Place on a plate or separate baking sheet (not lined) until ready to dip.

In three separate bowls, set out the flour, eggs and Corn Flakes.  Dip each chicken ball first into the flour, then the egg and ending with the Corn Flakes. 

Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

**If freezing for later, place the dipped and uncooked chicken balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 15 to 20 minutes.  Transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready.  To bake, place the frozen chicken balls back on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.

What's your favorite tailgating food?