A New Take on Buffalo Chicken

The popularity of Buffalo Wings ultimately created a whole new flavor category and a food trend that has popped up in dips, sandwiches, salads, pizzas and pretzels to name a few.  I decided to hop on the Buffalo bandwagon with my own rendition using boneless chicken while keeping an eye on the fat and sodium.  The simple marinade for this dish consists of plain Greek yogurt which tenderizes the chicken plus a good dose of hot sauce to add the kick.  The creaminess of the yogurt coating coupled with the tang of the blue cheese and crunch of the celery tastes like you're eating Buffalo chicken dip for dinner!  

Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese and Celery

Makes 6 servings

3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Frank's RedHot)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
Paprika

1. Mix the yogurt and hot sauce in a bowl. 




2. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag.  Add yogurt mixture, mixing to coat chicken.  Seal the bag.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

3. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Remove the chicken from the yogurt mixture and place on the baking sheet (most of the yogurt mixture will cling to the chicken).  Discard any remaining yogurt mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until done. 
5. Mix the blue cheese and celery.  Spoon the celery mixture over chicken breasts and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for 5 minutes more or until cheese slightly melts.  Slice chicken and serve.

Nutrition Information per serving: 299 calories, 14 g. total fat, 6 g. saturated fat, 116 mg. cholesterol, 582 mg. sodium, 3 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. dietary fiber, 2 g. sugar, 38 g. protein

Chicken Portion Size Tip: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can no longer be considered single serving size portions.  They can range anywhere from 5 to 12 ounces each!  The average portion size should be about 4 ounces or the size of a deck of cards.  Before serving a chicken dish, slice each breast into 4 or 5 pieces and arrange on a serving platter.  This will allow you to manage your portion size.