Buffalo Jack Fruit Dip

If you are like me, you enjoy hosting guests for parties and gatherings. I love preparing unique appetizers to share with my friends and loved ones, and I always try to challenge myself by making popular dishes with healthy vegetarian twists. So, when I came across jackfruit as a meat substitute, I was excited to use the exotic fruit while remixing one of my favorite party snacks – buffalo chicken dip.

Jack fruit has a neutral flavor that pairs well with both sweet and savory dishes. Because of its stringy flesh, jack fruit mimics the texture of pulled meat. Jack fruit is also a healthy source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, potassium, and calcium, and contains very little fat.

Buffalo chicken dip is always a crowd favorite at parties and get togethers, so adding this healthy, vegetarian spin to the recipe will surely wow your guests!

I hope you enjoy making and eating this dish as much as I did!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

40 oz of canned of jackfruit *

1/2 cup of hot sauce

1/2 cup shredded cheese blend

1/2 cup of ranch dressing

1 package cream cheese (8 oz)

2 tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper

COOKING SUPPLIES

1 large mixing bowl

1 frying pan

1 whisk

1 8x8 oven safe glass bake pan

2 oven mitts

1 silicone spatula

*Cans of jackfruit can be found at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Walmart, Amazon, your local health food store, or ethnic markets.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Open jack fruit cans and drain liquid.

Using your hands, squeeze excess water out of jackfruit pieces.

Using your hands, pull apart jack fruit pieces until they take on a shredded texture.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once the pan is hot, sauté shredded jackfruit over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use silicone spatula to mix and sauté the jackfruit evenly.

In a mixing bowl combine cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing, and cream cheese.

Add pan-fried jackfruit to bowl and mix ingredients together using a whisk. Mix until cream cheese and cheese blend has melted. *

* I would highly recommend adding the pan-fried jackfruit last so the heat melts the cheese and cream cheese for easier mixing.

Use a silicone spatula to spoon the mixture into an oven safe bakeware. Spread the mixture evenly.

Sprinkle an additional layer of the shredded cheese blend on the top of the mixture.

Bake the mixture for 20 minutes then broil until cheese is light brown and crispy on top.

Once ready, use oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven, and let the dip cool for around 5 -10 minutes.

Serve Buffalo jackfruit dip with tortilla chips for dipping, inside a cut butter croissant, or between two pieces of toasted bread.