Baked Buffalo Bison Dip

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds ground bison
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 0.5 yellows onion , diced
• 0.33 cups hot sauce , such as Frank's or other Louisiana-style hot sauce, or to taste
• 8 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
• 8 ounces pepper Jack cheese , divided
• 3 ounces blue cheese , crumbled, divided
• 0.5 cups celery
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 0.25 cups green onions , optional
• 2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves , optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. 2

   Melt butter in a skillet over high heat and add bison. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until deeply browned and crusty, breaking into very small crumbles with a spatula, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Add onion, reduce heat to medium, and cook until onion is translucent, a few minutes more. Stir in hot sauce, and turn off heat. Let cool while preparing remaining ingredients.

4. 4

   Add cream cheese to a large bowl. Reserve a few tablespoons of grated Jack cheese and blue cheese, and add the rest to the bowl. Add meat mixture and diced celery and stir until thoroughly combined.

5. 5

   Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish, and top with reserved cheese. Dust with cayenne if desired.

6. 6

   Bake in the preheated oven until dip is heated through, and cheeses on top are melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with more diced celery, green onions, and chopped celery leaves. Serve with sliced bread or tortilla chips.