I realize that with the pandemic comes an unprecedented uptick in our screen time...that's only exacerbated by the fact that I am still nursing my son which I do while, you guessed it, looking at my phone. I find my time is often spent mostly on Instagram because unlike Facebook, it's devoid of political BS, and the people I follow only share food...

The other day, a girl I follow, shared this video of her making what looked like Lunchables meat and cheese squares, stacked into a small pile, then wrapped in Pillsbury French Bread Dough, and deep fried.

Let's break this down. First, I had never thought to deep fry french bread dough, so that got the old creative chef gears turning....I thought..."wow, that's a fantastic idea, but the filling of these gross ham and cheese squares really doesn't turn my palate on". So I started thinking....what can you fill french bread dough with and then deep fry, and it will be delicious?

The answer is, f*cking everything. What wouldn't be delicious in deep fried bread dough?

The dough she used looked to be of the Pillsbury persuasion (ie. the kind that comes from a can, that you pop open and dough spills out). My husband used to bake the Pillsbury French Bread ALL the time when we first moved in together and I was never really into the taste of it...but I figured, when deep fried, it would take on a whole new taste. And I was right *pats self on back*

My husband was the one who came up with the buffalo chicken filling because let's be honest, the man would eat buffalo chicken off of the street if it was there. So we went with that. I precooked the chicken, tossed it in my favorite Frank's Red Hot "Wings" sauce with some herbs/spices and oh my god, this was something out of a fairy tale.

While this is my first foray into french bread dough deep fried gloriousness, it will not be my last. I have so many ideas for this that I can barely contain myself. But I will say, this experiment was delicious! I could see this as an appetizer for Sunday football Tailgate parties, Superbowl, or for any occasion really.....

On that note, after trying this dish with Pillsbury's French Bread Dough, I then tried it again with the Pillsbury Pizza Dough (the Classic, not the thin crust) and it came out even BETTER. The dough was thicker and easier to work with, and was more pliable without ripping. The taste was seemingly the same, but it was a better product for construction purposes. The pizza dough also got fluffier in the deep fryer which was a most pleasant texture. You can try either, but I suggest the Pizza Dough!

Enjoy!

How to assemble - step by step

Buffalo Chicken Bombs

Prep Time

10 Minutes
Cook Time

10 Minutes
Total Time

20 Minutes
Yield

Makes 8 Bombs

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Cooked Chicken Thighs, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Wings Sauce (plus more for garnish)
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1 cup Shredded Swiss Raclette Cheese
  • 1 Package Pillsbury Pizza Dough Classic (not the thin crust)
  • 48 oz. Canola Oil, for frying
  • Chives, for garnish

Directions

  • In a bowl, mix together your chicken, hot sauce, oregano and cheese.
  • Roll out your french bread dough into a flat sheet. Cut 8 equal squares out of it.
  • Place about 1/3 cup of your chicken mixture into the center of each dough square. Carefully enclose the dough over the filling to create a ball with no holes in it.
  • Heat up a medium/large sized pot with your Canola Oil in it. Get the oil to 365 degrees.
  • One at a time, deep fry your dough balls until golden brown (about 2 minutes). The balls will want to float to the top of the oil, so using a spider or metal slotted spoon, hold the ball under the oil so it cooks evenly. Remove the balls from the oil and let drain on a paper towel lined plate.
  • Serve immediately with extra hot sauce and chopped chives. You can also serve this with Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing!