Fantastic Four Chicken Appetizer Dipping Sauces

This shop with recipes for four different chicken appetizer dipping sauces was originally a sponsored post.

As the wee ones get older, I know they won’t want to hang out with me as much as they did when they were younger. Little Miss will one day stop cuddling up with me every chance she gets, and Mister Man will head up to his room instead of chilling with us.

I’m doing my best to keep an open and honest relationship with them and find ways to delay that teenage push away as much as possible.

Movie Night with Mommy, whether at home or a theater, is one of our favorite ways to bond. We don’t just pop in a movie; it’s so much more. We have traditions and fun, and we all look forward to these nights.

Cross your fingers we can keep it that way a bit longer, as I still enjoy hanging with them. They’re still “only” 9 and 11, so I know there are a lot of changes coming.

In the meantime, we have four fantastic rules that make our movie night a little out of the ordinary. Feel free to steal some of these or make your own. Whatever you do, don’t stop spending quality time with your kids.

Four Fantastic Movie Night Rules

No distractions allowed. 

When we watch the movie, we watch the movie. That means no one is on a phone or tablet or computer. No one reads a book. And yes, this include me, not just the wee ones.

Like any kids, they could happily immerse themselves in a game or book and “watch” the movie without really watching it. We design this as quality time, and that means we keep our focus on one thing at a time.

Let the kids choose the meal.

Like most parents, usually I decide what we eat and then make it. That isn’t the case when we have our movie nights. I let them choose what we’ll have for dinner, and they help make it.

This is a great way to sneak in extra time together with the meal prep in the kitchen. As a parent, I want to teach them some great life skills, too.

For our most recent movie night, I let the kids wander the store aisles, since they couldn’t decide what they wanted initially.

They finally chose popcorn chicken and Honey BBQ boneless wings, and I decided we’d have some fun and make four different appetizer dipping sauces to go along with them. Check out the recipes and the stories behind them below, as the sauces really made this night special.

Granted, I served this at a movie night, but these would be perfect for a football party, too. I love serving appetizers at gatherings with friends, whether it’s chicken with these four appetizer dipping sauces or my smoky cheesy chicken enchilada dip or a traditional guacamole or buffalo chicken dip.

Break some rules.

We have a pretty strict rule that food stays in the kitchen. You eat sitting down at the table, and that’s it. For movie night, we make an exception. It helps when the food isn’t super messy, but we eat together in the family room.

The wee ones think it’s special that I suspend one of our cardinal family rules. They feel like they’re getting away with something and that I’m part of a conspiracy with them. It’s a little thing, but they love it.

Make a big bowl of popcorn.

We love popcorn. We incorporated this as a tradition for our movies. My husband or I will make stove popped popcorn. Popcorn and the movies always go together, and it tastes so much better when you pop it yourself.

It isn’t hard to do, but it makes the wee ones so happy. More fun? Those four appetizer dipping sauces I mentioned earlier go great with not just the chicken but with popcorn, too. They had never had savory flavored popcorn, and they decided it was a coolest thing ever.

It’s such a small thing, but when they see that I’m making an effort to do something special with the four appetizer dipping sauces and stove popped popcorn, they know it means just as much to me as it does to them.

Never popped your own popcorn? Check out the tutorial below. It’s simpler (and cheaper!) than you think.

The four appetizer dipping sauces are easy to make and so much fun to eat. They have a great variety, and it makes our dinner even more fun. The new FANTASTIC FOUR movie was my inspiration.

Four Sauces to Go with the Chicken Fingers

I chose four appetizer dipping sauces that complement the characters of the movie perfectly. The four appetizer dipping sauces I chose include cheese, buffalo, citrus garlic, and honey mustard.

Just like our popcorn chicken disappeared faster than you would believe possible, the garlic citrus dip I made disappeared without a trace.

Cheese dip complements the chicken so well. It’s a standby that never fails.

My buffalo sauce pairs perfectly with chicken for most spice and fire to keep things interesting.

My honey mustard sauce is a twist on a classic and is not the cloying sweet version you expect. It’s a perfect (and yummy) fit.

So how do you make these four appetizer dipping sauces?

Buffalo Dipping Sauce

Buffalo sauce is a tradition. Everyone makes it differently, with most involving melted butter and hot sauce. I add a couple twists to mine to amp up the flavor.

Not only do I melt together the traditional butter and hot sauce, but I add a touch of Worcestershire Sauce and celery salt to it, along with a hint of garlic. Just simmer those together for five to ten minutes, and you’re ready to go. My mouth waters just thinking about it!

Citrus Garlic Dipping Sauce

The citrus garlic sauce is just as easy, as this is the only of the four appetizer dipping sauces that requires no cooking. You simply whisk together the ingredients. Lime juice, minced garlic, honey, and a little oil come together to make a great sauce.

The garlic can be strong, as it is raw garlic, so once the citrus garlic sauce has had a chance for flavors to meld, strain the garlic before serving. That gives you the hint of the garlic flavor without letting it overpower the dipping sauce.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Mister Man loved the honey mustard best, no question. Not only was he dipping his popcorn chicken in it, but he dipped his popcorn in it, too.

Add the cold water and cornstarch to a pan and stir with a fork to combine. Add the honey and heat until it starts to boil, stirring periodically, then simmer for five or so minutes, until it’s thickened somewhat.

While it’s simmering, slice green onions thinly to add a little extra flavor to your sauce. This is a great pairing and so delicious.

Once the honey thickens, add the mustard and lemon juice. Stir to combine. It’s sweet and tangy and a great twist on the sometimes heavy honey mustard sauce I usually make.

Easy Cheesy Dipping Sauce

And then there’s the cheese sauce. Honestly,  I made this one just for myself. It’s one of my favorite flavors ever.

Like all cheese sauces, whether you’re making a soup or macaroni and cheese, you start with a roux. Melt butter in a pan, then add flour and stir with a fork. Let it cook for a few minutes to get the raw flour flavor out a bit.

Add your milk while whisking and simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Remove from the heat and add your mustard, stirring to combine.

Add small handfuls of cheese at a time, stirring until it melts entirely before adding more. If you add too much at a time, it clumps and doesn’t incorporate well into your sauce. Serve this one warm, and reheat if you make it ahead of time.

Each of these is ready in minutes, and you can make all of them at the same time or make them ahead of time to just reheat as needed to serve with your movie appetizers. Or popcorn. Or make it a great movie night and go with both!

I shared my four appetizer dipping sauces. What would you pair with your movie night food?

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