Tasty Tailgating: Vera Stewart’s Very Vera Buffalo Chicken Dip

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Tailgating season is upon us and Dawgs around the globe will be spending their Saturdays gathering for football games. To celebrate this exciting time, we are sharing our Tasty Tailgating series once again, bringing you some of the best recipes from University of Georgia alumni.

Vera Stewart (submitted photo).

Vera Stewart (BSHE ’74) is sharing the recipe for her Very Vera buffalo chicken dip this season. Vera is a cookbook author, mentor, Southern cooking host and entrepreneur. She’s been running her own catering business for 40 years in Augusta. In 2011, she was offered her own cooking and lifestyle show: The VeryVera Show.

The buffalo chicken dip she is sharing today pairs well with crackers or vegetables and is sure to be a delicious addition to any spread.

An up-close of Vera Stewart’s buffalo chicken dip (submitted photo).

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Approximately 7 cups

Ingredients:

  • 4 to 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese
  • 1 (1-ounce) package dry ranch seasoning
  • 6 tablespoons Frank’s® Red Hot buffalo wing sauce
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Crackers or fresh vegetables, for serving

Instructions:

  1. Place the chicken breasts in a large pot with water set over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil and boil the chicken until a thermometer inserted in the middle of a chicken breast reads 165°F or higher. Test to see if the chicken is ready by pushing a fork into it and see if it is easily shredded.
  2. Once ready, turn off the burner and remove the chicken from the boiling water. Place on a cutting board to cool slightly. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred by hand with two forks or place the chicken in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, turn the mixer on low or medium speed to shred the chicken.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a large casserole dish with cooking spray.
  4. In a microwave-safe bowl, place the cream cheese in the microwave and melt slightly until softened and easy to mix.
  5. Stir in the ranch seasoning packet and buffalo sauce. Mix until fully combined.
  6. In the prepared casserole dish, mix together the shredded chicken and the cream cheese mixture.
  7. Top with the cheddar cheese and place in the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  8. Serve warm with your favorite crackers and vegetables.

A tailgate spread featuring Very Vera Buffalo Chicken Dip (submitted photo).

Use Vera Stewart’s Very Vera Dip this football season to create the tailgate buffet of your dreams.

Explore UGA Alumni Football HQ

2024 Home Game Guide: Athens

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Fall is just around the corner — which means it’s almost time for the Dawgs to hunker down Between the Hedges once again. If you’re traveling to Athens for a home game this season, here’s a guide to the best restaurants and attractions in the Classic City. 

WHAT TO EAT

Athens has a renowned and diverse restaurant scene. Check out Classic City mainstays downtown like the Last Resort Grill, a southwestern-inspired restaurant with outdoor seating, or Dawg Gone Good BBQ, a hole-in-the-wall, delicious barbecue joint. For a quick bite to eat, be sure to check out Baddies Burgers, an alumni-owned spot by Joe Nedza, located in Five Points. They’re known for their tasty burgers and dessert puddings, including their popular banana cream pie pudding. San Angel Cocina & Cantina, located on Atlanta Highway, serves genuine Mexican food with a variety of menu options, hosting live entertainment and a view from their rooftop bar.

Dawg Gone Good BBQ (Photo/Melanie Velasquez, The Red & Black)

Those looking for a taste of Athens’ fine dining options could head to The National, a Mediterranean-inspired favorite founded by UGA alumnus Peter Dale (ABJ ’99). Peter also owns Seabear Oyster Bar and co-owns Condor Chocolates and Maepole, a counter-service health food restaurant. 

On Sundays, brunch and coffee options abound downtown at Mama’s Boy and South Kitchen and Bar. Want to venture out? Pop in to Independent Baking Co., a cozy bakery filled with flaky, soft pastries and bread, baked fresh daily. 

The National

WHERE TO WATCH

Before the game, cheer on the Redcoat Band, cheerleaders, players and coaches as they enter Sanford Stadium during the Dawg Walk, which happens approximately two hours before kickoff at Gate 10 of the stadium. Show up early and you can watch the Redcoat drumline perform a concert before the walk. 

Even if you don’t have a ticket to the game, there are plenty of places in Athens to enjoy the game day atmosphere. Head over to Athentic Brewing Company, located on Park Avenue, where our official UGA Alumni Game-Watching party will be hosted! Tailgaters surround most of the UGA campus, and big-screen viewing of UGA games is available downtown at both Paloma Park and the Georgia Theatre. If you’d like to stay on campus, the Tate Theater inside the Tate Student Center also shows football games. 

Creature Comforts Downtown Taproom and Brewery

Creature Comforts Brewing Co., a well-known brewery that originated right here in Athens, has the perfect game day atmosphere with outdoor and indoor space. For a laid back experience, Blue Sky Bar, located downtown, serves craft beers and cocktails with a rustic feel and a rooftop patio.

After a Dawgs win, make sure to celebrate by ringing the Chapel Bell on North Campus!

What to Do

In addition to UGA sports, Athens has lots of opportunities for cultural exposure and outdoor adventure. Explore Athens’s history as a musical hub by taking the Athens Music Walk of Fame downtown, or pay a visit to the Georgia Museum of Art, which features traveling exhibitions and an eclectic permanent collection, including a sculpture garden. 

Wire Park

Wire Park, located in Watkinsville, is a family-friendly outdoor space with shops, restaurants, breweries, and fitness establishments. Be sure to swing by for a great family-friendly activity, just 15 minutes from campus! Enjoy nature by visiting Bear Hollow Zoo at Memorial Park, exploring the sprawling State Botanical Garden of Georgia or walking the paths of the North Oconee River Greenway.

Where To Shop

Epps Bridge Centre is an Athens area hotspot. Whether you’re an avid movie-watcher or just love to shop, Epps Bridge Centre has a variety of stores like Alumni Hall, restaurants like Killer Crust Pizza Company and an amazing movie theater called University 16 Cinemas, with recliner seats, slushies, and a do-it-yourself popcorn station! Five Points is a cozy neighborhood with local restaurants and shops to explore like The Pine and Avid Bookshop. Looking for mainstream retail chain stores like, Lululemon and TJ Maxx, Beechwood Shopping Center is the place to go! 

University 16 Cinemas at Epps Bridge Centre

There’s a lot to see in the Classic City! Not making the trip to Athens and looking to connect with Dawgs in your own area? Find your local UGA alumni chapter and cheer on the Dawgs with fellow alumni at a game-watching party near you.

Find Your Game-Watching Party

2024 Away Game Guide: Atlanta

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The Dawgs will kick off the 2024 football season in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Clemson Tigers on Aug. 31, 2024. Heading to Atlanta for the game? Here are some favorites from the Atlanta Alumni Chapter — as well as some of our personal favorites — to help you decide where to eat, visit and watch the game.

WHERE TO EAT 

If you are looking for breakfast before the game, the Silver Skillet offers a “real Southern breakfast,” as their website describes it. This popular ’50s-style diner has a retro feel that has been used in several different television shows and movies, including Netflix’s “Ozark.” The Silver Skillet was also featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”

The Silver Skillet has been featured in several movies and television shows since opening its doors. (Photo/Roadfood)

The Varsity is an Atlanta classic. Since 1928, they’ve been serving up chili dogs and onion rings, and who doesn’t love sporting one of those iconic red hats?  

Antico is newer to the Atlanta food scene but quickly becoming a local favorite. They feature Napoletana-style pizzas and calzones, and their restaurants have a rustic Italian feel. Antico is in an area of Atlanta called “Little Italia,” which features a group of shops and eateries that are all Italian inspired! 

Mary Mac’s Tea Room is another local Atlanta classic. Mary Mac’s has been serving Southern comfort foods since 1945. Several different celebrities and politicians have stopped by, from Beyoncé to President Jimmy Carter.  

WHERE TO WATCH

Sports & Social at The Battery has several television screens and a huge, 30-foot projection screen to watch the game with your fellow fans. They have food, axe-throwing, virtual sports simulators and other amenities to make this a perfect spot to gather for the game. You can even reserve tables ahead of time to make sure you get a spot. 

The Hudson Grille in Midtown also offers a fun game-watching atmosphere. They have a large menu with many dishes to choose from, and they offer private party rooms for your group.  

WHAT TO DO

Atlanta is home to many different attractions and things to do. The World of Coke, located minutes from Mercedes-Benz, shows the history of one of the most recognized soda brands across the world. The College Football Hall of Fame is a great place to start the college football season. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is also located close to Mercedes-Benz. 

The College Football Hall of Fame features memorabilia from several decades of college football. (Photo/Explore Georgia)

The Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the United States. They have several exhibits showcasing animals from whale sharks to beluga whales to bottlenose dolphins.  

Looking to get some fresh air? Take a walk or bike on the 22-mile BeltLine, a trail sprinkled with parks, art, restaurants and other places to stop and look around. One of these stops is Ponce City Market, which features food from different cuisines and has several different stores to shop in. 

WHERE TO SHOP

The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta are a great place to shop if you are looking for a deal. They have Coach, Lucky Brand, Steve Madden, Vera Bradley and more. The Outlets are in Woodstock, about a 45-minute drive north from Atlanta.  

Phipps Plaza is home to several high-end stores, including Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Phipps Plaza is also where you can find the LEGO Discovery Center. 

Phipps Plaza is home to a variety of stores at all price points. (Photo/Explore Georgia)

Not going to Atlanta and want to connect with Dawgs in your area? Look for one of our game-watching parties near you! 

Find Your Game-Watching Party

Alum leaves $1M to support travel, study away

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Grady’s UGA-alum Writer in Residence has a star-studded resume

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Nick Chiles (MFA ’22) has written more books than any other faculty member in the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, so it is no surprise he is their Writer in Residence. Chiles has written over 20 books chronicling Black culture in America, including multiple celebrity memoirs.

He landed at Grady as the Grady Writing Lab coach. At the same time, he joined the MFA Narrative Nonfiction program in the hopes of gaining a full-time faculty role. While going through the program, Chiles continued to teach a writing course.

“I was kind of split in half,” he said. “Half of me was in the building as a student. Half of me was in the building as a faculty member.”

The MFA program has a heavy focus on reading and writing, Chiles shared. Mentors are the key to student success. Graduate students spend a lot of time with their mentor to get feedback and help on projects.

“[Mentors] make the program,” Chiles said.

He took what he learned during the MFA to inform his own classes. He graduated in 2022 and went straight into his new position.

Even as a full-time faculty member, Chiles continues writing. He is currently working on memoirs for Martin Lawrence and Colin Kaepernick. The process of working with these notable figures requires spending a lot of time with them so Chiles can delve into their lives and background.

“Dredging all that stuff up, I think, is unexpectedly painful and emotional for a lot of them in ways that they weren’t expecting,” he said. “And so, there’s a lot of tears, often when I’m going through their family history. I mean, everybody has some pain in their background, in their story.”

Chiles spends months with the celebrities he writes about.

He is also working on a book to chronicle the history of Black comedy in America. He spent the summer doing research, starting as far back as the 1840s with minstrel performers.

“It’s pretty much the history of comedy in the US, because Black people were so integral in forming the idea of what American comedy would look like,” Chiles said.

Chiles won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 as part of an investigative reporting team for New York Newsday. He teaches multiple writing classes at Grady, including feature and memoir writing. Before coming to UGA, Chiles earned his BA at Yale University. He spent time teaching at both Princeton and Columbia.

Throughout his career, Chiles was a reporter for New York Newsday, the Dallas Morning News and the Star-Ledger of New Jersey. He also wrote for the magazines Essence and Ebony, The Atlantic and The Christian Science Monitor.

Learn How You Can Become a UGA Mentor

UGArden receives $10K from Kubota, votes can raise to $50K

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Just a short drive from UGA’s downtown campus sits 10 acres of land known as UGArden. Rows of carrots, okra, kale, squash and much more line the fields. An average of 15,000 pounds of produce is grown on the student farm each year, and that food gets distributed to community members in need.

But that capacity and those partnerships could soon grow, thanks to a $10,000 Kubota Hometown Proud Grant. This grant comes with a unique — and valuable — additional component: a vote competition that could get UGArden an additional $40,000 and one lucky voter a Kubota mower.

VOTE FOR UGARDEN

To vote for UGArden, click on Georgia in the U.S. map that appears on the Kubota voting page.

The $10,000 grant will be utilized to build a self-serve farm stand at UGArden, according to farm director Ty Brooks. Should they get enough votes to receive the additional money, the rest of the funding would support broad improvements to the entire farm.

Other hunger relief programs in Athens are limited because they are not available all year. These programs also tend to only be open during typical workday hours, farm manager April McCoy shared. This prevents some people from being able to use relief programs.

“We’re hoping to fill kind of a gap by creating something that’s available 24/7 so that it’s more convenient,” McCoy said.

Student interns at UGArden in 2017. (PHOTO: Andrew Davis Tucker, UGA MarComm)

During its first year, the farm stand will help an estimated 40 families each week. That number is expected to double to 80 families per week in the stand’s second year. A pay-what-you-can model will be implemented so community members can get the food they need with what they have — even if they can’t afford to pay anything.

Brooks and McCoy both shared excitement about Athens having a 24/7 hunger relief project.

“They used to do a farmers market as part of a class, and the big complaint that people had was that it was during work hours and it was hard for people to get to it,” Brooks said. “So now, we’ll have something that’s available outside of work hours for people to be able to access.”

Aerial view of UGArden from the summer of 2021. (PHOTO: Andrew Davis Tucker, UGA MarComm)

Hear more from Brooks on how UGArden operates in the Cultivating Curiosity podcast from CES.

“The Kubota Hometown Proud grant program was created four years ago as a way for Kubota to give back to our dealers’ hometowns in a meaningful way,” said Todd Stucke, president of Kubota Tractor Corporation and senior vice president for Kubota North America. “Today we are announcing more grants than ever before – for 20 nonprofits from various hometowns across the country – to help with community projects that will make a positive impact in these communities for years to come. We hope the next phase in our program generates even more hometown pride by rallying around each organization and helping to shine a light on the important work they all do.”

The public voting period started on August 1 and ends on August 14. Votes can be cast once a day and the results and winners will be announced in September.

It is estimated that the grand opening for the farm stand will be held in January 2025. Volunteer events will be organized to help UGArden get the stand built and operating. Those interested in supporting the farm stand or UGArden can do so by making a donation or volunteering their time.

Vote For UGArden’s Farm Stand

To vote for UGArden, click on Georgia in the U.S. map that appears on the Kubota voting page.

UGA Alumni affinity groups add new slate of leaders

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University of Georgia Alumni added 29 new members to its affinity group leadership councils.

These alumni affinity groups — UGA Black Alumni, Latino Alumni, Women of UGA, and Young Alumni — work to build welcoming communities and help some of the university’s most dynamic alumni populations connect deeply to their alma mater. Affinity leadership council members are key to these efforts.

“We are excited about welcoming these committed alumni and seeing how each of their talents will contribute to engaging other Bulldogs across the nation,” said Adam Roell (BSED ’10), executive director of alumni relations. “We look forward to supporting our new members as they aim to strengthen the connectivity and reach of our leadership councils and groups.”

Black Alumni Leadership Council

  • Meila Barnes (BS ’16)
  • Cassaundra Govan (BBA ’01, PHD ’12)
  • Roderick Langston (EDD ’12)
  • Geoffrey Loften (BA ’15)
  • Alia Martinez (BBA ’10, MBA ’17)
  • Kydae Scott (BS ’23)
  • Janella Thomas-Burse (BS ’86)
  • Clarisa Thompson (MED ’10)

Returning council member Rodd Cargill (BBA ’10) began a one-year term as council president on July 1.

Latino Alumni Council

  • Isaac Aguilar (BS ’23)
  • Sergio Álvarez-Mena (JD ’81)
  • Oscar Campos (BSME ’20)
  • Benedito Pinto (MBA ’22)
  • Carlos M. Vazquez III (BSED ’09)

Returning council member Debbie Velazquez (BBA ’13) began a one-year term as council president on July 1.

Women of UGA Leadership Council

  • Stacey A. Chavis (MSL ’19)
  • Lindsay Demboski (BSFCS ’06)
  • Jooliana Krummel (BA ’14)
  • Kelley A. O’Keeffe (BA ’07, MBA ’14)
  • Heena Patel (BS ’96)
  • Donjanea Fletcher Williams (ABJ ’00)

Returning council member Crystal Ivey (MBA ’14) began a one-year term as council president on July 1.

Young Alumni Leadership Council

  • Temitayo Akinsanya (BBA ’22)
  • Erin Caplan (ABJ ’19)
  • Austin Gibbons (AB ’20, AB ’20, MBA ’25)
  • Mitchell Hutton (BBA ’19)
  • Noor-E-Alam Marshall (BBA ’18, BBA ’18)
  • Anne-Marie Nneka Nwokoro (AB ’20)
  • Danny Wayne Reagan III (BBA ’22)
  • Chandler Sherry (BFA ’22)
  • Alexis Vickers (BSFCS ’20)
  • Farbod Zahiri (BSEE ’17)

Returning council member Collier Collier (BSED ’10, AB ’10) began a one-year term as council president on July 1.

Donors set new UGA fundraising record

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Alumnus leaves $1.5M estate gift to UGA

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