If your chicken isn't already cooked and shredded, prepare it first—rotisserie chicken works great and saves time. While the chicken cools slightly, remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator to soften at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes; this ensures it will blend smoothly into the dip without lumps. Shred the Colby Jack cheese if it isn't pre-shredded, and slice your carrots and celery into sticks for serving. Having everything ready before you start cooking makes the assembly seamless.

Add the shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, shredded Colby Jack cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and garlic powder to your crock pot. I find that adding the cream cheese in chunks rather than trying to spread it helps it distribute more evenly throughout the dip. Stir everything together until well combined, making sure to break up any large chunks of cream cheese so the mixture is relatively smooth and uniform.

Cover the crock pot and set it to LOW heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally (about every 30 minutes) to ensure even heating and prevent the edges from drying out. The dip is ready when it's hot throughout and has a creamy, dippable consistency. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl if desired, or keep it warming in the crock pot on the WARM setting during your gathering. Serve alongside tortilla chips and the fresh vegetable sticks you prepared earlier.