Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6). While it heats, take your cream cheese out of the fridge so it softens slightly — you want it to be spreadable, not rock hard.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Stir until the mixture is smooth and pale, with no visible streaks of cream cheese remaining. You'll notice the colour lightens to a creamy ivory as it comes together.

Fold in the shredded chicken and pour over the buffalo hot sauce. Stir everything together until every piece of chicken is coated in that vibrant orange-red sauce. The smell at this point is sharp and vinegary — that's the buffalo sauce doing its job.

Add half of the cheddar and half of the mozzarella to the bowl, folding gently until the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. The texture should look thick and chunky, with visible pockets of cheese.

Transfer the mixture into a 20cm x 20cm baking dish (or similar ovenproof dish). Spread it out into an even layer using the back of a spoon. The surface should look bumpy and uneven, which is exactly what we want.

Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and mozzarella over the top in an even blanket. Don't press it down — let it sit loosely so it melts into a golden crust.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese on top has turned a deep golden brown with darker spots. You'll hear it gently sizzling as it comes out of the oven, and the smell will fill your kitchen with that unmistakable buffalo warmth.

Remove from the oven and let it rest for 2-3 minutes. The dip will be extremely hot and liquid — it needs a moment to settle. Garnish with sliced spring onions and serve immediately with your chosen dippers.