Football Watchin': UGA vs. ASU

I always have some sort of theme going on when it comes to football watching food or tailgate cuisine. When I have time, I will do a retrospective on the two tailgates we attended previous to the blog. Thankfully, I have pictures of my efforts to include. Last night, the Bulldogs stomped the Sun Devils SEC-style and although we weren't able to make the trek to Tempe, I brought a little heat of my own into the living room. These hot-wings will have your palette burning - but in a good way. They're just the right degree of hotness in my opinion, however you may vary it according to taste by either decreasing the amount of butter down to 2 tablespoons or increasing it up to 8 tablespoons. I prefer my wings fried; but since I don't have one of those handy-dandy frying apparatuses, it creates quite a mess in my kitchen. Also, for the sake of cardio-health, I have engineered a very nice baked product. The result is very close to the fried variety. Although I first learned to make wings while slaving away at Locos with Baxter, this is not a copy of their sauce recipe. This is my own creation, and one I am happy to share. I serve my wings with extra sauce on the side, plenty of bleu cheese, celery and Alexia brand Sweet Potato Fries (which also taste really good dipped in the bleu cheese!)

Sun-Devil-Stompin' Hot Wings

1 cup Texas Pete Hot Sauce

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

2 pounds chicken wings, trimmed and cut into drums and flats

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees for at least 15 minutes. Spray broiler pan with canola spray and arrange wings skin side down on pan.

2. Bake wings for 20 minutes, meanwhile

3. While wings are cooking, prepare sauce:

• melt butter in microwave,


• measure Texas Pete and pour into a large bowl that you can toss the wings in


• slowly whisk in melted butter


• add lemon juice and seasonings and whisk again until well blended

4. After your wings have baked for 20 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 15 minutes

5. Remove wings from oven and toss in the sauce

6. Place back on pan and bake for an additional 5 minutes

7. Remove the wings from oven and repeat, tossing in sauce and baking again for 5 to 10 more minutes - or until they look good and ready

8. Arrange wings on plate and serve with bleu cheese, celery and whatever else strikes your fancy

***If you're lucky enough to have a fryer, just fry your wings according to your fryer's directions and toss them in the sauce when they're done!***