Chicken

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With football season upon us, I simply can’t pass up an opportunity to make delicious little finger foods and a spread of apps. And it goes without saying that chicken wings and football go hand in hand.

Today, I’m making my famous Crispy Baked Chicken Wings and I’m tossing them in a sweet & sticky sauce starring Coca-Cola. This sauce compliments the crisp chicken perfectly. Plus, it’s a nice alternative to traditional “hot wings”. Coca-Cola is our go to beverage in this house. I mean who doesn’t want to kick back and relax with an ice cold Coca-Cola. We may root for different teams, but at the end of the day that’s one thing we can all agree on. So, it seemed only natural to me that I incorporate it in my sauce as well.

This recipe doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and the sauce can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. That way when those crispy wings come out of the oven they’ll be ready to toss right before the big game!

Shopping For The Essentials

First, you’ll need some game day essentials! By starting at Food Lion you can find everything you need and save money doing it! I love that Shop & Earn – Food Lion’s MVP Rewards Program goes a step above. You actually get more savings by buying the things you love! Getting credit for something I’m already going to buy anyway is amazing! Visit the Food Lion Home Page to sign up (if you haven’t yet!) and check out any weekly specials! Next, check out your Shop & Earn page to activate your personalized monthly offers. Then shop, get all of the essentials you need and love, make sure to scan your MVP Card with each purchase you make. Finally, redeem! All earned rewards get added to your MVP wallet and automatically redeemed on your next purchase. It’s as easy as that.

Let’s get to it! For our game day wings I’m purchasing:

• Coca-Cola
• Coke Zero Sugar
• Food Lion Frozen Chicken Wings
• Carrots
• Celery
• Food Lion Ranch Dip Mix
• Food Lion Plain Greek Yogurt

I already had a few of the ingredients at home like: milk, bacon, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic ..etc. (The full list of ingredients you’ll need is below in the recipe card, so be sure to check it before you head to the store.) I’m getting everything I need to make the wings, as well as ingredients for a Garlic Ranch Dipping Sauce. Plus, I’m grabbing celery & carrots because if we’re going to have wings, I definitely want fresh, crisp veggies to balance them out!

Game Day Wings

Once you’ve gathered all of your ingredients, it’s time to get cooking! As I mentioned above you can definitely make your sauce ahead of time if need be, just store it in the fridge and reheat on low right before tossing. Today I’m going to get the wings in the oven and while they’re baking I’ll make the sauce! Because I’m taking them straight from freezer to oven they take a little longer, but this gives me plenty of time to work on my other appetizers before the guests arrive! Preheat your oven to 400°. Take out your frozen wings, place them in a large bowl, and evenly coat them with olive oil. Next, spray a shallow baking pan well with cooking spray. Sprinkle just a touch of salt & pepper over your wings. Place your wings on the pan, making sure they aren’t touching. As soon as the oven is preheated put your wings in and set the timer for about 50-55 minutes. Be sure to turn the pan around midway through cooking and flip the wings for even cooking & browning!

Garlic Ranch

• One Pack Food Lion Ranch Dip Mix
• One 1/2 cups Food Lion Plain Greek Yogurt
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Crushed Garlic

This is a super easy ranch dip you can make to accompany the wings and veggies! Simply mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl . Place in fridge to thicken up! And voila! Ranch kicked up a notch!

Coca-Cola Brown Sugar Bacon Glaze

It’s time to make the sauce! My favorite part, it’s sticky and sweet and perfectly balances out the crunch of the chicken! You can use either Coca-Cola or Coke Zero Sugar in this sauce. I purchased both mainly because I love them both and like to make sure my guests have options. As I said though, either work well in this sauce, so it really just comes down to personal preference! Since, Coke Zero Sugar has the same great Coca-Cola flavor just without any sugar, you will still add the same amount when substituting.  Place a small pot on the stove top and turn it up to med-heat. Add your ketchup, crushed garlic, dijon mustard, brown sugar, and Coca-Cola. Stirring often, bring it to a boil. Now you can immediately reduce it to low heat. Cook your bacon, and chop it into small pieces. Add your bacon to the sauce. Let the sauce simmer while your wings cook. This will give it a chance to thicken up a little bit. When the wings reach an internal temp of 165° they are fully cooked! Remove from the oven , let sit for a minute. Finally, place them in a clean bowl and “toss” them evenly with your sauce. Serve with your carrots, celery, and Garlic Ranch.