Better Buffalo Chicken Wings

(Previously published in the Dec. 15, 2005 You Have Arrived)
I cringe when I hear WLS people talk about eating Buffalo Wings – no offense Buffalo – but the average serving of Buffalo Wings is 68% fat. Nobody loses weight eating 68% fat, no matter how small the portion. In addition to the fat, wing sauce has a high sugar content. Considering the fat and sugar traditional wings are a recipe for dumping disaster and guaranteed weight gain!

Well, my wing-loving friends, here is an alternative to the high fat version that increases the protein and drops the fat below 30% per serving. Try this next time you have a craving for the wings!


Buffalo Chicken with Warm Blue Cheese Dip:

Ingredients:
“Wings”
Non-stick cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup wing sauce (preferably low-fat, low-sugar like Wing-it)

Sauce:
1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup dry white wine (white wine vinegar may be substituted)
¼ cup 1% low-fat milk
1 (8 ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, cubed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet pound to ½ inch thickness. Place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray and brush sparingly with wing sauce. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, turn and brush sparingly with wing sauce. Return to oven and bake additional five minutes. Remove from oven, turn again and brush sparingly with wing sauce. Bake 5 minutes and remove from oven. Check to be certain chicken is cooked completely (no pink).

Allow chicken to cool. When cool cut into 1”x 1” pieces. Place on platter.

While chicken is cooking place sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium high stirring frequently to combine. Serve sauce in a warm chafing dish or fondue pot. Have toothpicks or skewers handy to use for dipping “wings” in warm blue cheese sauce.

Nutritional data per 2 ounces chicken and ¼ cup blue cheese dip: 282 calories, 10 grams fat (27%), 28 grams protein and 34 grams carbohydrates.