Sports happen year round, and during each season the anticipation is not just about watching the game on TV and cheering on your favorite team – it’s about the full experience of gathering together with friends and creating an inspired menu for the occasion. Any championship or playoff game brings extra excitement, and this month is no exception during one of the most exciting times in college basketball! The thrill of watching the best of the best go head-to-head with championship mentality calls for the best food we can whip up.

These occasions are special and conversations are lively because we all have our favorite teams which stir up our fan-spirit.  Regardless of who we’re rooting for, we can all agree that food is what connects us during these rowdy weekends. To fulfill everyone’s appetite, even for those who are wearing opposing team jerseys, we know nothing beats a delicious platter of chicken wings.

In fact, game days are never complete without the best and most crispy oven wings! And  our powerful Thermador oven delivers just that – wings that are simple, delicious, crispy, even healthier!. We don’t need to deep-fry the wings to get them nice and crispy – and because of this, our health-conscious friends are even more grateful.

Every great chicken wing deserves a warm, cheesy, melty and wine infused companion. The rich Emmentaler cheese coupled with the bright flavors of white wine and delicate infusion of tarragon herbs pairs perfectly for an elevated party platter. Our white wine cheese dip is extra easy to make when we put the ExtraLow® burner feature on our gas range to use.

To quench your guests’ thirst, we recommend offering a variety of locally brewed beer – but there will always be those who prefer a refreshing glass of wine. To each his own, and whatever you decide to pair with these crispy wings, you’ll love each bite.

Regardless of what the results of the games are, at the end of the day, everyone feels like a winner when it comes to eating and drinking! So go ahead, root out loud for your favorite team and celebrate with a generous helping of these fabulous oven crisp chicken wings!

Recipe: Crispy Oven Paprika Chicken Wings with White Wine Emmentaler Cheese Dip

 For best results, prepare by turning on the Convection Roast mode on your Thermador oven. This helps to create an evenly browned and crispy skin on the chicken wings. If you are using a Thermador gas cooktop, utilizing the ExtraLow® burners is a wonderful way to help keep the White Wine Emmentaler Cheese Dip warm until game time!

You will need:

2-3 pounds chicken wings

Vegetable oil, for coating the wings

Kosher, or sea salt, to taste

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Ground Paprika, to taste

For the Cheese Dip:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

1 teaspoon ground mustard

6 ounces Emmentaler cheese, grated salt to taste if needed

Preheat your oven to Convection Roast at 450⁰ F and line one or two baking sheet pans with parchment paper. Rinse and pat the chicken wings dry and on the prepared baking sheet, spread the chicken wings out in one even layer. Lightly oil and season the chicken wings with salt, pepper and paprika. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.

To prepare the cheese dip melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the flour to the butter and stir until everything is completely combined. Add the wine to the butter/flour mix and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the milk, tarragon and mustard and bring to a gentle simmer. A handful at a time, add the cheese to the sauce, stirring to melt the cheese. Season with salt if necessary. Keep the sauce warm using the ExtraLow® burner feature, or a similar low heat setting. Serve the sauce warm, reheating as necessary, with the Crispy Oven Chicken Wings.

You can also serve the dip with your favorite crunchy vegetables such as carrots, celery, radishes, cucumber slices or others!