Italian Baked Chicken Wings and Rice

So, last time I checked, you really can't go wrong with a delicious batch of chicken wings. They're sure to please a crowd or, in this case, make a satisfyingly scrumptious dinner dish! Robust in flavor and smothered in Italian dressing, baked until tender and juicy then poured over a bed of flavorful rice... Yum.
If you're simply looking for wings to bring over to a friends house, or just want a tasty appetizer, ditch the rice! The wings can hold their own.
These guys are super easy to make. Very little headache, preparation and ingredients for a LOT of awesomeness.

So, here's what you're going to need:

- Chicken wings (they usually come in packs of 8 or 16 pre-cut. Here, I used 16-- so, 32 chicken wings and drummies when all was said and done. If you don't want to cut the wing into the two parts, I'm sure you can purchase them already prepared.)

- One bottle of Italian dressing (I usually use Kraft Robust Italian dressing, but any Italian dressing will do!)

- One box of chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni (I usually use the family size- the leftovers are delicious)

- Parmesan cheese

- Oregano, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning for some spice!

- Some large sized Zip lock baggies to marinade the wings in. Make sure they are the kind that completely close otherwise there will be a huge mess on your hands. (You can also use Tupperware but since it's raw chicken, I prefer to use something I can just throw away afterwards)

Preparing the Chicken Wings:

1. Separate the wings into 3-4 baggies. Fill each bag with an equal amount of Italian dressing. Put enough in each bag so the wings are completely covered. Don't be shy with the dressing, it's what makes the dish so good. And it's all going to end up in the same dish, so you can use all the dressing right off the bat in this step if you'd like.

2. Let the chicken marinade for about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 375. Take out two oven safe baking dishes, one usually isn't big enough depending on how many wings you're preparing.

4. Evenly lay the chicken wings on the dishes, then poor all the excess dressing on all of the wings. Try to make it even so each wing has lots of juices to bake in! And if you have any dressing leftover in the bottle, just go ahead and pour the remaining on the wings. It may seem like a lot, but the extra dressing after baking will be used as a sauce for the rice.

5. Add on the parmesan cheese, sprinkling a little bit on each wing.

6. Then add a pinch of salt, pepper, oregano and cayen pepper.

7. Throw 'em in the oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughout. To make sure they are safe to eat, pull the wings out and cut the largest wing to the bone to make sure it's cooked.

*Helpful hint- I like to line my pans with aluminum foil. It makes clean-up WAY easier.

The Rice:

Simply cook the rice according to the directions on the box. Begin cooking the rice about 10 minutes after you put the wings in the oven.

When the rice is done, pile some on a plate, scoop the wings on. And, of course, add the best part!! The extra dressing and juices that have baked in the oven. I like to just use a big spoon and pour healthy amounts of sauce over the bed of rice and chicken.

Voila! You have a delicious dinner that is finger licking good!

P.S. Make sure you have lots of napkins on hand... It's a little messy!