Garlic Parmesan Wings -- Crispy, Cheap, and Better Than a Thumbs Up

Labor Day weekend, which for most people means cookouts and the last gasp of summer and maybe a mattress sale. For me it meant three days off classes, which I used to stay in DeKalb and catch up on reading because I'm already behind and the semester is two weeks old. This is fine. I'm fine. I have a highlighter and a cinder block textbook and a bag of pretzels and I am going to sit in this dorm room until I understand the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act well enough to argue about it at a party, not that I go to parties, not that anyone argues about IDEA at parties, not that any of this matters except that it does, it matters, because somewhere there's a kid who needs someone to know this law inside out and I'm going to be that someone.

Katie went home for the weekend, so the room was mine. I made a sheet pan of roasted chicken thighs — skin-on, bone-in, $1.29 a pound at the grocery store off Lincoln Highway. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika. Four hundred degrees for forty minutes. That's it. The skin goes crispy and the fat renders out and the meat stays juicy and you have protein for four days for under three dollars. I roasted broccoli alongside — olive oil, salt, high heat until the edges char. The combination of crispy chicken skin and charred broccoli is, I'm convinced, what they serve in heaven, assuming heaven has a functioning oven, which my dorm barely does.

I texted Jess on Monday. Happy Labor Day, with a photo of my chicken thighs because I'm the kind of person who sends food photos to people who didn't ask. She didn't text back until Tuesday morning: a thumbs up emoji. One emoji. No words. I stared at my phone for longer than a person should stare at a thumbs up emoji, trying to read it like tea leaves. Is a thumbs up good? Is it neutral? Is it "I'm fine, stop worrying" or "I don't have the energy for words"? I don't know. I can't know. That's the thing about loving someone who's in the middle of something — you're always reading the room from another room, always translating silence into a language you don't speak fluently.

I called Mom Wednesday. She said Dad's been busy — three jobs this week, which is good for the business and bad for the knees. Babcia Rose made go??bki on Sunday. Dziadek Wally ate two plates. Matt called from Springfield. Kristin is working late in New York, which is Kristin's version of breathing. Everyone is where they're supposed to be. Everyone is fine. I'm in DeKalb, eating chicken thighs at my desk, highlighting federal law, and telling myself that a thumbs up emoji means everything is okay. It has to mean that. I need it to mean that.

That sheet pan of chicken thighs carried me through the whole weekend — but if I’m being honest, the thing I kept craving between chapters was something with a little more punch, something that felt less like meal prep and more like a reward for surviving. Garlic parmesan wings have that same crispy skin, that same budget-friendly simplicity, but with a buttery, garlicky finish that makes a solo Labor Day dinner feel almost celebratory. It’s the kind of recipe that doesn’t need an occasion, which is good, because lately I’m the only one here to make one.

Garlic Parmesan Wings

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken wings, split into drumettes and flats
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (for crispiness)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat your oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. Dry the wings. Pat the chicken wings completely dry with paper towels — this is the key to crispy skin. Don’t skip it.
3. Season. In a large bowl, toss the wings with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and baking powder until evenly coated.
4. Arrange and bake. Spread the wings in a single layer on the wire rack. Bake for 25 minutes, then flip each wing and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until deeply golden and crispy.
5. Make the garlic parmesan sauce. While the wings bake, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat.
6. Toss and coat. Transfer the hot wings to a large bowl. Pour the garlic butter over them and toss to coat. Sprinkle in the Parmesan and toss again until the cheese clings to every wing.
7. Finish and serve. Transfer to a plate, top with fresh parsley if using, and serve immediately. These are best eaten right off the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 32g | Fat: 31g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 480mg