I’m a huge fan of Will and Grace. How cool would it be to live in New York, own an interior design business and live with your BFF in an awesome apartment?

Obviously, I’m super pumped that Will and Grace are back! To celebrate, I wanted to throw together a small themed menu of foods that capture the essence of a few of my favorite episodes. I came up with an easy (and super tasty) meal that can be enjoyed while watching the premiere of the relaunch.

The Lead Star

One of my favorite episodes of the show is when Will is cooking a special dinner for his Dad. Will’s Dad has a thing for appetizers, so Will decides to make him a meal out of them. When his Dad shows up and Will tells him what’s for dinner he says “God, I could make a whole meal outta that.” Later on in the evening, Will asks “What do you think of the chicken drumettes, Pop? You know, I used a little marmalade in the glaze. I call the recipe ‘Chicken Lady Marmalade'”.

And that’s where my inspiration for this recipe for Spicy Thai Peanut Wings came from. To stay in the spirit of the episode, I wanted to fix wings with marmalade. The only issue is – I hate orange flavored chicken. So I started thinking, what about lime marmalade? Which led me down an Asian path. These Spicy Thai Peanut Wings are sooo good. Plus, they’re baked so you can save room for the Garlic Noodles we’re going to pair them with. Everything in moderation, ya’ll!

This recipe can easily be altered to fit your tastes. Don’t like as much spice, or want more tang? Reduce the chili elements (or leave them out), and up the lime. I marinated the wings first and then patted them dry. Why? The marinade will have done its job already, and you don’t want these puppies to steam, you want the skin to get crispy. So dry off the marinade, and oil those babies up. I use a mixture of vegetable and sesame oil.

While the wings get all sizzley (yes it’s a word) in the oven, whip up the sauce. Make it as thick or thin as your heart desires. Once those crispy baked wings come out of the oven, toss them in the sauce, saving extra for the side if that’s your thang. I like to garnish mine with chopped peanuts. Chopped cilantro would be amazing sprinkled on top!

The Supporting Act

To round out dinner, I needed a side dish. Remember the episode where Grace is super jazzed about a new noodle place opening near her work? “You know how I love to talk about food I’m going to eat, while I’m already eating food?”. Yeah girl, join the club. Noodles it is! Some of my favorite noodles I’ve ever had? The garlic noodles at Star Noodle in Maui. I seriously danced in my seat as I ate every single dish there!

While this isn’t an exact replication of their dish, this is a yummy, garlicky bowl of noodles. It’s a perfect compliment to the Spicy Thai Peanut Wings, but if you wanted to make it a meal by itself, it would be amazing topped with grilled shrimp. As Grace would say “I just want to strip naked and writhe around in a giant take-out container full of them.”. Sorry, not sorry.

The key to making these noodles over the top? Taking half of the garlic, and letting it crisp up in oil. Sweet, crispy garlic? Yes, please. Seriously, please take the time to do this step. It makes all the difference in the world. Simply toast the garlic in oil over low to medium heat, until it turns a golden color, then remove the pan from the stove, and let the residual heat finish the job for you.

While the garlic toasts, chop the scallions, make the sauce, and boil your noodles. I used chow mein stir fry noodles, but feel free to use to whatever thin noodle is available to you. The garlic is the star of the show. Once the garlic is a perfect golden brown, strain it out and use the now infused garlic oil to saute the remaining garlic and scallions, add the noodles and the sauce and toss. If you like your noodles saucier, feel free to double the sauce. Just beware that it will get salty really fast!

Garnish with fresh chopped scallions and the crispy garlic. It could not be easier, or more delicious!

Seriously, make these two dishes, invite some friends over, have a martini (or two) in honor of Karen, and prepare to get nostalgic Thursday night when Will and Grace returns! Let me know if you’ll be watching, and what your favorite episode is below. Remember to save this on Pinterest so you can find the recipes later!

Spicy Thai Peanut (I Could Make a Whole Meal Outta That) Wings

Ingredients:

Marinade –

• 2 1/2 lbs chicken wings
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (note: I sub in Coconut Aminos for soy)
• 1 tbsp Lime Marmalade (can sub 2 tsp lime juice and 1 tsp honey)
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp granulated ginger (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Peanut Sauce –

• 1″ piece of ginger, minced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (I once again subbed Coconut Aminos)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lime marmalade (or sub in half and half lime juice and honey, taste to adjust)
• optional: 1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek (more if you want spicier)
• optional: 1/2 tsp Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce – 7 oz (adds more umami, but leave out if you don’t have).
• Pinch of red chili flakes (to taste)
• 1/3 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix marinade ingredients (excluding oil) in a plastic baggie. Add chicken wings, and toss to coat. Let marinate at least 1 hour (or overnight if you have time). Prepare a baking sheet by covering with foil, silicone baking mat or placing a baking rack over it. After marinating, remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. Pat wings dry, then toss with vegetable and sesame oil and lay on prepared baking sheet.

While wings bake, make the peanut sauce. Combine all ingredients except for water in a food processor and process until all is thoroughly combined. Add in water until you reach desired consistency (you can add more than the recipe calls for, but the flavors will start to dilute, so adjust other seasonings as necessary). Set aside until wings are finished.

After wings have thoroughly cooked, allow to slightly cool, then toss with as much peanut sauce as you like. Garnish with desired toppings: crushed peanuts, scallions, and cilantro are all great options. Serve with any leftover sauce on the side. Serves 4.

Asian (I Wanna Writhe Around In Them) Noodles with Crispy Garlic

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Chow Mein stir-fry noodles
• 2 tbsp minced garlic, separated
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil, separated
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce (or more to taste)
• 3 whole green onions

Directions:

In a nonstick skillet, heat vegetable oil and 1 tsp sesame oil. Once the oil is ready, add 1 tbsp minced garlic, and cook, stirring as needed, until it reaches a golden color. Remove pan from stove to allow garlic to continue cooking until it reaches a golden brown color. Strain cooked garlic from oil.

While garlic slowly cooks, chop scallions, separating the thicker, white ends and the green tops. In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce. Set aside. Boil noodles and drain.

Place skillet with garlic oil back on the stove, heat over med/high heat. Add remaining garlic and the white portion of the scallions. Saute for a couple of minutes until softened and fragrant. Add drained noodles and sauce and stir thoroughly, ensuring noodles are completely coated with sauce.

Remove noodles to a serving bowl, garnish with green tops of the scallion and crispy garlic. Serves 2.

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from them is no additional cost to you, but does help me to afford more noodles 🙂