"Who Needs Buffalo?" Sauce

Last Sunday on the way home from church I asked my husband if there was anything special he wanted me to make on which to snack during the football game that afternoon.  He assured me that he was low-carbing it again and would just make do with whatever we had on hand.

 That lasted until almost game time.  After I'd settled in, gotten comfortable, had a glass of wine, and did not want to head back out to the store.
It's really just not a game without a fun snack, is it?

I started racking my brain for things I could make that would both suit my husband's diet and not necessitate a trip to the store.

Remember those Low Carb Boneless Buffalo Wings I made around this time last year?  Well they were delicious and I had everything I needed to make them on hand already so they were pretty much the perfect solutions.

Everything except the sauce, that is.  I generally don't keep buffalo sauce- or Frank's Red Hot for that matter- on hand unless I have a recipe that calls for it.

I was going to have to wing it.
Get it...wing it?
Yeah, that was bad.

Anyway, while I didn't have any buffalo sauce on hand, I did have a few varieties of hot sauce.  I decided to run with Valentina.  I used the black label extra hot variety, but you could definitely go with the original.

You know- while my husband will dispute this simply because I don't enjoy those crazy-hot dishes with words like "atomic" in their name- I like spicy food.  As a kid I ate salsa like it was soup!  I just don't enjoy spicy foods that are spicy just for the sake of being spicy.  I like some flavor with my spice!  I especially like a sweet-spicy-flavorful combination.
I think this sauce really fit the bill.

I started with a basic hot sauce/butter combination- pretty much the basis of any hot wing sauce.  To that I added Splenda (you could totally use sugar- I bet brown sugar would be great too!), onion and garlic powders, and a little celery seed.  Then all you have to do is toss it with your wings!

I did use the low-carb boneless wings that I love, but this sauce would go just as well with any wing- fried or baked, whatever your preference.

Honestly, I think I like this sauce more than a standard buffalo sauce.  It's hot, but it's also super flavorful as well.  I love the way the sweetness really balances out the heat.

These are perfect game day food- I know we'll be enjoying them again soon!

"Who Needs Buffalo?" Sauce
Click to see the recipe on Allrecipes.com

1/2 C Valentina (I used extra hot)

1/4 C butter

1/4 C sugar (I used Splenda)

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp celery seed
1 lb prepared chicken wings (I used this boneless low-carb recipe)

1. In a small sauce pan combine all ingredients, heating over low heat until butter is melted and ingredients are well combined.

2. Place wings of choice in a large bowl, top with desired amount of sauce, and toss gently to coat.