Italian Style BBQ Chicken Legs & Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Ranch Sauce

This BBQ sauce is so versatile. It doesn't just have to be used on chicken. It would taste fantastic on ribs or pork chops, even on burgers. And the fries are to die for! What's really great about them? They're not actually fried. That's right. They're baked. They are so packed full of flavor that I bet you won't even give regular fries a thought after you try them. Yes, they are that good and very easy to make.

Italian Style BBQ Chicken Legs
1 pkg chicken legs, 14 count
1 pkg panchetta, diced (you can use 6 slices of bacon if you prefer)
1/2 small sweet onion, finely diced
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a foil lined baking sheet, place chicken legs and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Bake chicken for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet saute panchetta over medium heat. Once the panchetta starts to brown, add onion and rosemary. Saute until onions become soft. Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, remaining Italian seasoning. If sauce needs it, add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat on sauce and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Remove chicken from the oven and baste with BBQ sauce. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Ranch Sauce

4-5 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick strips

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

2 Tbsp Southwestern Chipotle Seasoning (I use Mrs. Dash)

1 packet of ranch dressing seasoning

1 tub of sour cream (12 oz)

In a small bowl combine cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. On a baking sheet lined with foil, place potatoes. Drizzle liberally with EVOO. Sprinkle seasonings over potatoes and toss well with your hands. Make sure every strip of potato is covered. Bake in 425 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Toss potatoes with a spatula every 15 minutes.

In the sour cream tub, mix southwest chipotle seasoning and ranch seasoning. Mix well. Serve with potatoes.