Perfectly Baked Chicken Drumsticks

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! I spent the day catching up on work after Hurricane Sandy had allowed for another “no school day” on Tuesday. I had a student once ask me “Do teachers like snow days?” No, we hate them. As much as we hate long weekends.. and summer vacation.

With the 4 days off, I was starting to get a bit of cabin-fever but Boca, my dog, was happy to have a buddy to lay around with all day. Despite the looks of this picture, I promise I don’t fill her water dish with booze.

“what do you mean it’s noon??”

Because I haven’t been feeling great, and with Halloween falling on a Wednesday, I didn’t get into the usual spirit. I didn’t even think about dressing up let alone going out. Last year on the other hand I went balls to the wall, dressed up as a lobster, went out in the middle of our October snow-storm, and partied my ass off.

It looked something like this:

my friend Jenny and I as the crazy dancing lobsters

Anyhow, with the free evening I decided to cook up some chicken drumsticks that I had picked up at Whole Foods earlier this week.

Now I wouldn’t even be posting about how to cook chicken legs (because it’s pretty basic) if these weren’t friggin’ AMAZING. So amazing that I am literally eating them now and don’t even care that there is grease all over my laptop keys.

Ingredients:

Chicken drumsticks (I had a pack of 10)
Seasonings of choice

Directions:

After preheating my over to 350° F, I started by rinsing each drumstick and laying them out on a baking sheet. I then mixed up some extra virgin olive oil with pepper and salt and generously brushed it all over each one.

I then sprinkled some thyme on each drumstick, but other delicious seasonings would be rosemary or basil (I just happen to be low on seasoning choices). You can also add additional pepper or salt, depending how much you like. Make sure that each leg is completely slathered in evoo because that’s what gives them the delicious crispy outsides. Once seasoned, throw these babies in the oven for about 50-60 minutes. Now, here is the part that sets them apart from the other chicken legs out there. Once cooked, turn your oven to the broil setting and leave your chicky legs in for about 5 minutes, flip and then broil for another 5. This will make your tender, juicy drumsticks have a crispy, crunchy skin. Drool. Once they are nice and brown, take them and go hide in the bathroom so you don’t have to share them. They are that good.