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Make crispy barbecue wings without a fryer — and more — for a game-day party

Celebrate another great football-filled Sunday with barbecue chicken wings, crispy cod sandwiches, fried pickle chips and cream puffs.
/ Source: TODAY

On this week's installment of our TODAY Loves Football series, cookbook author and Top Chef judge Gail Simmons is helping us get ready for game day. She's making a Sunday Night Football feast with recipes from her new cookbook "Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating."

Since the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are going head-to-head, she's preparing two Southern-style dishes and two Northeast-inspired recipes. For the Falcons, she's making barbecue-basted chicken wings and crispy pickle chips with a smoky dipping sauce. For the Patriots, she's whipping up crispy cod sandwiches with slaw and custard-filled Boston cream puffs.

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Atlanta dishes:

Southern Barbecue Chicken Wings

I have never met a spicy chicken wing I didn't like and these are no exception. Making your own barbecue sauce is the key; this one is super tangy and bright. They are perfect with cold beer! I could eat an entire platter of them on my own any day.

Pickles are my favorite food and deep frying them makes them even better. I love the crunchy hot exterior and the tart tang of the interior. The dip is smoky and rich and goes so well with the chips. They're perfect party or game-day food!

New England eats:

This is a classic New England sandwich with a few modern twists. The slaw is bright and crunchy and the sauce is made with real sour pickles and chopped capers, which gives it more dimension and less sweetness than traditional tartar sauce. The fish is fried with panko, which makes it super-crunchy, but the pillowy bun and the fish itself are soft and flavorful. It all comes together to make one of my favorite sandwiches of all time.

Boston Cream Puffs

This is classic Boston cream pie reimagined and there is nothing more satisfying than a cream puff! Kids adore them and so do adults. They are easy to make and a fun individual treat that's perfect for a buffet or a causal party.

If you like those great game-day recipes, you should also try these:

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Rib Tacos
Crab Dip with Spiced Potato Chips

TODAY has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by TODAY.