I have never lived in Buffalo, yet I feel extremely attached to the area…so much so that it feels like home when I visit. Maybe it’s the Buffalo Bills that are the catalyst, but it just feels like there is such a tight community where people are able to come together in a synergy of love and togetherness. Past mass murders have left me angry, dismayed, confused, sad, astonished, and helpless. I feel horrible saying this, as the victims of all of these atrocities are just as important and their grieving families just as real as the people in Buffalo…but this one hit home even harder than others…like it happened to my friends in my neighborhood, and I feel completely numb…like it can’t be real. But it is. Evil is real, and it can only be defeated by love.
We cooked this dish a few days before Hell unleashed itself in that grocery store, but it seems like a perfect metaphor for who we can and should be as a people, so I felt like it was the only dish worthy of posting in this context. It takes ingredients from all over the food pyramid…carbohydrates, vegetables, dairy, protein…and puts them into the same pot and allows each maintain its own individuality while also coming together to build something truly unique and amazing.
Our call to everyone who reads this is to take the love that’s in your heart and apply it outward. Seek to understand others who are different from you. Seek to share yourself and learn from others outside of your circle. Put yourself out there, and accept those who put themselves out there in return. We are all different, and that is a good thing…it’s an aspect of humanity that ought to be celebrated, not feared. It’s the foundation from which we can all learn to be better at the individual level, and that is the only way to change society. A big bowl of plain pasta, a glass of Buffalo Sauce, a generous helping of sautéed celery…The result is better when they honor each other and work together. Let’s build together through love.
Time: 35 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 oz Elbow Noodles
- 1 lb Ground Chicken
- Celery
- Onion
- Buffalo Sauce
- 2-3 Tablespoons Butter
- Equal volume of All Purpose Flour to your Butter
- 1 Cup Milk
- White Cheddar Cheese
- Crumbled Blue Cheese
Method:
- Bring a large pot of water with a little oil to a boil, and add your pasta. Cook until it’s soft, drain the water, and set aside.
- As your pasta cooks, dice your onion and celery.
- Melt some butter in another large pot, and add your celery and onions. Cook for a few minutes until the colors soften, and the aromas are unleashed.
- As your celery and onion cooks, dice your cheese.
- Add your ground chicken to the pot, and let it brown. Break it up with a spatula, and allow it to keep cooking.
- When your chicken has fully browned, stir in your all purpose flour so that it coats your ingredients.
- Pour in your milk, and then add your cheddar and crumbled blue cheeses. Stir to combine.
- Add your cooked elbow noodles to the pot, and fold your ingredients together.
- Drizzle some Buffalo Sauce over the top, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer as your cheese mixture thickens.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
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