By September 2020. I am 61 years old, retired from the Postal Service, my days now belong to me and the smoker and Rosetta and the slow unfolding of a life without a mailbag. The week arrived the way weeks arrive in Orange Mound — carried by the rhythm of morning coffee and evening porch-sitting and the steady, patient work of being present in a life that doesn\'t require grand gestures to feel meaningful. Super bowl.
I cooked this week the way I cook every week: with the ingredients at hand, the fire in the steel drum, and the understanding that food made with love in a home kitchen for people you care about is the most important food in the world. The recipe matters less than the hands that make it and the table that receives it. I stood at my smoker or my stove and I made something, and the making was the purpose.
Rosetta came to the porch as the light faded and said, "Good week, Earl." I said, "Good week." And it was — not remarkable, not historic, just good, the way most weeks are good when you have a smoker that works and a wife who loves you and a family that shows up and a God who watches. Good is enough. Good is everything. Good is what you\'re left with when you strip away the noise and the ambition and the worry, and what remains is a man on a porch in Memphis, sixty-something years old, watching the dark come, full of food and gratitude and the quiet knowledge that he did his best today, and tomorrow he\'ll do it again.
Super Bowl Sunday 2020 meant no crew coming over, no folding tables in the yard, no coolers full of drinks on the porch — just me and Rosetta and the smoker and a quiet house that felt a little too quiet. I wanted something that carried the spirit of a game-day spread without all the fuss of cooking for twenty, something with that heat and richness that says occasion even when the occasion is scaled way down. Buffalo Chicken Pasta gave me exactly that — a pot of something bold and satisfying that filled the kitchen with good smells and filled the two of us up just right, no crowd required.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), cooked and shredded
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1/2 cup buffalo hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne according to package directions until al dente, about 10–12 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- Shred the chicken. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat, 6–7 minutes per side, until cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks. (Alternatively, use rotisserie chicken to save time.)
- Build the sauce. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour in buffalo sauce and chicken broth, stirring to combine into a cohesive sauce.
- Add the ranch and cheese. Reduce heat to low. Stir in ranch dressing and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar until the sauce is creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time.
- Combine. Add the shredded chicken and cooked penne to the skillet. Toss well to coat everything evenly in the sauce. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or buffalo sauce to your heat preference.
- Serve. Plate into bowls and top with remaining cheddar and sliced green onions. Serve hot, with extra buffalo sauce and ranch on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 540 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 980mg