By The Tuesday feeding is going to resume. I have been in conversation with the church leadership and with Sister Agnes and with the Birmingham Food Bank about how to do it safely—outdoor setup, masked volunteers, distanced seating or takeaway bags, the logistics of feeding fifty-plus people in the age of COVID—and we have a plan. The first Tuesday in October. A modified Bernice's Table with a COVID safety protocol. The table is coming back to its table.
I am more relieved than I expected to be. The bag meals from my kitchen have been good—we have been doing them for six months, three hundred bags a week on the honor system at the church door—but they are not the same as feeding people at the table, looking them in the face, handing the plate directly, knowing not just that someone picked up a bag but that a specific person received a specific plate from a specific pair of hands. The direct handing. The eye contact. The "Baby, eat as much as you want." These things matter. They are the ministry, not just the food.
I have been cooking all week in preparation for October. Making test batches of the modified menu—we are going to do individually wrapped portions where possible, more like the bag meals than the open buffet we had before, but we are going to be together, in the same space, with the same care—and adjusting the quantities and the packaging. Bernice would say: you put as much care into the individual wrapped piece as you do into the plated one. The care goes into the food regardless of how the food is delivered. Yes, Mama. I know. I learned it from you.
When I started thinking about what to put on the modified October menu — something that could be individually wrapped, handed directly, received with both hands — these Buffalo Chicken Crescent Rolls kept coming back to me. They are warm, they are generous, and every single one is its own complete thing: a whole portion, wrapped up, ready to be placed in someone’s hands. That’s exactly what I needed for a test batch. That’s exactly what Bernice would have approved of.
Buffalo Chicken Crescent Rolls
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 8 rolls
Ingredients
- 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 3 tablespoons Buffalo hot sauce
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon ranch dressing, plus more for dipping
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, Buffalo sauce, softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, green onions, ranch dressing, and garlic powder. Mix until fully combined and creamy.
- Prep the dough. Unroll crescent dough onto a clean surface and separate into 8 individual triangles along the perforated lines.
- Fill and roll. Place a heaping tablespoon of the Buffalo chicken filling at the wide end of each triangle. Roll from the wide end toward the point, enclosing the filling as you go. Place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until rolls are puffed and deep golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Wrap or serve. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dipping sauce. To wrap individually for takeaway, let cool completely, then wrap each roll in parchment and seal with tape or a sticker.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 218 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 490mg