Eat Like Abed From ‘Community’ With 2 Simple Recipes

Community was a comedy series that ran from 2009-2015, about the silly (and sometimes monotonous) lives of a study group at a community college. 

Even with its inconsistencies, the show is undoubtedly one of the best I’ve ever watched (sorry, Friends fans). Abed Nadir, played by the brilliant Danny Pudi, is one of my favorite fictional characters, so I set out to recreate his canonically favorite dishes as best as I could. 

Buttered Noodles

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 15 minutesTotal time: 20 minutesServings:1 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups pasta
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 
   Begin by setting a pot of salted water to a boil and prepping ingredients.
2. 
   Add 2 cups dry pasta (I used fusilli) to boiling water and cook until al dente.
3. 
   Drain cooked pasta. Add butter, salt and pepper. Stir until pasta is evenly coated with seasonings.
4. 
   Plate the dish and enjoy! (Abed eats his buttered noodles with chopsticks.)

So, I’m not going to lie, this isn’t very healthy. It’s just butter on pasta. BUT it does taste good and great for us college students who are running low on grocery funds. 

Since I enjoy experimentation I used this recipe as a base for another pasta dish. I followed the directions for buttered noodles, yet added a few things during step 3 (parmesan, cilantro and shallots). It ads a blast of flavor while still being a simple dish. 

Next, is Abed’s favorite beverage, the so-called “special drink”. At one point it’s called the secret to Abed’s satisfaction. Maybe mine too?

Special Drink

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 3 minutesCook time: 2 minutesTotal time: 5 minutesServings:1 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp instant cocoa mix
• Milk your choosing

Instructions

1. 
   Prep ingredients.
2. 
   Add 2 tbsp of cocoa mix to cup.
3. 
   Add 1 tbsp of cold milk and combine with cocoa mix until paste-y.
4. 
   Add milk to mixture until cup is full. Stir. Enjoy!

While I don’t think this recipe will be replacing standard hot cocoa, I do understand the appeal. It’s cool, it’s refreshing, and you get tasty granules of sugar. I get why this is the secret to Abed’s satisfaction.

Even if you aren’t familiar with the show Community, these meals can still totally find their way into your dorm room diet. They’re cheap, easy, and most importantly: they’re tasty.

• < 20 Minutes
• < 5 Ingredients
• Dessert
• Dinner
• Lunch
• Pasta
• Pop Culture
• Snack