We are all stuck at home (at least you should be at home), taking part in social distancing with hopes of reducing the spread of COVID-19. You could spend this time reading, binging Netflix, working out and washing your hands OR you could spend this time mastering the six best cheesy recipes there are… while still washing your hands. Here they are:

1) Skyline Chili Dip

If you’ve been here before, you know how I feel about Skyline Chili, especially its cheese. Pour that chili over a layer of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, add onions and a mountain of Skyline cheddar on top, stick it in the oven for 10 minutes and voila, the best cheesy appetizer for any function (or for staying home with the fam). Skyline even has the recipe featured on their website. Seriously, go check it out.

2) Grilled Pizza

This is something my family does all the time. You can buy dough or make your own, but the real trick is lightly grilling the dough before adding cheese and toppings, then finishing it up on the grill or in the oven after. This way your dough can cook all the way through and on both sides. This isn’t just a tasty meal, but a fun activity you can do while staying inside.

3) Blue Cheese Steak

If you’re feeling a little fancy, then this could be the move for you. You could use sirloin steaks, filet mignons or small rib-eye steaks. But, this recipe is pretty simple. After seasoning and cooking your meat to your liking, add a blue cheese mixture to the top. In my opinion the best mix has blue cheese, butter, parsley and some chopped rosemary. You can find a similar recipe on The Spruce Eats.

4) Mac n’ Cheese

I know, I know, this seems obvious and boring. No. Mac n’ Cheese is a classic that can be prepared in thousands of exciting ways. My personal favorite is baked with breadcrumbs and a kick. All it takes is some chili powder, jalapeños and pepper jack cheese to take the kids menu favorite to a new level. There’s nothing like a good comfort food to keep the morale up in these stressful times.

5) Garlic Butter Grilled Cheese

Again with a kids meals, but not. Who doesn’t love bread and cheese all warmed up? Grilled cheese is another classic that you can elevate with a few extra ingredients. Garlic butter is my personal favorite touch. Aimee from Like Mother Like Daughter has an entire garlic butter grilled cheese post you can check out. Throw some caramelized onions a four cheese blend or maybe even a protein on there and it’s the perfect lunch.

6) Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

My favorite type of cheese! It pairs especially well with salads, specifically fruity ones. All you need is some spinach, a fruit (apple, cranberry, pear, etc.), some nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.), a dressing of choice and of course, goat cheese crumbles! You can make a refreshing, delicious (and still cheesy) salad to enjoy on your back patio.

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It can be hard staying home for such a long period of time, but finding time to cook, by yourself or with your family, is a great way to keep busy and take your mind off of the news for a bit. Remember to continue doing things that make you happy and make sure to step outside every so often to get some fresh air! You can take your cheesy snack with you.