Eat In. Bacon-wrapped dates.

A popular item on menus these days and one of the easiest appetizers I can think of, bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese mix textures (crunchy, chewy, creamy) and tastes (sweet, salty, tangy) with each delightful little bite. You can thank me for the recipe after you impress all your friends at your next party.

Ingredients:

• 12 Medjool dates (usually a package will contain enough for two batches)
• 2 oz blue cheese
• 6 slices of bacon cut in half

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Using a sharp knife, slice the dates lengthwise along one side and remove the pit.
• Fill the pocket you've created with about a tsp. of cheese.
• Tightly wrap the date with a piece of bacon, making sure the ends are tucked securely on the bottom.
• Arrange the dates on a cookie sheet (I usually cover it with tin foil, because it catches the majority of the grease and makes for easy clean up) and bake until the bacon crisps up and cheese is gooey.
• Place the dates on your favorite grease-absorbing material to dry them off a bit before serving.

Pro-tip: Since the three items in this recipe are pricey, you can save a bunch by getting the blue cheese from your grocery store's salad bar. Ralph's charges $5.99 for 5 oz of packaged blue cheese, but with their $6.99 per lb salad bar, you can grab enough blue cheese for this recipe for under $1. This trick also works with vegetables. They're already sliced and you'll never again have to worry about what you're going to do with the rest of that celery wilting in your fridge (I mean, really, what single girl ever needs more than a single stalk?)

-- Heather Robertson

Photo credit: Beyond Wonderful (I know, should be my own, but I forgot to snap picks last time I made them and I swear that is exactly what they look like)

Eat In. Mac and Cheese.

OK, believe it or not, homemade macaroni is one of the easiest things I've ever made. And the pay-off is ridiculous. The recipe below makes 6ish servings (it makes as much in the picture above), but you could probably half the ingredients or play around with it until it feeds as many as you'd like. Also, be aware that there is--in my rough estimation--7000 calories packed in here. But hey, that's comfort food for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 3 tblsp. butter (plus a little extra to grease the baking pan)
• 3 tblsp. flour
• 2 cups cream
• 6 cups of cheese (we used cheddar and monterey jack)
• 6 slices of bacon*
• Salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like (we used a mix of cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of nutmeg)
• breadcrumbs for topping

Directions:

• Prepare the macaroni according to the package (or, you know, boil it in water with a little bit of salt and oil, duh).
• Cook the bacon in a skillet, crumble or slice it, and make sure to reserve the delicious, greasy fat.
• Melt the butter in a sauce pan.
• Once the butter is done foaming, add the flour and whisk until all the lumps are gone.
• Let the roux (aka the butter and flour) darken to a sandy blonde.
• Whisk in salt, pepper, and spices
• Add the cream slowly, whisking the whole time until it's smooth.
• Dump in the cheese and whisk until everything is melted and tasty.
• Mix the cheese sauce, bacon bites, and drained pasta in the pasta pot.
• Pour the yummy mixture into a greased glass baking pan ( 13x9, maybe?).
• Spoon a few tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat into the breadcrumbs and mix until crumbly.
• Top your casserole with extra cheese and breadcrumbs.
• Bake at 375ish for 20ish minutes-- basically until the breadcrumbs are toasty and the cheese is bubbly.

*This is totally optional. I'd imagine you could also use a veggie, like peas. However, if you do opt out of the bacon, have some melted butter on hand to toss the breadcrumbs in.

-- Heather Robertson