Super Bowl CONVERSION -- Make these recipes your own!

I LOVE the Super Bowl! Being completely honest, it's not for the game -- it's for the time with friends and family and the excuse to absolutely SPLURGE on tasty snacks! Here are two recipes I highly suggest you try out next time you have a reason to go above and beyond. The bread is pretty simple, but the nachos get a little complicated (but they were SO worth it!)

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Bread

What you'll need:

- 1 loaf of tasty bread (I used country white, but sourdough sounds awesome)

- 1 stick of butter, melted

- 1 package of Ranch dressing seasoning

- bacon, cooked until crunchy and chopped

- shredded cheese of your choosing (I used parmesan but would recommend cheddar or swiss)

How you make it:

Start by slicing the bread in both directions, but not cutting all the way through. The loaf should stay intact. Stuff the crevices with the bacon bits and cheese. Mix the Ranch seasoning with the melted butter, and pour the mixture over the entire loaf. Wrap in foil and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Then serve!!! Yummy, I'm craving this again already!

Buffalo Chicken Bacon Nachos


These are divine. No. They are BEYOND divine! SO. INCREDIBLY. GOOD. GAHHHHHHH!!! I want more and more and more.

 Look, just gaze at its wonderfulness--how beautiful is it?!

 PURE BLISS!

What you need:
- 1 bag of tortilla chips
- 2 chicken breast
- one 8oz bottle of Buffalo Sauce
- cilantro, chopped
- green onion, chopped
- red pepper flakes
- 3 cups of shredded cheese
- 1/3 cup of milk
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- black pepper
- jalapenos, diced
- blue cheese crumbles
- 1 cup of bacon, cooked and diced
- sour cream

How you make it:

Start by pouring the entire bag of tortilla chips into a deep dish baking pan and set aside. Next, cook the chicken breasts, dice or shred them, and then mix them in a bowl with the entire bottle of buffalo sauce. Let the chicken marinade while you make the queso.

In a small sauce pan mix together the cheese, milk, heavy cream, red pepper flakes, and black better. Make sure to be continuously stirring the mixture or else it will burn and be ruined. When the mixture is completely melted, pour the chicken over the tortillas (reserving some of the sauce for later) and then cover with the queso. Sprinkle the bacon over the entire thing and then add some extra shredded cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. After removing the nachos from the oven, sprinkle with blue cheese, diced jalapenos, chopped cilantro and green onion. Pour the extra buffalo sauce over the top and add a few dollops of sour cream. Serve immediately! Watch how fast they disappear!

Emily got the first bite. LUCKY GIRL! 

(CHEESY) MAC-Culloch v. Maryland: Trying this is Necessary & Proper!

Living in Virginia has its good and its bad. My number one struggle is being so far away from my family. Luckily however, I've found a group of amazing friends that are making it much easier for me. We do our best to have dinner as a group once a week, and, to be honest, it's usually my favorite night (yes, I like it even more than bar review. Insanity!). This week, I decided to make Erica happy and make her one of her favorite foods--Mac 'n' Cheese.

I winged it, but I think it turned out great! How can you go wrong with cheese, pasta, cream, and a little spice?! Try it out, I promise you'll like it :)

What you'll need:
- 1. 5 lbs of pasta [aka 1. 5 boxes] (you can use elbow or cellentani)
- 4 cups of shredded cheese (I used 1 cup pepper-jack, 1 cup mild cheddar, 1 cup gruyere, and 1 cup parmesan)
- 4oz of cream cheese
- 2 cups of milk
- 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 2 tbsps dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I recommend using panko crumbs)
- 3 tbsps butter
- water to boil pasta
- red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

How you make it:

Start by cooking the pasta in boiling water until it is tender, but not completely done, aka al dente (It will finish cooking while it bakes). Then drain the pasta and pour it into your baking dish.

In a pot, mix together the milk, cream, cream cheese, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard, jalapeno, and red pepper. Cook this over medium heat, slowly stirring in all of the cheese. When the cheese is melted, pour the mixture over the pasta. Make sure to mix it around so that everything is well coated!

In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and melted butter. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the pasta and place the entire thing in the oven at 375 degrees for 30mins, or until the top is golden brown. Broil on HI for an extra minute to get an extra crunch.

SO DELICIOUS!

This is M.C. She really liked the mac 'n' cheese :)

This is the Williamsburg fam in Snowshoe, WV

NOTE: After making the Mac, I went back and made some adjustments to the recipe (ex. I originally didn't have enough salt and I had too many bread crumbs). The recipe described above is the newer and better version, I promise! 

Mushroom & Onion Grill Cheese Sandwich

What better way to celebrate a rainy day in Williamsburg, than with a yummy grill cheese and tomato soup?

What you'll need:
- 2 slices of multigrain bread
- olive oil
- butter (optional)
- salt & black pepper
- some red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 medium onion -- sliced
- handful of fresh mushrooms
- your favorite cheese (I made a trifecta of gouda, mozzarella, and colby jack)

How you make it:

Start by heating up a pan with some olive oil. Add the sliced onion, sprinkle some salt and let cook. Meanwhile slice your mushrooms.
When you've sliced your mushrooms, add them, black pepper and crushed red pepper to the onions. Let it continue to cook, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, butter one side of each piece of toast. Remove the cooked mushroom and onion mixture from heat.

Place one slice of bread, butter side down, on a pan on medium/low heat. Layer half of the cheese on the slice. Then layer the mushroom mixture. Add the rest of the cheese and top off with the second slice of bread, butter side up. Cover with lid, so that the cheese fully melts.

When the bottom toast is golden, flip the sandwich. Do not cover with the lid! When both sides are golden, remove from heat.

Let the sandwich sit before cutting (otherwise it will fall apart).

Voila! Serve with a bowl of your favorite tomato soup and rainy days are instantly better!