By Carla Rubio

Social distancing can be a drag for anyone not used to staying home, and finding something to do — other than work or house chores —is a must. 

This ennui has naturally driven people to almost desperately find and practice new hobbits. Among these, many individuals —if not the majority of all quarantined — have found one hobbit in common: a hidden passion for the art of cooking.

To aid the widespread boredom in this temporary quarantine, here are five easy dishes to make at home:

Mac and Cheese

With any pasta (elbows are highly recommended) and any cheese at home, one can makeshift a mac and cheese. 

The classic dish has been interpreted in many ways — whether it’s topped with bacon or mixed with scallions and cream or even baked with breadcrumbs — so don’t be afraid to add your own touch to it and enjoy!

Vanilla Cookies With Sprinkles

For those missing the iconic Publix sprinkle cookies, why not make your own version? While baking something like cookies from scratch takes time and some unconventional ingredients such as flour, baking soda, and vanilla extract, the result at the end is worth it. This goes for any type of dough, but for novice bakers simple cookies are the way to go without burning down your house.

Here is how to make Vanilla Cookies with Sprinkles — a recipe from scratch:

Peanut Butter Banana Quesadilla

Arguably the fastest to make out of the five, the ingredients for a peanut butter banana quesadilla are pretty self-explanatory. This concoction comes from the class pairing of peanut butter and banana and can be an easy way to use leftover tortillas. Within just a couple of minutes one could have a quick and healthy snack, but feel free to add chocolate or replace the peanut butter with nutella to satisfy the sweet tooth. 

Fettuccine Alfredo

For everyone’s favorite pasta dish, fettuccine alfredo can easily be made at home in the matter of 30 minutes. Combine fettuccine pasta (or any spaghetti pasta) with alfredo sauce and some parmesan cheese and it’s instant magic. If one doesn’t have alfredo sauce at home, a homemade version can be made with simple ingredients — butter, parmesan cheese, garlic, heavy cream, and salt.

Nachos

Lastly, a dish that can be easily thrown together in the matter of minutes, nachos. Gather some picadillo or chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and some lime, pile them on chips and melted cheese and there you have some nachos that one could eat while watching a show or talking to a friend.