Get cozy with a recipe from my roundup of the ultimate comfort food recipes. From creamy casseroles to hearty soups to indulgent desserts, these favorite comfort dishes are sure to warm up both body and soul.
Creamy, cheesy, warm and hearty … comfort food takes many forms but it all has the power to fill our souls as well as our stomachs. When your family’s craving a little extra TLC, seek out the best comfort food recipes to serve up. Great for when it’s cold and blustery outside, when the sun sets too early, or when you’re just feeling a little needy, there’s nothing like a meal that includes your favorite comfort foods.
I’ve rounded up all the best comfort food classics in one spot. Whether it’s a creamy mac and cheese, a crisp-skinned roast chicken, or a chewy soft pretzel, these recipes never fail to satisfy. And how could they not? I’ve got the top C’s covered: carbs, cheese and chocolate!
Ultimate Comfort Food Classics
Looking for the ultimate classic comfort food recipes? Look no further – these top comfort food classics have all the favorites for a satisfying and nourishing meal.
The Best Secret Ingredient Mashed Potatoes: There’s a mystery ingredient in these mashed potatoes that gives them a lush texture and a tangy creaminess. Serve an assortment of fixings (steamed broccoli, crumbled bacon, cheese) for a fun mashed potato bar dinner.
Simple Roast Chicken with Garlic and Lemon: Only five ingredients are needed for this juicy, crisp-skinned chicken that requires minimal work, leaving you free to prep your side dishes while it’s roasting in the oven.
Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwich: There isn’t much that’s more comforting than a crusty, gooey grilled-cheese sandwich… especially if it’s stuffed with meltingly sweet caramelized onions and wilted kale. Serve it alongside a big bowl of creamy tomato soup for dipping.
Easy Chicken Meatloaf: This Classic Ground Chicken Meatloaf is comfort food at its best—juicy, flavorful, and topped with a tangy ketchup glaze. Packed with 32g of protein per serving, it’s an easy, family-friendly dinner you’ll want on repeat.
The Best Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage: Fill your slow cooker in the morning and enjoy the savory aromas all day long of meltingly tender cabbage and unctuous corned beef. You’ll have plenty of time to whip up a loaf of soda bread to serve alongside it.
Hungarian Chicken Paprikash: An Eastern European comfort food classic, chicken paprikash features chicken braised in a creamy paprika sauce. Serve it over buttered noodles, rice, or spaetzle.
Hearty Soups and Stews
Big bowls of comforting soups and stews are perfect for cold days. These are hands-down the best hearty soups for winter.
30-Minute Leftover Turkey Chili: Save some of that post-Thanksgiving turkey to make a hearty chili with pinto and kidney beans, crushed tomatoes and plenty of spices and seasonings. This recipe also works great with rotisserie chicken.
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup: They don’t call chicken soup grandma’s pencillin for nothing! After simmering all day in the slow cooker, this chicken soup, made with a whole roasting chicken, is restorative and nourishing.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup: In this cozy soup recipe, a velvety-smooth potato soup is the base for all the best baked potato toppings: grated cheese, crumbled bacon, a dollop of sour cream and a shower of chives.
Quick Greek Lemon Chicken Soup: With a bright and sunny flavor, this cozy soup recipe truly warms you up from the inside out. It’s ready in just 20 minutes thanks to shortcut ingredients: cooked chicken and canned cream of chicken soup.
Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup: Few things are quite as comforting as a bowl of creamy tomato soup. Serve this up with buttered toast soldiers or a classic grilled cheese sandwich for the ultimate comfort meal.
Beef Bourguignon with Buttered Parsley Noodles: When the French need a little TLC they turn to this classic comfort stew, featuring chunks of beef and vegetables simmered in an unctuous herby tomato and wine broth.
Casseroles and Bakes
Nothing beats a casserole for easy baked comfort food at its best. Assemble all the ingredients in a baking pan and go ahead and relax with a cup of tea while it baked. Most of these recipes need little more than a salad (go ahead and buy an easy salad kit, we won’t judge!) or a loaf of bread to make a meal.
Cheesy Baked Penne with Sausage: Rich tomato sauce, hearty sausage and tender pasta is all tucked underneath a cap of bubbling mozzarella cheese. It’s a perfect casserole recipe for family dinners or to take to a potluck.
French Onion Chicken: All the gooey goodness of French onion soup is here in this baked dish, which stars caramelized onions and chicken topped with cheesy baguette toasts.
Easy Turkey Tetrazzini: A retro favorite, this rich casserole dish features turkey (or rotisserie chicken), veggies and pasta, all simmered in a garlicky cheese sauce and topped with herby breadcrumbs.
Creamy Green Bean Casserole: It’s not just for Thanksgiving! Green bean casserole topped with irresistibly crispy fried onions is delicious any time of year. It’s a great side dish for roast chicken or meatloaf.
Overnight Egg Casserole with Breakfast Sausage: Imagine waking up on a snow day to a rich casserole dish filled with eggs, sausage and cheese. It’s the perfect start to a day spent sledding and building snowmen.
Corn Casserole: A mainstay on Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner tables, corn casserole is also a perfect side dish for Sunday supper. Three types of corn — cornmeal, creamed corn and canned kernels — go into the making of this creamy and satisfying recipe.
Satisfying Pasta Dishes
Few things give comfort like a satisfying pasta recipe. Most pasta dishes are quick and easy to make, require few ingredients, and are inevitable crowd pleasers even for picky eaters. These delicious noodle recipes are sure to delight.
Roasted Garlic Macaroni and Cheese: Capped with a crunchy herbed-breadcrumb crust, this macaroni and cheese is flavored with mellow roasted garlic.
Stuffed Shells with Meat, Cheese and Spinach: Stuffed shells are the ultimate comfort food pasta. Filled with a satisfying combination of meat and spinach and smothered with tomato sauce and gooey cheese, it’s a recipe that is surprisingly easy to make.
Easy Skillet Lasagna: If you love lasagna but hate the fussiness of layering all the ingredients into the baking dish, this recipe is for you. It has all the elements you love — creamy ricotta, hearty meat sauce, tender noodles — all mixed up in one pan. Best of all? It’s ready in less than 30 minutes.
Baked Boursin Cheese Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach: Only five ingredients are needed to make a creamy noodle dish that delivers big on comfort. The sauce ingredients bake together in a pan, then the hot noodles are stirred in at the end.
Cheesy Turkey Taco Pasta: Two family comfort-food favorites — mac and cheese and tacos — are combined in a quick and easy one-pot recipe that requires just eight ingredients.
Cacio e Pepe Pasta: You probably have everything you need right now to whip up a quick Italian comfort-food classic. The ingredient list is short and sweet: spaghetti, parmesan cheese, butter and black pepper.
Quick Comfort Food for Busy Days
Working late at the office? Carpool running long? Don’t worry, there are plenty of quick comfort meals for hectic days that can be thrown together in that quick period between soccer practice and homework time. None of these recipes take longer than 30 minutes.
30-Minute Barbecue Chicken Pizza: Store-bought pizza dough, rotisserie chicken and pre-shredded mozzarella cheese means that you can have this pizza with a twist on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Waffles: Heat up the waffle iron, because this is hands-down the best use for leftover mashed potatoes. Stir in scallions, cheddar cheese and a couple of other ingredients to make crisp-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside savory waffles.
Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese: Made with a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and shredded parmesan cheese, stovetop mac and cheese comes together in just 30 minutes. Sprinkle it with toasted panko breadcrumbs or crushed butter crackers for a little crunch.
20-Minute Turkey Bolognese: No one will believe that this hearty pasta sauce came together in the amount of time it takes to heat water and boil the noodles! A quick comfort meal for hectic days, turkey bolognese pasta pairs well with a crusty baguette and a salad kit.
Quick Cuban Black Beans: Hearty beans are satisfying and filling. Throw some rice in the pressure cooker (or use quick-cooking version) and dinner’s done.
Easy Cheesy Spaghetti Cupcakes: Kids will love these 20-minute perfectly portioned cakes made of spaghetti tossed with tomato sauce and “frosted” with melted mozzarella.
Classic Comfort Food for a Crowd
If you need to feed a houseful of guests or family members on a chilly night, check out these classic comfort food recipes for large groups. There are plenty of options that make a big batch, enough to feed a crowd.
Beer-Battered Onion Rings: Use your favorite pale ale brew to make crispy fried onion rings, the perfect go-with for burgers on the grill.
Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread: A great accompaniment to a pasta dinner, this garlic bread recipe is as easy to make as it is fun to eat, and will serve eight people (or one very hungry family … ask me how I know?).
Easy Focaccia Bread Pizza: From-scratch focaccia bread is topped with marinara sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings for a thick and chewy pizza that’s great for a teen party or game night. For a special touch, top the pizzas with 10-minute Homemade Marinara Sauce.
Homemade Soft Pretzel Twists: Served alongside homemade beer cheese dip or grainy mustard, soft and chewy pretzels flecked with salt are always a hit.
Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta with Chicken: Fans of the warm dip will love this creamy pasta recipe with all the familiar flavors. It makes 12 servings, perfect for a potluck.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork: Use the slow cooker to prep most of the meal ahead of time. This sweet and savory pulled pork recipe is delicious served on mini Hawaiian rolls.
Sweet Comforting Desserts
Cozy nights call for sweet comforting desserts that feature warm flavors: buttery pastry, melted chocolate, fall fruits and spices like cinnamon and ginger. These indulgent sweet treats will comfort and soothe no matter what the ailment.
Stovetop Strawberry Dumplings: Use fresh or frozen berries in a biscuity twist on strawberry shortcake that’s delicious topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Raspberry Sauce: Comforting desserts can be fancy, too! I love the dramatic effect of these individual cakes: Cut them open to release a puddle of melted chocolate.
Easy Homemade Churros with Chocolate Sauce: Hot and crispy churros are rolled in cinnamon-sugar and served with chocolate sauce for dipping.
Caramel Apple Bread Pudding: One of the best comforting desserts for fall, bread pudding bakes up into a gooey, fruit-studded delight. This recipe adds an extra layer of decadence with a generous drizzle of creamy caramel.
Quick and Easy Skillet Brownie: Baked up in a cast-iron skillet, this brownie can be served warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top.
Easy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting: The spices in pumpkin desserts are comforting enough, but add a generous slathering of cream-cheese frosting and it’s like a hug on a plate!
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