50+ Comfort Foods to Keep You At Your Coziest

January 08, 2020
Meredith Food Studios 
Though your idea of the ideal comfort food may be different than your neighbor’s, we all have those go-to dishes that ease the weight of world from our shoulders—if only for a bite. Sometimes, we look to our favorite comfort foods to connect us to a time and place that can be difficult to access otherwise. And other times, we simply need them to be a warm, soul-satisfying hug at the end of a long week or an exceptionally frigid day. Whatever the case, this collection of our favorite comfort food recipes (entailing all levels of cheesy, brothy, salty, sweet, crunchy, gooey, and beyond) should have your cravings covered. 
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Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Claire Spollen    
Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce Recipe

This simple lasagna is perfect for when you're short on time, but craving a comforting meal. Ready in just over an hour, it requires only 50 minutes of cooking in the oven.

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Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup Recipe
This slow cooker french onion soup is so easy and delicious, you’ll never return to your stovetop ways. The slow cooker completely eliminates the stirring element of caramelizing onions. After hours in the low heat, the sliced onions will become soft and jammy with a rich, dark brown coloring—no attention necessary.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Chicken Cordon Bleu Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Recipe

The flavors of classic cordon bleu translate delectably as a raveworthy grilled cheese. Serve with a side of wilted spinach or a salad.

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Beef Stew

Greg DuPree
Beef Stew Recipe

Originally, this recipe called for the stew to be cooked in a wok, which was trendy at the time. We prefer using a Dutch oven because it provides a large, flat surface to properly brown the meat.

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New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Jen Causey; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce Recipe

Enjoy the best of the Big Easy with this traditional New Orleans-style bread pudding. It tastes so decadent, no one will believe it's been lightened! See our full collection of Cajun and Creole recipes for more ideas.

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Beefy Bolognese over Penne Pasta

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Beefy Bolognese over Penne Pasta Recipe

A meaty Bolognese needs a chance to reduce just a little as it cooks to concentrate flavors, and the Dutch oven allows for that, even with the lid on. This method also lets layers of flavors come through, as bacon, ground meat, and veggies are all browned in the same pot, then deglazed with cooking liquid.

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Chocolate-Hazelnut Brownies

Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Elise Mayfield; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke and Laura Evans
Chocolate-Hazelnut Brownies Recipe

Fair warning: Our editors and test kitchen staff LOVED these gluten-free brownies. Words like "decadent" and "divine" were thrown around liberally. 

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Once you've made your own veggie-packed pot of chicken noodle soup, you won't go back to the canned, super-salty stuff again. Plus, this wholesome dinner rings in at under $2 per serving.

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Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer
Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Recipe
Treat the family to a classic dish reinvented in a skillet. A pretty patchwork pastry top gives this chicken pot pie a new look. To save prep time, you can shred the chicken and chop the carrots and leek up to two days ahead. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
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Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero
Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe

Ranch seasoning gives this old-school family favorite a delicious new spin, and an Instant Pot makes it come together even faster. Serve the tender meat over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes for a hearty supper. If you don’t own a multicooker, don’t worry—this roast cooks up deliciously in a slow cooker (see instructions).

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Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro
Chicken and Dumpling Casserole Recipe
All of the homey comfort of classic chicken and dumplings, baked into a convenient casserole. One key tip for this cozy, low-effort supper: Don't stir!

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Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings

Greg DuPree
Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings Recipe
Mrs. Morton Smith experimented for years with different methods of making the perfect chicken and dumplings. When she submitted this recipe, she told us that buttermilk was the secret to dumplings with a light texture.
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Million Dollar Pound Cake

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
Million Dollar Pound Cake Recipe
A mere 7 ingredients, all of which are common pantry staples, are all you need for to make this rich, classic pound cake recipe. And trust us, there's a good reason this is, by far, the most popular pound cake recipe on our site.

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Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon Recipe
There are few dishes more comforting and indulgent than mac and cheese, and this version will become your new go-to. Mac and cheese may seem straightforward, but in an all-star mac, each component is carefully considered and intentionally chosen to build a creamy, melty pasta bake.

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No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely
No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie Recipe

With its creamy filling and crispy crust, this frozen peanut butter pie is made for summer cookouts. Nothing cools you down in the summertime like a slice of a creamy, frozen pie. A secret to keeping the pie neat is to use a hot knife for slicing each serving. Dip the blade in a glass of very hot water, then wipe it off before slicing into the pie. Repeat before cutting each new slice.

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French Onion Roast Chicken

Greg DuPree
French Onion Roast Chicken Recipe

Make a big batch of this juicy roast chicken and caramelized onions and you've got enough for three meals. Save the leftovers to make Thai Chicken Pizza the next night, and Chicken and Herb Crêpes the night after!  

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Slow-Cooker White Chili with Turkey

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Slow-Cooker White Chili with Turkey Recipe
Consider dinner covered for the day after Thanksgiving. This comforting slow cooker recipe is made with leftover turkey and will feed a full house. Cornmeal helps thicken this chili, and adds a hint of toasty corn flavor. Choose fine, rather than coarse, cornmeal for the smoothest texture.

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Creamy Corn-Mushroom Risotto

Caitlin Bensel
Creamy Corn-Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Infused with a rich corn broth, this corn- and mushroom-studded risotto is a stellar way to celebrate the last of the season’s harvest. The pureed corn broth adds a subtle sweet creaminess that builds as the risotto cooks. Feel free to sub in your favorite mushrooms; steer clear of large portobellos—their dark gills will discolor the finished dish.

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Korean Fried Chicken

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Julia Levy
Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
You don’t know crispy fried chicken until you’ve tried this Korean fried chicken. Our smitten test kitchen team even deemed this some of the best fried chicken they’d ever experienced. The secret to the chicken’s incredible, light and crisp exterior comes down to two key details: the potato starch used to coat the chicken and the double-fry method (trust us on this one—it works).

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Vegetarian Pozole

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Robby Melvin
Vegetarian Pozole Recipe
Plan to put this easy and comforting vegetarian pozole on repeat all season long. The vibrant stew offers the smoky, delicately spicy, and bright flavors characteristic of traditional pozole, simply without the pork. Fresh spinach and red kidney beans add color and hearty texture, while also upping the iron and protein content of the pozole.

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Speedy Coconut-Curry Shrimp Skillet

Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Kay Clark; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners 
Speedy Coconut-Curry Shrimp Skillet Recipe
These skillet shrimp noodles are super easy to make at home, but their flavor rivals something you’d get at a restaurant. It’s slightly sweet from the coconut, with a mild degree of spice, and has plenty of toppings to keep things interesting, especially with the combination of flavors—but by all means, if you want to go harder with toppings, go for it.
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Apple Pie French Toast Casserole

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Anna Theoktisto
Apple Pie French Toast Casserole Recipe
This overnight casserole could be breakfast, but it could also be bread pudding—in short, it’s the perfect thing to serve on a chilly Saturday morning. Cinnamon and comforting, it’s just sweet enough to be eaten as-is, but it’s also nice topped with a little butter and maple syrup.

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Classic Fettuccine Alfredo 

Meredith Food Studios 
Classic Fettuccine Alfredo  Recipe

This homemade Alfredo sauce clings to the noodles, all without producing a starchy taste. Remove the pasta while it’s still al dente, or slightly firm, and don’t skip the freshly chopped parsley. Dried egg fettuccine is readily available in the pasta aisle in the grocery store—it costs a bit more, but it’s worth it. The sauce will thicken once the pasta is added and removed from heat, so don’t worry if it seems too thin at first. 

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Sausage-and-Cheese Grits Quiche

Hector Manuel Sanchez
Sausage-and-Cheese Grits Quiche Recipe

Make this crustless quiche in a springform pan for a pretty (and sliceable) presentation. Cook the cheese grits and sausage up to two days in advance; bake the quiche the morning of the brunch.

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Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel

Hector Manuel Sanchez
Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel Recipe
Don’t even think about spending all morning flipping pancakes. Instead, turn them into a bread pudding-like casserole. Prepare the recipe at least eight hours ahead so the pancakes absorb the egg-and cream-mixture.

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Easy Peach Cobbler

Photo: Greg DuPree Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Prop Styling: Thom Driver
Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe
What could be a more perfect ending to a summertime meal than easy peach cobbler? Savor the flavors of summer with sliced fresh peaches cooking away with butter and spices. The topping can made from pantry ingredients you have on hand and peaches can easily be substituted with any fruit you have depending on the time of year. The tang of the lemon juice paired with the sweetness of the peaches is perfectly balanced with the crisp topping.

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Beef Stroganoff Pizza

Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Katelyn Hardwick; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
Beef Stroganoff Pizza Recipe

If you’ve ever looked for a reason to try beef stroganoff with something besides egg noodles, this is it. The beef, mushrooms, and sour cream’s flavors really sing here, while just the right amount of garlic and onion and lots of cheese round everything out. This is also a good place to start if you’d like to experiment more with your pizza toppings. The most important part of this recipe is making sure the crust on the bottom is crispy enough to hold all the toppings. You’ll also need to let the sauce cool a bit before adding the sour cream so it doesn’t break. This makes a lot, so it can serve 6 people if your group doesn’t have big eaters, or save the extra slices for some stellar leftovers. 

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Pecan-Breaded Pork Chops with Beer Sauce

Greg DuPree
Pecan-Breaded Pork Chops with Beer Sauce Recipe

Louisiana chef Horst Pfeifer combined dry mustard, celery salt, and pecans to create a memorable breading for pork chops. Serve them with your favorite vegetable and some crusty bread on the side for mopping up the rich, gravy-like sauce.

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Ratatouille-Stuffed Shells

Ratatouille-Stuffed Shells Recipe

Jumbo stuffed shells are your weeknight answer to homemade lasagna: Instead of endless layers, spoon a single vegetable mixture into each shell, and bake 12 minutes or until the cheese melts.

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Salted Caramel Banana Pudding

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman
Salted Caramel Banana Pudding Recipe
We upped the ante on the classic banana pudding with lightly spiced Biscoff cookies and a quick homemade salted caramel. Jarred dulce de leche (often found in supermarkets near the ice cream toppings) makes the luscious caramel come together quickly without sacrificing a thick, smooth texture.
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Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Mini Pecan Monkey Bread Loaves Recipe

These caramel-drizzled treats will be a hit at brunch--and you'll love them even more because they are made with frozen dough and can be prepped in advance. Assemble the loaves, and store in the refrigerator overnight. Let them rise and bake as instructed.

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Classic Pasta Carbonara

Photo: Gina Desimone; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Adam Dolge
Classic Pasta Carbonara Recipe
This simple, classic carbonara recipe is the perfect dish when you need a special night in. And with this foolproof method for nailing the signature creamy sauce, you can go into the kitchen with confidence.

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Meat Loaf with Mushroom Gravy

Photo: Greg DuPree; Styling: Kay E. Clarke
Meat Loaf with Mushroom Gravy Recipe
This hearty meat loaf topped with rich mushroom gravy is the epitome of old-school comfort food. Serve it alongside a generous serving of mashed potatoes for a taste of paradise on a plate.
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Ranch Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Ranch Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Not to brag, but this is the best version of homemade ranch mashed potatoes around. The fresh herbs really add some zing to this side and beautifully complement sour cream and buttermilk’s tang. For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, place the potatoes back in the pot after draining them and put them on low heat—this will remove any extra and unwanted moisture.

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Chicken Parmesan Dip

Meredith Food Studios
Chicken Parmesan Dip Recipe

This is a rich and creamy way to use up leftover marinara sauce or chicken. For an extra-Italian twist, use Italian sausage instead. 

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The Ultimate Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookie

Sara Tane
The Ultimate Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe

Everybody needs a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this is the one that you can rely on, time after time. Topped with flaky sea salt and bursting with bittersweet chocolate chunks, this sweet treat is not for the faint of heart.

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