30+ Simple and Delicious Comfort Food Recipes
Cozy season has arrived, and with it comes a few of our favorite things: crisp fall weather, fuzzy socks and sweaters, and the perfect excuse to eat all of the warming, hearty comfort foods we want. From one-dish dinners like decadent mac and cheese, slow cooker Tuscan pot roast, and cheesy homemade sheet-pan pizza peppered with pepperoni and red sauce, this recipe roundup covers all the comfort food bases. And remember—just because it's classified as 'comfort food' doesn't mean it has to be bathed in butter and cream (although that's highly encouraged). We have a wide array of delicious healthy comfort food recipes here too, like roasted pumpkin soup with harissa and chickpeas, and green curry noodle bowls with tofu.
Whatever you choose to cook, I'm sure we can all agree that there's nothing quite as wonderful (or warming) as simple, satisfying comfort food on a cold winter night. Snuggle up by the fireplace with a glass of red wine as you flip through your options. Here, our top 31 hand-picked recipes sure to warm your hearts and bellies this season.
Grandma Pie With Pepperoni and Pink Sauce
What's more comforting than homemade pizza? Homemade pizza with the word "grandma" attached, of course. After all, grandmas are often associated with delicious, comforting food, and this grandma-style pizza is no exception. What is a Grandma Pie, you ask? It's simply a pizza that gets cooked in a standard baking sheet. They're typically thin crust, but we pumped up this pizza with a fluffy, soft, tender crust instead. Toppings include melty mozzarella, crispy coins of pepperoni, fresh onion, and red sauce made with a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream, which makes this even richer than normal.
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Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Harissa and Chickpeas
This soothing (and so-healthy) soup recipe gets a delicious kick from spicy harissa, which you'll mix in with shallots, chickpeas, garlic, cumin, cardamom, and fresh sugar pumpkin. Can't find sugar pumpkins? No problem—kabocha squash, a sweet Japanese variety of winter squash, can be used in its place. It's freezer-friendly, too: simply fill gallon-size freezer bags halfway with the stew and freeze flat. To thaw, place in a bowl full of warm water for 10 minutes then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat.
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Decadent Mac and Cheese
Not one, not two, but three types of cheese get added to this decadent macaroni and cheese recipe, making it the ultimate dreamy-creamy comfort food dish. Gruyere adds complexity, cheddar gives it a sharp tang, and American cheese—don't turn up your nose—brings that gooey, melty, yummy, extra-cheesiness we all loved as little ones. And instead of béchamel sauce, you'll use a bit of evaporated milk to thicken your mac and cheese. How easy is that?
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Red Lentil Squash Soup With Lemon
Talk about healthy and hearty: this velvety red lentil soup soothes and satisfies with extra fresh vegetables and a little zing of heat. The soup combines carrots, lentils, and butternut squash with plenty of spices, fresh ginger, and harissa paste for layered flavor. We promise it's worth the extra step of transferring the soup to the blender to get a super silky consistency.
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Green Curry Noodle Bowls with Tofu
These vibrant, veggie-packed curry tofu noodle bowls with warm you up from the inside out. Thanks to coconut milk, jalapeño, green curry paste, fresh ginger, cilantro, basil, and lime, this dish is bursting with refreshing, so-comforting flavors. Best part? 20 minutes gets you from prep to dinner for four.
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Chicken Enchiladas in Salsa Verde
Enchiladas are comfort food's finest. Their filling is rich, and satisfying; their sauce is tart, savory, and creamy with just enough heat. Covered them in cheese, are you've got yourself the ideal one-dish dinner.
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Chicken and Vegetable Potpie
This potpie's velvety smooth sauce is a blend of olive oil, white wine, and low-fat milk.
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Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower
This twist on mac and cheese contains (don't tell the kids) chopped cauliflower, which adds a nutty essence.
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Meat Loaf With Bacon
Before popping it into the oven, top a meat loaf with strips of bacon to make it extra juicy and flavorful.
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Baked-Potato Eggs
Twice-baked potatoes, topped with an egg and mixed with butter and Parmesan cheese are sinfully rich.
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Creamed Spinach
This all-time favorite is less indulgent―it's made with low-fat milk and reduced-fat cream cheese―but no less sublime.
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Chowder
Loaded with sweet potatoes and broccoli, this satisfying chowder can be also be made with chicken or pork.
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Beef Stew
A savory combination of beef, red wine, and thyme makes this dish worth the wait.
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Drunken Cheesy Bread
This one-pot casserole looks a bit wild, but its combination of Gruyère and ham is scrumptious.
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Seafood Gumbo
A staple of Louisiana Creole cuisine, gumbo has a mix of full flavors, like bacon, thyme, and okra.
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Pizza Margherita
The ingredients are unremarkable: chewy crust, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella. But what they add up to, topped with basil and baked until the cheese is good and melted, is anything but.
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Burgers
Another indisputable comfort food classic that proves there's no need to get complex.
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Stuffing
The turkey may be the star, but would it be the same without stuffing? (Which wins too, hands down, in the coveted leftovers category.)
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Three-Cheese Calzone
Three cheeses―Parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta―melt together in this oozy delight.
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Lamb Chops
A meal that's elegant enough to serve to company can still be comfort food, as is the case with these mint-infused lamb chops.
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Corn Chowder
Hearty corn chowder made with russet potatoes and bacon seems as though it were invented to warm you on a chilly day.
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Pot Roast
A long simmer in a slow cooker with mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and wine gives pot roast some Tuscan zest.
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes
A dash of nutmeg accents the natural sweetness of these creamy mashed potatoes.
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Chili
Thick with beef, peppers, beans, and tomatoes, a lager-spiked chili is a meal in every bite.
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Corn Spoon Bread
Pair that chili with corn spoon bread. Or, it's good enough to eat by itself, baked until golden and warm from the oven.
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Baked Beans
Yes, they're a first-class side, but stir smoky bacon into molasses and brown-sugar flavored baked beans, serve with slabs of dark buttered bread, and they stand on their own.
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Crispy Chicken and Greens
No roundup of favorite comfort food would be complete without fried chicken and greens (though, here the chicken, coated in multi-grain cereal, is actually baked).
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Beef Stroganoff
This robust beef-and-noodle combo seems especially substantial on a brisk winter night.
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Roast Beef
For a thoroughly satisfying meal, you can't go wrong with thick slices of roast beef flavored with the distinctive tang of onions.
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Turkey and Gravy
Sage. Turkey. Gravy. Together, a combination that winningly evokes memories of home-cooked meals.
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Mashed Potatoes
In the realm of comfort food, what is more quintessential than mashed potatoes? These are made extra-rich with butter, cream, and buttermilk.