Food Recipe Collections & Favorites 30+ Simple and Delicious Comfort Food Recipes Feeling stressed? Come and eat, honey. By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is a food writer and editor with more than a decade’s experience working on titles such as Food Network Magazine, Bon Appetit, and Good Housekeeping. She is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple and is currently overseeing all food and nutritional content for Well+Good as senior food editor. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 9, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jen Causey 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. 01 of 31 Grandma Pie With Pepperoni and Pink Sauce Greg DuPree 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. Get the Recipe 02 of 31 Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Harissa and Chickpeas Christopher Testani 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. Get the Recipe 03 of 31 Decadent Mac and Cheese Jen Causey 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? Get the recipe 04 of 31 Red Lentil Squash Soup With Lemon Caitlin Bensel 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. Get the recipe 05 of 31 Green Curry Noodle Bowls with Tofu Antonis Achilleos 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. get the recipe 06 of 31 Chicken Enchiladas in Salsa Verde Caitlin Bensel 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. get the recipe 07 of 31 Chicken and Vegetable Potpie Maria Robledo This potpie's velvety smooth sauce is a blend of olive oil, white wine, and low-fat milk. get the recipe 08 of 31 Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower Maria Robledo This twist on mac and cheese contains (don't tell the kids) chopped cauliflower, which adds a nutty essence. get the recipe 09 of 31 Meat Loaf With Bacon Maura McEvoy Before popping it into the oven, top a meat loaf with strips of bacon to make it extra juicy and flavorful. Get the recipe 10 of 31 Baked-Potato Eggs William Meppem Twice-baked potatoes, topped with an egg and mixed with butter and Parmesan cheese are sinfully rich. get the recipe 11 of 31 Creamed Spinach Maria Robledo This all-time favorite is less indulgent―it's made with low-fat milk and reduced-fat cream cheese―but no less sublime. get the recipe 12 of 31 Chowder David Prince Loaded with sweet potatoes and broccoli, this satisfying chowder can be also be made with chicken or pork. get the recipe 13 of 31 Beef Stew Susie Cushner A savory combination of beef, red wine, and thyme makes this dish worth the wait. get the recipe 14 of 31 Drunken Cheesy Bread Marcus Nilsson This one-pot casserole looks a bit wild, but its combination of Gruyère and ham is scrumptious. get the recipe 15 of 31 Seafood Gumbo Susie Cushner A staple of Louisiana Creole cuisine, gumbo has a mix of full flavors, like bacon, thyme, and okra. get the recipe 16 of 31 Pizza Margherita Maria Robleda 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. get the recipe 17 of 31 Burgers Christopher Baker Another indisputable comfort food classic that proves there's no need to get complex. get the recipe 18 of 31 Stuffing Marcus Nilsson The turkey may be the star, but would it be the same without stuffing? (Which wins too, hands down, in the coveted leftovers category.) get the recipe 19 of 31 Three-Cheese Calzone Kan Kanbayashi Three cheeses―Parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta―melt together in this oozy delight. get the recipe 20 of 31 Lamb Chops Kan Kanbayashi 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. get the recipe 21 of 31 Corn Chowder Lisa Cohen Hearty corn chowder made with russet potatoes and bacon seems as though it were invented to warm you on a chilly day. get the recipe 22 of 31 Pot Roast Susie Cushner A long simmer in a slow cooker with mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and wine gives pot roast some Tuscan zest. The Best Slow Cookers on the Market get the recipe 23 of 31 Mashed Sweet Potatoes Dana Gallagher A dash of nutmeg accents the natural sweetness of these creamy mashed potatoes. get the recipe 24 of 31 Chili Rob Howard Thick with beef, peppers, beans, and tomatoes, a lager-spiked chili is a meal in every bite. get the recipe 25 of 31 Corn Spoon Bread Sang An Pair that chili with corn spoon bread. Or, it's good enough to eat by itself, baked until golden and warm from the oven. get the recipe 26 of 31 Baked Beans Quentin Bacon 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. get the recipe 27 of 31 Crispy Chicken and Greens Maria Robledo 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). get the recipe 28 of 31 Beef Stroganoff Maria Robledo This robust beef-and-noodle combo seems especially substantial on a brisk winter night. get the recipe 29 of 31 Roast Beef Con Poulos For a thoroughly satisfying meal, you can't go wrong with thick slices of roast beef flavored with the distinctive tang of onions. get the recipe 30 of 31 Turkey and Gravy Tina Rupp Sage. Turkey. Gravy. Together, a combination that winningly evokes memories of home-cooked meals. get the recipe 31 of 31 Mashed Potatoes Mikkel Vang In the realm of comfort food, what is more quintessential than mashed potatoes? These are made extra-rich with butter, cream, and buttermilk. get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit