Food & Cooking 42 of Our Most Delicious Comfort Food Recipes From macaroni and cheese to pull-apart garlic bread, you can't go wrong with these tasty comfort food recipes. By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan is a New York City-based food writer and editor with six years of digital editorial experience in roles at MarthaStewart.com, Food52, and TODAY Show. In addition to her roles, Kelly has seven years of food writing experience with work found in Allrecipes, Bon Appètit, Food & Wine, Real Simple, and more. Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 19, 2024 Close Photo: Johnny Fogg Comfort food is warm and inviting, hearty and crowd-pleasing, and always delicious. You can’t go wrong with a classic like macaroni and cheese or a fried chicken sandwich paired with a fluffy, soft potato roll. A big bowl of pasta certainly fits the bill, too—which is why we included delicious iterations of all-time classics, including sweets. Whatever your taste buds are hankering for, these simple comfort food recipes promise plenty of flavor, a taste of nostalgia, and the allure of a second helping. 30 Vegetarian Comfort Food Recipes 01 of 42 Creamy Lemon Chicken With Spinach and Artichokes Marcus Nilsson Who says comfort food can't be healthy? This easy recipe combines sauteed chicken cutlets with cream cheese (instead of heavy cream), low-sodium chicken broth, baby spinach, and artichoke hearts. Lemon juice adds a zingy depth of flavor and a side of steamed rice rounds out the dish. View Recipe 02 of 42 Pull-Apart Garlic Bread Linda Pugliese Herby garlic bread pairs perfectly with a plethora of main dishes, so consider adding this crowd-pleaser to your next spread. You can make it a day in advance to save time, and the pull-apart texture makes it simpler to serve guests. View Recipe 03 of 42 One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Dana Gallagher If you're short on time but seeking big flavor, whip up this decadent, one-bowl chocolate-buttermilk cake. Simply combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, pour into a baking dish, and then pop into the oven for 30 minutes. The chocolate frosting that goes with it is just as easy to make. View Recipe 04 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite Mac and Cheese Armando Rafael Once you try your hand at this sensational recipe, you'll never buy the boxed stuff again. We use a crowd-pleasing combination of American, cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses to create an ooey-gooey sauce. View Recipe 05 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite All-Beef Meatloaf Lennart Weibull Kick back with this nostalgic, family-friendly meal. Instead of cooking it in a loaf pan, form and bake the meatloaf on a sheet pan so that every side gets a golden, caramelized crust. View Recipe 06 of 42 Quick Fried Chicken and Waffles Sweet maple waffles paired with crispy fried chicken is a breakfast-for-dinner duo that we can't get enough of. Make the waffles first and keep them warm in the oven while the chicken fries. View Recipe 07 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite Tomato Soup Sidney Bensimon Whether you eat it on its own or serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich, our homemade tomato soup is classic comfort food. This recipe is made with two cans of whole peeled tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, and vegetable or chicken stock. View Recipe 08 of 42 Beef Chili Chili is a crowd-pleasing American comfort food, especially on game day, and this recipe is sure to score big. Make a double batch of hearty chili over the weekend, then serve it over polenta, stuffed into bell peppers, or spooned over crunchy nachos all week long. View Recipe 09 of 42 Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches Armando Rafael There are so many different and delicious ways to serve chicken, but one of the easiest—and surely the most comforting—is sandwiched between a soft roll. Panko is the key to these delicious baked chicken sandwiches. Try ranch dressing in place of the blue cheese and mayonnaise if you like. View Recipe 10 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits Armando Rafael The bread basket is one of the best parts of any comfort food meal. Fill yours with these buttery, flaky biscuits that are so easy to make (no rolling required!). Brush the tops with more buttermilk before baking for that perfect golden-brown finish. View Recipe 11 of 42 Creamy Stone-Ground Grits Johnny Fogg Whether unadorned or paired with their other half—sautéed shrimp—creamy, cheesy grits are a side dish that everyone will love. We added two cups of grated cheddar cheese to the savory grits for extra richness, and we don't think anyone will complain. View Recipe 12 of 42 Classic Chicken Potpie Grant Webster With its buttery crust and ultra-savory filling, chicken potpie is the ultimate comfort food. This version is packed with chicken, carrots, onion, and frozen peas in a soothing sauce made with chicken broth. And it’s a great way to use up leftover roast or rotisserie chicken, a couple of chicken breasts, or whatever chicken you have on hand. View Recipe 13 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes Armando Rafael Once you try this comfort food recipe, you'll realize how simple it is to whip up a batch of homemade pancakes. The batter—made with flour, sugar, buttermilk, eggs, lemon juice, and leaveners—comes together in a snap and you're on your way to a perfect stack. View Recipe 14 of 42 Colcannon Shepherd's Pie John Dolan It doesn't have to be St. Patrick's Day to prepare this classic Irish comfort food. Hiding beneath buttery mashed potatoes is a hearty and comforting combination of ground beef chuck, onion, and mixed frozen vegetables. View Recipe 15 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite Chicken and Dumplings Justin Walker We love the old-fashioned feel of this family-friendly chicken dish. Top the comforting filling with large spoonfuls of biscuit dough. View Recipe 16 of 42 Creamy Baked Ziti Bryan Gardner Try this take on the classic pasta casserole. It's made with three kinds of cheese—mozzarella, Parmesan, and cream cheese. The latter is richer and silkier than ricotta cheese and makes for a truly unforgettable comfort food dinner. View Recipe 17 of 42 Classic Burger-Joint Cheeseburger Armando Rafael This burger is layered with indulgent ingredients and rich, beefy flavors for a superb comfort food dinner. Serve with our homemade fries and we bet you won't ever go through the drive-thru again. View Recipe 18 of 42 Chicken Parmesan Whether you serve it over pasta or sandwiched in a hoagie roll, chicken Parmesan is an easy and comforting bite. You can make the breaded chicken cutlets in advance and store them in the freezer until you're ready to pile on the sauce and cheese. View Recipe 19 of 42 Cheese Fondue Earl Carter Start any dinner at home with a stellar, comforting appetizer: luscious cheese fondue. It's a romantic recipe that is sure to surprise your date, and you'll be surprised at just how easy it is to prepare. View Recipe 20 of 42 Shrimp Scampi Lennart Weibull Our recipe for this popular seafood pasta dish is simple to master and easy to love. We elevate it from the ordinary by using homemade shrimp stock, which adds even more savory, salty flavor. View Recipe 21 of 42 Roast Chicken With Vegetables and Potatoes Marcus Nilsson An all-American recipe, this poultry-and-potatoes dinner is the definition of comfort food. Toss carrots, shallots, potatoes, and lemon halves with olive oil, salt, and pepper, arrange in a roasting pan, and top with the chicken before putting it in the oven. View Recipe 22 of 42 Perfect Mashed Potatoes Carson Downing No comfort meal is complete without buttery, creamy mashed potatoes. The secret to this comforting side dish is to mix the cooked spuds with hot milk and melted butter, which prevents them from becoming gummy. View Recipe 23 of 42 Cacio e Pepe With Lemon We like to call this grown-up mac and cheese, but we have a feeling your little ones will love it, too. All you need for this Italian pasta dish is spaghetti or bucatini, butter, Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, lemon, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. View Recipe 24 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite Chicken Soup Made With a Whole Chicken Armando Rafael What's not to love about this comforting bowl? It's soothing if you have a cold, but also a cozy meal during winter, and delicious year-round. This one is our favorite soup recipe because it uses a whole chicken, which is more economical than buying pieces. View Recipe 25 of 42 French Fries This comfort food recipe will teach you how to make French fries completely from scratch and achieve a crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside result. View Recipe 26 of 42 Classic Pot Roast for the Slow Cooker Christina Holmes Tonight's supper comes in the form of a one-pot beef roast with garlic, carrots, and Yukon Gold potatoes. It only requires 15 minutes of prep work but needs eight hours to cook on low in the slow cooker, so put it together in the morning and it will be ready by dinnertime. View Recipe 27 of 42 Baked Beans With Bacon Bryan Gardner When the weather gets nice and you're ready to barbecue, serve this sweet and smoky side dish (which is extra indulgent thanks to strips of bacon) alongside Pulled Pork Sandwiches or grilled chicken. View Recipe 28 of 42 Baked French Toast Is it possible that French toast just became easier and more delicious? We think so, thanks to this breakfast casserole version that bakes all of the custard-covered slices together in one dish. View Recipe 29 of 42 Classic Beef Stew Con Poulos Build a flavorful sauce for beef chuck with Worcestershire sauce, red wine, chicken broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Let the beef and vegetables braise with the sauce until everything is fork-tender and totally succulent. View Recipe 30 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite Spaghetti and Meatballs Alpha Smoot Make tender, juicy, and delicious meatballs with this go-to, Italian-American recipe. Our secret to this comfort food? A combination of chopped cremini mushrooms and ground beef creates a light, textured meatball that gets super crispy. View Recipe 31 of 42 Coq au Vin Yunhee Kim This classic French dish translates to chicken with wine (specifically, red wine). It's a low-and-slow preparation that allows chicken thighs and legs to slowly braise with pearl onions, cremini mushrooms, and bacon. View Recipe 32 of 42 Beef Bourguignon Bryan Gardner Perfect for entertaining or a cozy family meal, this classic French dish of braised beef is richly flavored with rosemary, bay leaves, beef stock, red wine, and tomato paste. The cut of beef used is chuck, which becomes super tender as it cooks low and slow. View Recipe 33 of 42 Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies Bryan Gardner We've achieved the ultimate chocolate chip cookie—it has the perfect proportion of brown and white sugar, butter, flour, and, of course, plenty of chocolate chips. Enjoy one while they're still warm! View Recipe 34 of 42 Lasagna With Meat Sauce Justin Walker Our take on this favorite baked pasta is layered with a sauce made with sweet Italian sausage and lean ground beef, and a rich cheesy filling. Using no-boil lasagna noodles saves prep time and makes this comfort food main course easier than ever. View Recipe 35 of 42 Cinnamon Rolls Lennart Weibull Everyone will jump out of bed when the smell of cinnamon wafts through the kitchen into their bedrooms. You may do a double-take when you find out that the secret ingredient to the pillowy dough is mashed potatoes, but we promise it makes a huge, wonderful difference. View Recipe 36 of 42 Test Kitchen's Favorite Grilled Cheese Sidney Bensimon Wondering how to get the perfect golden-brown crust on each slice of bread without it sticking to the pan? A combination of softened butter and mayonnaise does the trick. For the cheese, we like using both American and sharp cheddar—that combination creates the ultimate pull. View Recipe 37 of 42 Grandma's Bolognese The Ingalls Make a big batch of this hearty Bolognese sauce and keep it in the freezer so it's on hand whenever you're craving a comforting pasta dish for dinner. Dried porcini mushrooms, pancetta, ground beef, ground pork, and plenty of herbs make for a deeply flavorful sauce. View Recipe 38 of 42 Pan-Fried Steak Bryan Gardner Yes, you too can make a steakhouse-quality main at home with this simple but spectacular recipe. Using a cast iron skillet, plenty of salt and pepper, and not flipping the steak in the pan more than once will help it achieve the perfect crust and juicy interior. View Recipe 39 of 42 Pasta Carbonara Bryan Gardner You only need a few basic ingredients to make this extra-special pasta dish—pancetta or bacon, eggs, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and spaghetti. The result is a silky, savory, and utterly delicious twirl of comfort food. View Recipe 40 of 42 Pound Cake Sour cream is the not-so-secret ingredient in this classic pound cake recipe. The recipe calls for a whopping nine eggs but it makes two loaves of rich and comforting pound cake. View Recipe 41 of 42 Roasted Red Potatoes Emily Laurae Here's a simple and delicious side dish for any comfort food recipe. Learn how to cook perfect roasted potatoes with this three-ingredient, 35-minute method. View Recipe 42 of 42 Chewy Brownies This easy recipe for fudgy brownies is sure to become your go-to. It's a familiar, but fabulous dessert to end any meal. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit