79 Comfort Food Recipes to Make While Wearing Your Fuzzy Slippers
All we want to eat is comfort food. But the definition of the term depends, of course, on whom you ask. For some, cheesy baked pasta comes to mind first, while others think of a roast chicken, a toasted sandwich, or a big pot of stewy chickpeas. We say: All comfort foods are welcome here. And if you’re looking to add to your personal repertoire, you’ve arrived at the right place. These comfort food recipes are the dishes we're most looking forward to as the weather cools. We hope you’ll find a few new favorites below and cook them on repeat whenever you’re looking for something soothing.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton2/79
Hong Kong–Style French Toast
Stuffed with peanut butter and drizzled with condensed milk, this French toast is crisp yet custardy.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert3/79
Tuna Noodle Casserole
When we photographed this classic tuna noodle casserole from Gourmet, our art team couldn't stop talking about how delicious it was. There's no canned soup in this version, just a creamy sauce made from melted butter, broth, and whole milk.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano and Stevie Stewart4/79
Chilaquiles Rojos
This cozy dish is a great way to use up tortillas (or tortilla chips) that are past their optimal freshness, as well as leftover roast chicken or carnitas. An egg on top? Why not. It's worth making your own salsa roja to give your chilaquiles rich, balanced flavor.
- Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell5/79
Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake
When nothing will do the trick except a mile-high slice of cheesecake, this is the recipe you should turn to.
- Photo by Linda Xiao6/79
Cheater’s Chicken and Dumplings in the Instant Pot
It's not quite traditional Southern chicken and dumplings, but it is a delicious, comforting dinner without much fuss.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton7/79
Chicken Pot Pie With Biscuit Crust
Using a rotisserie chicken makes this take on the classic easy. The biscuit topping makes it unforgettable.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne8/79
Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding
This apple dessert could be the star of your next dinner party—it also reheats well for breakfast the next day.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou9/79
Char Siu
Sticky, succulent Chinese barbecue pork is often purchased from restaurants, but you can absolutely make it at home. Cook it on a rack over a pan of steaming water and baste regularly.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton10/79
Tuna Melt
The ultimate tuna melt is crispy, creamy, gooey, and tangy, with pickled onions for added crunch.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton11/79
Khara Huggi or Pongal
This one-pot dish made with moong dal and rice is the kind of thing you can cook one night and immediately crave again the next.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone12/79
Our Favorite Mashed Potatoes
Cream mashed potatoes aren't just a Thanksgiving recipe. You're fully allowed to make them on a weeknight to keep you sustained through a Netflix session.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne13/79
Our Favorite Mac and Cheese
If you like your macaroni and cheese with a creamy interior and crunchy top, you've come to the right place. This is a comforting casserole to please kids and grown-ups alike. The sauce is flavored with extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated Parmesan, mustard powder, and white pepper. Serve with a side of green beans if you like.
- Photo by Aubrie Pick14/79
Super-Simple Overnight Porridge
This velvety Vietnamese rice porridge gets a deep flavor—and a jump-start in cooking—from soaking overnight in chicken or vegetable broth before simmering with fragrant ginger and scallions. Decking out your bowl with toppings is an excellent distraction.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton15/79
Bombay Masala Chile Cheese Toasties
If we had to pick just one comfort food sandwich, it might be this melty, spicy, crunchy street food favorite.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton16/79
Chicken and Potato Gratin With Brown Butter Cream
Just say it with us: brown butter cream sauce. Don't you feel better already? This luxurious dish starts with bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, potatoes, and fragrant herbs. (Plus, yes, that brown butter and cream.) It's cold-weather comfort that works even if it's not cold where you are.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi17/79
Sweet Potato Casserole With Graham Cracker Streusel
Embrace the sweetness of sweet potatoes with this maple-kissed casserole, topped with a playful pecan-graham crumble and toasty marshmallows.
- Photo by Hannah Che18/79
Sesame Noodles
This recipe includes a homemade chile oil—feel free to reach for whatever chili crisp you have around if you don't have the energy to start from scratch.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson19/79
Chicken Soup
To make truly great chicken noodle soup, you need to start with chicken, not canned broth. This recipe from the Second Avenue Deli in New York won't steer you wrong.
- Photo by Linda Xiao20/79
One-Pan Tartiflette With Bitter Lettuces and Pear Salad
Make yourself a big pan of tender potatoes and gooey cheese. We won't tell if you skip the salad on the side.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell21/79
Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells
This one-pan, stovetop-only pasta recipe turns mushroom- and spinach-stuffed shells into an easy weeknight dinner. Just watch out for sauce splotches on your favorite comfy pajamas. (You are eating this in your pajamas, right?)
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell22/79
Cabbage Potato Pie
There's absolutely nothing wrong with eating mashed potatoes for a comfort food dinner. But if you want to jazz it up a bit, we highly recommend flavoring them with bacon and sharp cheddar, and wrapping them up in pretty cabbage leaves.
- Photo by Elena Heatherwick23/79
Confit Tandoori Chickpeas
Send a few cans of spiced chickpeas into the oven for a nap with some olive oil and tons of garlic, and dinner will be a no-effort, barely-and-dishes success. There's a reason our executive editor makes this comfort food dish almost every week.
- Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell24/79
Creamy Pasta With Crispy Mushrooms
Savory mushrooms get a quick sear before they're tossed into a creamy pasta sauce with lemon, Parmesan, and lots of black pepper. It's a restaurant-worthy meal that's easy to recreate at home.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano25/79
Simple Roast Chicken
There's no basting required to make a superlative roast chicken. Just follow this easy recipe.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo26/79
Coconut Tapioca With Pineapple, Mango, And Lime
This luscious coconut tapioca pudding is as comforting as a fuzzy blanket at the end of a long day. The topping balances the dessert with bright, tangy flavor.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley27/79
Marcella Hazan's Butter, Tomato, and Onion Sauce
The whole thing's in the name: This classic, beloved pasta sauce is made with just tomatoes, onion, and butter. It couldn't be easier—or tastier.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce28/79
Dad’s Curried Chicken
This chicken curry was on the dinner table at least once a week when cookbook author Ramin Ganeshram was growing up. And it's become a tradition on our tables, too.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop and Food Styling by Ali Nardi29/79
Matzo Ball Soup
Maybe you dream of Grandma's matzo ball soup, but this one might be even better. There's an entire chicken in this soup, and then some. You'll pull out the breast early on and use the white meat to garnish the finished bowls, but everything else stays and simmers for hours, enriching the stock with concentrated flavor and lip-smacking body.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone30/79
Quick Baked Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parm doesn't have to be a fussy project. This version takes just 22 minutes—while the dredged chicken bakes and the mozzarella melts, you'll add a few flavor boosters to some jarred marinara sauce. Layer it all on a plate with some torn basil and tuck in.
- Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo31/79
Mashed Plantains With Fried Eggs (Mangú de Plátanos)
Eggs and potatoes are great, but eggs with mashed plantains will really brighten your day. The plantains have a mellow, fragrant earthiness that becomes a canvas for colorful toppings like pickled red onions and avocados.
- Photo by Alex Lau32/79
Breakfast Grilled Cheese With Soft Scrambled Eggs
What's the secret to the silkiest scrambled eggs ever? A dollop of cream cheese stirred in right at the end. Piling them onto a sandwich with melted American cheese takes them even further over the top.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi33/79
Cacio e Pepe
Restaurant-worthy meals don't have to be strenuous to make at home. This classic pasta only has a few ingredients, but they merge into a surprisingly silky, flavor-packed sauce. Go ahead, add it to your weeknight rotation.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova34/79
Turkey Meatloaf
Too many turkey meatloaf recipes have resulted in a dry, uninspiring dinner. But soaking breadcrumbs in milk prevents the meatloaf from drying out as it cooks.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews35/79
Chocolate Mousse
Straining the custard ensures it’s creamy throughout, and whisking in melted bittersweet chocolate balances out the sweetness. Fold in whipped cream to achieve that ethereal, lighter-than-air texture that never disappoints.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig36/79
Rigatoni With Easy Vodka Sauce
A little onion, tomato paste, and cream come together in minutes to make one of the best homemade pasta sauces you'll ever eat. Be sure to use double-concentrated tomato paste, which packs more flavor than the standard stuff.
- Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich37/79
Cheesy Cabbage Gratin
Roasting the cabbage before it goes into this rich, cheesy gratin does double duty: it deepens the vegetable’s savory flavor and removes excess moisture from the creamy mixture.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell38/79
Paneer Butter Masala
This recipe from Meera Sodha makes one of our favorite vegetarian dinners for a comfy night at home. The dish is flavored with warming ginger, fenugreek, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Photo by Alex Lau39/79
The Silkiest Carbonara
This yolk-heavy carbonara is beyond creamy. And no, there's no cream to be found here. Add it to your list of quick comfort food recipes worth mastering.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Alison Attenborough40/79
Spinach and Artichoke Melts
Your favorite creamy dip—but in a form you (and your kids) can happily eat for dinner. Serve with a salad of bitter greens and a bright vinaigrette.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews41/79
Spring Greens and Leek Gratin
Seasonal greens get even better when they’re decked out with cream, cheese, butter, and crispy torn bread. This recipe calls for spinach and arugula, but you can use any greens you like.
- Photo by Nicole Franzen43/79
Egg-in-a-Hole Sandwich With Bacon and Cheddar
It's often said that kids like breakfast for dinner, but the truth is, pretty much everyone likes breakfast for dinner. Here's how to make a great one. Step one: cut holes in two pieces of sourdough. Step two: fry eggs in those holes. Step three: slap them together with crispy bacon, melty cheddar, and plenty of hot sauce.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou44/79
Sausage and Ricotta Baked Cannelloni
Creamy béchamel, sweet Italian sausage, tender fresh pasta—this pasta dish is classic comfort food, all the way.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura45/79
Oven Risotto With Crispy Roasted Mushrooms
Yes, you can make creamy, buttery risotto without endlessly standing over the stove to stir. Just pop it in the oven and roast some mushrooms alongside to top off the finished dish.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell46/79
Creamy Potato and Leek Gratin
This is one special gratin. Cooking the vegetables separately before combining—the leeks are braised in butter, the spuds are simmered in milk and cream—preserves their distinct flavors. Serve it alongside a roast chicken, pork chops, or just a simple green salad.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig47/79
Baked Pasta Shells With Sausage and Greens
Crisp nuggets of Italian sausage and tender broccoli rabe swathed in a blanket of cozy cheese sauce—this is the kind of pasta we crave over and over.
- Photo by Mackenzie Kelley48/79
Spinach and Feta Cooked Like Saag Paneer
This recipe from Priya Krishna is a staff favorite. Large cubes of feta, used instead of paneer, add tangy flavor to the vegetable-forward dish.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne49/79
Simple Bread Pudding With Melted Ice Cream Sauce
This easy bread pudding recipe gets an even easier sauce.
- Romulo Yanes50/79
Queso Fundido
You can reheat this ooey-gooey dip in a skillet, or keep it warm in a fondue pot. Pull up your chic tv tray and tune in to the next episode of your favorite show.
- Photo by Alex Lau51/79
One-Skillet Chicken With Buttery Orzo
Orzo is cooked in the drippings from roasted chicken thighs in this comforting and delicious one-skillet dish.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson52/79
Arroz Caldo
The liquid from poached chicken becomes the broth for cooking this Filipino rice porridge. Top with sweet garlic chips, bright lime juice, and fresh herbs, and dig in.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks53/79
Diner-Style Rice Pudding
This creamy dessert is thick and rich, topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon. To make the flavor a little more complex, add a tablespoon of molasses.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova54/79
Chicken Stew With Potatoes and Radishes
This one-pot recipe takes its flavor cues from chicken paprikash. Cooking low and slow is the key to getting deep flavor and the perfect texture; make sure to simmer the stew until the potatoes are creamy and the chicken is pull-apart tender.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini55/79
Cheesy Baked Butternut Squash Polenta
Butternut squash melts into the polenta as this creamy, make-ahead dish cooks, while chunks of Fontina create gooey pockets of cheese throughout.
- Photo by Alex Lau56/79
Classic Cassoulet
Does this cassoulet recipe seem daunting? Don‘t worry. We give you plenty of road signs along the way so you can break it up into several manageable steps. If you want an easier weeknight version, though, consider Cassoulet Toast.
- Photo by Charles Masters, Food Styling by Suzanne Lenzer57/79
Our Favorite Lasagna With Sausage, Spinach, and Three Cheeses
This perennial favorite has just the right mix of hearty sausage, vibrant spinach, and a perfectly balanced three-cheese blend. With a quick-cooking sauce and no-fuss, no-boil noodles, the assembly is easy, and one pan can feed a crowd, or make it so you don't have to cook again for a few days.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark58/79
Mississippi Corn Pudding
While this luscious, savory side dish is great hot out of the oven, it's also excellent right from the fridge.
- Johnny Miller59/79
Fried Chicken
An overnight soak in buttermilk and a few key spices makes for the most flavorful, tender fried chicken.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert60/79
Breakfast Burritos With Bacon, Egg, and Cheese
Truly great breakfast burritos can be yours, but it's worth it to start by making fresh tortillas. Then fill with silky black beans, cheesy eggs, and bacon, and roll it up.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou61/79
Roast Chicken Legs with Lots of Garlic
Luscious chicken legs cook in olive oil with a few heads of garlic until the meat is almost falling off the bone. All you need on the side is some toasted bread and a crisp salad.
- Brian W. Ferry62/79
Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup
This weeknight chicken soup goes Greek with orzo, lemon juice, and a handful of fresh dill.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova63/79
One-Pan Chicken Drumsticks with Rice and Beans
Got beans and rice? Clean out your pantry with this customizable one-pan dinner that can be seasoned with whatever spices—Turmeric! Cumin! Coriander!—you happen to have on hand.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Judy Mancini64/79
Fall Squash and Leek Bread Pudding
You can simplify this side dish by using just one cheese, but the blend of all three will earn it (and you!) celebrity status.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne65/79
Molten Double Chocolate Mug Cake
It's true, a mug cake can actually be good. This is our resident cake expert's go-to recipe.
- Photo by Gabriele Stabile66/79
Caribbean Smothered Chicken With Coconut, Lime, and Chiles
Smothered pork chops may be an iconic soul food specialty, but this recipe from chef Carla Hall proves you can smother anything. Basically, you're just coating slow-cooked meat with a blanket of saucy aromatics that end up as gravy, too.
- Ellen Silverman67/79
Banana Pudding
This looks like familiar banana pudding, but it's topped with an extra-crunchy cinnamon cookie crumble.
- Photo by Greg Elms68/79
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Is the chicken the best part of this dish? The rice that's enriched with chicken broth and fat? We can't pick.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad and Lillian Chou69/79
Adjaran Khachapuri
This khachapuri recipe makes all you need for a meal—a luscious cheesy, eggy, buttery bath to dip bread into. Looking for a version to feed a larger crew? Make this large-format khachapuri instead.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne70/79
Baked Rigatoni With Red Peppers and Green Olives
Build a sauce bulked up with jarred red peppers and green olives, then toss it with pasta and lots of mozzarella cheese that goes crisp on top and cheesy-pully in the middle in the oven.
- Photo by Nassima Rothacker71/79
Chicken Korma
This quick recipe gets chicken korma on your table in just 30 minutes. Don't eat meat? We recently published a new paneer korma recipe as well.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi72/79
Buttermilk Biscuits With Honey Butter
A biscuit might be the queen of carbs, especially when smeared with honey butter.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich73/79
Vegan Roasted Garlic–Potato Enchiladas
Take garlicky mashed potatoes, wrap them in corn tortillas, then bathe in a flavorful dried-chile salsa for enchiladas tonight. It's the vegan comfort food you've been waiting for.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton74/79
Chicken Congee (Gye Joke)
To boost the flavor of this comforting congee, add chicken bones to the pot. Garnish with sliced scallions, ginger matchsticks, and crispy fried shallots.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton75/79
Mushroom Adobo
All of the flavor of chicken adobo, but none of the meat. This vegetarian adobo is high on our list of the best comfort food meals.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch76/79
French Onion Breakfast Strata
In this herby make-ahead brunch dish, French onion dip meets savory bread pudding. Put the strata together the night before you want to serve it, then bake until it's nice and golden brown while you make coffee in the morning.
- Photo by Clay Williams77/79
Maduros (Sweet Plantains)
Depending on their level of ripeness, plantains can be savory or sweet—for this sweet plantains recipe, look for mostly black ones.
- Photo by Gentl & Hyers78/79
Pasta e Fagioli With Escarole
Looking for a way to use up dried beans? This take on the classic Italian soup recipe packs in tons of flavor, thanks to a Parmesan rind, fresh herbs, dried chiles, and a little white wine.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce79/79
White Chicken Chili
Canned white beans, boneless chicken breasts, chicken broth, and fragrant spices make this chili one of our go-to comfort food recipes. Top with shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, and maybe a dollop of sour cream, and make some easy cornbread to serve on the side.
David Tamarkin
Maggie Hoffman
Kendra Vaculin
Anna Hezel
Lesley Téllez
Eric Kim
Matthew Trueherz