When I need a cozy meal, I head to my comfort food recipes. Mac and cheese has endless possibilities with add-ins, but I love it for its creamy cheddar base.
I adore chicken pot pie. There’s just something about the tender chicken, carrots, and peas that makes me feel like everything is right with the world.
Beef stroganoff has no business being as good as it is. It’s just beef, mushrooms, and sour cream, but the mound of buttered egg noodles it sits atop makes it next-level comfort food.
My meatloaf is kind of like my mother’s, with a few changes that make it mine. She used ground beef, crumbs, and ketchup to make her version.
The lasagna I make in a pan is layered with ricotta, mozzarella, and lots of chunky marinara sauce. For a while, I made chicken and dumplings every Sunday.
Finally, I make a big pot of chili that fills my kitchen with spicy aromas. The comforting and satisfying meals in these recipes leave me cozy and content.
The 7 Best comfort food recipes
1. Mac and Cheese Comfort Food Recipe
Elbow macaroni, cheddar cheese, butter, flour, milk, salt, and pepper — comfort food classics make up the mainstay of the beloved, time-honored, down-home dish known by many names: macaroni and cheese, mac and cheese, or simply “cheesy pasta.” Rarely do anyone’s simple, enticing, mouthwatering descriptions of macaroni and cheese lack superlatives.
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Prepare the macaroni as the package directs until it achieves an al dente state. Eliminate excess water, and then put the pasta to the side once it has drained.
2. In a medium saucepan heated to medium, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute until it forms a paste.
3. Whisk the milk into the mixture gradually, continuing to stir until the result thickens into a sauce, which should take about 5 minutes.
4. Take the cheese sauce off the heat. Stir in the cheddar cheese until smooth. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the sauce to the macaroni, and mix well. Serve piping hot.
2. Chicken Pot Pie Comfort Food Recipe
Chicken Pot Pie is a comforting classic featuring tender chicken, mixed vegetables like carrots, peas, and corn, all enveloped in a creamy sauce with butter, flour, chicken broth, and milk, nestled in a flaky pie crust.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1 refrigerated pie crust
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius).
2. In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Whisk in the chicken broth and milk slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.
4. Combine the chicken and vegetables, then spoon the mixture into a pie dish lined with the pie crust. Cover with the top crust, seal the edges, and cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is browned and flaky.
3. Beef Stroganoff Comfort Food Recipe
Stroganoff beef is a comforting dish made from tender sirloin strips that are sautéed with mushrooms and onions and served in a creamy sauce of sour cream and beef broth. It is a dish that is far too rarely seen, and if you have not experienced it, you have missed a beefy delight.
Noodles or rice make perfect companions to this sauce-laden dish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef sirloin or tenderloin, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup sour cream
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Instructions
1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sliced beef and cook until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2. In the identical skillet, place the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Include the mushrooms that have been sliced and cook them until they let out water and start to brown.
4. Put the beef back in the skillet and pour in the broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and stir in the sour cream. Cook gently until everything is piping hot. Serve over either cooked noodles or rice.
4. Meatloaf Comfort Food Recipe
This timeless meatloaf recipe brings together ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, milk, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce to create a cozy dish. Baked to juicy perfection, it makes an effortless, delightful supper anytime.
Ingredients
Ground beef
Breadcrumbs
Onion, finely chopped
Egg
Milk
Ketchup
Worcestershire sauce#
Instructions
1. Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to warm up and get your loaf pan ready with some grease.
2. In a big bowl, put together the ground beef, breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion, beaten egg, and the following ingredients: milk, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Then mix until just combined.
3. Create a loaf from the mixture and put it into the prepared pan.
4. Approximately 1 hour of baking time is required, or until it reaches a safe internal temperature of 160°F (70°C). Slicing and serving can only happen once it has adequately rested.
5. Lasagna Comfort Food Recipe
The ultimate comfort food, lasagna contains layers of savory ground beef, creamy ricotta, and rich marinara sauce, all melted into a cheesy mass of mozzarella and Parmesan goodness. Baked to perfection, it is a hearty, satisfying dish that feeds friends and family well.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
9 lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 cups marinara sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Your oven should be set to 375°F (190°C) to preheat.
2. In a frying pan, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Drain the fat, add the marinara sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. In a dish, mix together the three cheeses with the egg.
4. In a baking dish measuring 9 by 13 inches, spread a thin layer of sauce made of meat. On top of that, lay three lasagna noodles. Then, place on top of them half of the mixture of ricotta cheese, followed by a layer of cheese made of mozzarella. Do those same steps once more, and then, on top, add a layer of sauce and another layer of cheese made of mozzarella.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
6. Chicken and Dumplings Comfort Food Recipe
Chicken and Dumplings Comfort Food Recipe brings warmth to your table with tender chicken simmered in savory broth and pillowy dumplings made from all-purpose flour, butter, and milk. Ideal for cozy dinners.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (about 3-4 pounds), cut into pieces
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
1. In a sizable saucepan, mix together the chicken parts and the chicken stock. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer about 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through, and tender. When the time is up, use tongs to remove the chicken parts from the pot and let them cool slightly before you shred the meat, discarding the bones and skin.
2. As the chicken cooks, mix the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl for the dumplings. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk until a soft dough forms.
3. Put the torn chicken back into the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the bubbling broth and chicken. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked through. Serve hot. Enjoy!
7. Chili Comfort Food Recipe
Chili is a tried-and-true classic that offers the kind of comfort typically associated with a warm hug. Chunky, meaty, and downright filling, it’s a potful of what’s good in the world.
A straightforward ingredient list—ground beef, kidney beans, and good-quality canned tomatoes—gets the job done. But we can do better.
Chili, after all, is one of those dishes that invites improvisation.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste#
Instructions
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
2. Put the onion into the pot and cook them until they are softened and fine, around 5 minutes.
3. Blend in the chili powder and cumin, and cook for another minute, until you can really smell them.
4. Put in the canned tomatoes and kidney beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
