The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes

Comfort food… those cozy, nostalgic dishes we all crave on a rainy day, or when we’re just have a case of the blues. Sometimes, we just need something warm and comforting.

That’s why we brought you this collection of amazing Comfort Food Recipes. Now you have one place to find all of your favorites.

Here you’ll find the classics you grew up on like soups and stews, casseroles, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and more. We’ve also included some new ones, as well as comfort foods from around the world for you to try.

So cook your way through this delicious and comforting list. You’ll be glad you did!

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes.

1. Shrimp and Grits

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - shrimp and grits.

We’re starting this list off with the ultimate Southern comfort food, Shrimp and Grits! Plump, well seasoned shrimp over a bed of creamy, cheesy grits. Mmmm…

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2. Mashed Potatoes

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - mashed potatoes.

You can’t have a list of comfort food recipes without mashed potatoes, they’re high on everybody’s list. This recipe is soft and fluffy, with some added flavor from goat cheese!

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3. Johnny Marzetti

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - Johnny Marzetti.

Johnny Marzetti? Even if you don’t know the name, you know the dish! It also goes by the names American goulash and American chop Suey. Ground beef, sausage, pasta and veggies in a tomatoey sauce and covered in tons of melty cheese!

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4. Smothered Chicken

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - smothered chicken.

Smothered chicken is soul food at it’s best! Generously seasoned seared chicken thighs smothered in an amazing gravy. YUM!

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5. Zuppa Toscana

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - zuppa Toscana.

There’s just something so comforting about a bowl of soup. This hearty and comforting soup is based on the version made famous by Olive Garden. But I don’t want to call it a copycat… because this home made version is much better!

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6. Swedish Meatballs

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - Swedish meatballs.

These Swedish meatballs are the ultimate comfort food. Tender, perfectly cooked meat spheres smothered in the most delectable sauce. You’ll keep coming back for more!

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7. Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - grilled cheese tomato soup.

What is Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup? Nostalgia in a bowl! Hearty tomato soup topped with crunchy croutons and molten gooey cheese. So so cozy!

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8. Squash Casserole

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - squash casserole.

This classic yellow Squash Casserole is a great every day side dish for your favorite Southern fare. Easy and delicious, this will be especially popular on your holiday spreads.

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9. Beef Stew

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - beef stew.

Who doesn’t like a nice steaming pot of stew? Melt in your mouth beef, hearty veggies, and an amazing Guinness stout based gravy. So comforting!

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10. Eggplant Parmesan

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - eggplant parmesan.

Do you like Italian food? Do you like comfort food? This Eggplant Parmesan is the perfect combination of both! There are healthier ways to cook it, but why spoil perfection?

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11. Brunswick Stew

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - Brunswick stew.

Brunswick stew – a hearty southern dish that’s perfect for chilly nights. If you love barbecue flavors, this is sure to become one of your new favorites.

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12. Mac and Cheese

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - mac and cheese.

This beautiful Baked Mac and Cheese is cheesy, creamy and topped with panko-parmesan crunch bits. The panko gets mixed with parmesan, butter, and paprika to make for a beautiful golden-brown bake. 

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13. Parmesan Chicken Meatballs

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - parmesan chicken meatballs.

This pot is the ultimate in cozy comfort. Tender, juicy meatballs smothered in one of the most decadently creamy and deliciously cheesy sauces.

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14. Crustless Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - chicken pot pie casserole.

Pot pie without the pie? Yes, if you are like me craving those comfy, cozy flavors without the extra work. This one is for those lazy days.

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15. Grillades and Grits

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - grillades and grits.

Grillades ‘n’ Grits, a Creole classic. Tender medallions of meat simmered in a tomato based gravy over creamy, cheesy grits. You’re in for a real treat with this one!

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16. Dal Tadka

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - dal.

Dal, a staple comfort food in every Indian household. There are countless varieties. This is one of the most popular, it is always found in any Indian restaurant.

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17. Meatloaf

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - meatloaf.

You didn’t think we would forget meatloaf, did you? This recipe, complete with a shiny glaze, is super easy and comes out tender and juicy every time. Pure comfort food!

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18. Avgolemono Soup

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - avgolemono soup.

Meet your new go to comfort food. This Greek Avgolemono Soup is your chicken noodle soup taken to the next level. It’s silky and smooth and oh so delicious.

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19. Chicken and Dumplings

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - chicken and dumplings.

Is there any single dish that says “comfort food” more than chicken and dumplings? Hearty chicken stew topped with big fluffy dumplings, all in one pot. So cozy!

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20. Loco Moco

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - loco moco.

Loco Moco is a fun, yet delicious, Hawaiian dish where a heap of rice is topped with a beef patty, smothered with gravy, and finished with a sunny side up egg. How cool!

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21. Filipino Menudo

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - pork menudo.

Are you ready for a big bowl of the most delicious, melt in your mouth pork stew? You’ve come to the right place! This Pork Menudo is a Filipino comfort food bursting with soul-satisfying flavors!

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22. Lasagna

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - lasagna.

We are starting this list with everybody’s favorite, Lasagna! This one is such a classic comfort food that you need to perfect it. Tender sheets of pasta, a cheese filling, and a rich meaty tomato sauce will take you there. Luckily, such great flavors are so easy to create to bring that joy to everyone in your family.

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23. Loaded Cauliflower Soup

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - cauliflower soup.

This loaded cauliflower soup is cozy in a bowl. Hearty, creamy soup loaded with cheese, scallions and bacon. You won’t even miss the potatoes when slurping down this low carb treat!

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24. Japanese Beef Curry

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - Japanese beef curry.

This Japanese Beef Curry has a milder and sweeter flavor than the curries of India and the Caribbean, but it’s equally packed with flavor. And it’s one of the most popular comfort foods in Japan!

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25. Fasolada (Greek White Bean Soup)

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - fasolada.

Fasolada is the ultimate Greek comfort food. This white bean soup is notable for a very generous drizzling of olive oil. Yum!

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26. Chili

The 40 BEST Chili Recipes - chili.

Chili is perfect for cold winter nights, and is great for feeding a crowd. This giant batch of is loaded with three types of meat and three types of beans. Go ahead and have seconds, there will still be plenty for leftovers!

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27. Gigi Hadid Pasta

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - Gigi Hadid pasta.

What is Gigi Hadid Pasta? Simple… Pasta made by Gigi Hadid, which broke the internet when it went viral on instagram and tiktok. If you look closely, it’s the same delicious creamy and cheesy pasta alla vodka, with a slight makeover – it gets pleasantly spiked with heat from red chili flakes.

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28. Jambalaya Soup

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - jambalaya soup

How about starting this list with this slurp worthy Jambalaya Soup? This hearty soup is boldly flavored with great Creole seasoning and is loaded with meats and veggies. It’s great on the stovetop, or in a slow cooker or instant pot.

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29. Bistec Encebollado

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - bistec encebollado.

Bistec Encebollado, simply meaning steak and onions in Spanish. If you don’t know Bistec Encebollado… well, it’s about time you learn this Latin comfort food!

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30. Pizza

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - Margherita pizza.

Your search for the best homemade pizza is over. This classic pizza is topped with a simple fresh pizza sauce made from canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. You’ll want to make this homemade pizza recipe over and over again.

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31. Chicken Paprikash

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - chicken paprikash.

Chicken Paprikash… Out-of-this-world Delicious! Paprika basks in the limelight here, in a rich, comforting Hungarian Chicken Stew, Paprikas Csirke, as it’s known belovedly in Hungary.

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32. Welsh Rarebit

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - Welsh rarebit.

This British classic will be a staple in your kitchen. Breakfast? Snack? Dinner? You are all set if you have this pile of cheesy goodness ready!

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33. Jollof Rice

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - jollof rice.

This colorful and tasty one pot meal is a classic West African comfort food. Simple preparation, then in the oven it goes. Impress your guests with this easy and exotic treat!

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34. Green Rice Casserole

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - green rice casserole.

This green rice casserole can be great addition to your holiday spread or an easy quick meal on meatless nights. Creamy, cheesy goodness with spinach and peppers, this might become your new favorite rice dish.

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35. Jägerschnitzel

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - jagerschnitzel.

Jägerschnitzel, translated as Hunter’s Schnitzel, is about as “comfort foody” as you can get. It’s rich. It’s fried. And, oh, that gravy!

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36. Fried Chicken

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - fried chicken.

Here’s a classic comfort food… Fried Chicken! This is simply the best fried chicken you’ll ever make! A golden, super crispy outside and a moist and juicy inside. Serve it alongside a pile of mashed potatoes and you are all set!

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37. Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin

This Coq au Vin recipe, based off of the dish made famous by Julia Child, is a flavorful stew of chicken and veggies braised in red wine. This one’s a keeper! So good. Foods like these are meant for one happy meal time.

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38. American Goulash

American Goulash

ow here’s a nostalgic dish from old time Americana… American Goulash! It’s a pantry staple comfort food that goes back over 100 years, and still tastes just as good today.

Tender macaroni, hearty ground beef, all tossed in a well seasoned tomato sauce along with plenty of cheese. Doesn’t that sound like the ultimate kid friendly dinner?

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39. Dominican Pollo Guisado (Chicken Stew)

The 40 BEST Comfort Food Recipes - pollo guisado.

Pollo Guisado, a classic comfort food in many Latin countries. This Dominican version uses simple ingredients to create an amazing depth of flavor.

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40. Puerto Rican Sancocho

Puerto Rican Sancocho

Time for another bowl of our Latin favorite… Sancocho!! Puerto Rican style!!! This Caribbean beef and root vegetable stew is brimming with flavors. That’s because its been simmering for a couple of hours in amazing Latin flavor bombs.

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There you have it, forty great comfort food recipes to keep you cozy. Pin or bookmark this collection of great picnic food recipes so you always know where to find it.

Featured image for comfort food recipes post.

The 40 BEST Comfort Foods

This collection of great Comfort Food Recipes is perfect to keep you cozy on a cold, rainy day. For a start, try this easy mashed potato recipe:

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs potatoes
  • 1.25 cups milk, warmed
  • 4 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into same size pieces and place them in a large pot full of cold water.
  2. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
  3. Drain the potatoes and mash them by hand. Add in warm milk a little at a time, melted butter, salt and pepper and keep on mashing until smooth.
  4. Taste and season. Stir in parsley and add additional butter on top before serving.

Notes

  1. Let me know which recipes you try, I love hearing from you!

Did you make this recipe?

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Check out these other great recipe collections!
Sheet Pan Dinners
Crockpot Beef Recipes
Crockpot Chicken Recipes
Cornbread Recipes
Chili Recipes
Pot Pie Recipes
Dessert Recipes

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