Hello friends!
I need your help with two things! Truth be told, I need your help with a lot more than two things but we’ll keep it simple today.
First thing: Sometimes the world is so sideways and unexpected that it’s hard to come here and just be like… hey guys- BROWNIES, and then move right along with life. You know what I’m saying? These days down South have left so many people in need, have left so many people suffering, and feeling tender and frightened and in need of comforts- basic and otherwise.
By now you’ve heard about the immense, devastating flooding in Houston and Louisiana and, really… it’s 100% nuts and we 100% need to help. This gathering from the NYT feels like a solid list of local and national agencies that need support and assistance: Where To Donate To Harvey Victims. Please consider it.
We’re in this together, whether we feel like it or not… and we need each other. Good Lordy don’t we.
Second thing: I’ve been thinking a lot about comfort – specifically comfort FOOD. Of course, when times feel furious and unpredictable the first thing on my mind is personal safety, then… bagels and cheese pasta and pizza and potato and bacon tacos.
Comfort food is universal, we all have a thing our bodies yearn for in times of stress. But while most of us experience the desire for comfort food, what we yearn for is often so different.
So… as I’m spinning a new project around in my mind, I’d like to ask you: What is your go-to comfort food? Sweet or savory. The more specific the better.
Mine? Anything salty and carby. In fact, with all of these comfort food thoughts running through my mind, I’m making this One-Pot French Onion Pasta for dinner this week. Or maybe a Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie. The possibilities, the carbs are endless.
More food for thought: Why Comfort Food Comforts.
One more thought about food: try these Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Cookies.
Thank you for taking the time. It means a lot to me! I can’t wait to read your comments below.
xo Joy
342 Responses
Simple white sauce scalloped potatoes. The fanciest I ever go beyond that is adding a layer or caramelized onions or some garlic, but most often it’s very basic and straightforward. Any leftovers get put in the fridge, then I grab the baking dish and a spoon and scrape off all the browned parts that stuck to the dish and eat them, very unladylike on the sofa. Bliss and comfort.
Chicken pot pie, grilled cheese and tomato soup (has to be the thin kind, for dunking), southern style chicken and dumplings (with the rolled out dumplings dropped into boiling broth, rather than the biscuit-like sit-on-top dumplings)…chili (with beans), potato cheese soup (with celery salt)… I may be thinking all soupy things because I just had a lot of dental work or because it’s the beginning of fall:)
Poppy-seed challah bread, with lots of butter and a little sea salt sprinkled on top
Other than that, does wine count?
wow, you have had a lot of replies! i’ve loved reading them.
okay, my comfort food is (and i apologize, because i generally don’t like to recommend brands…) Progresso brand minestrone soup. always and forever, *knocking on wood*. my mother is actually a really excellent home cook, and made most of our dinners – but sometimes she worked late, or was too busy, or we were camping – it’s the best camping food!!! unless you’re backpacking – or i was “cooking” my own lunch. i sometimes even spent my allowance money on these cans of soup. (!!!)
i remember when they changed the recipe, it must have been in the mid-nineties? it was earth-shattering. they… modernized it? the flavor was a bit less processed, if that can be said about a canned soup, and they changed the noodles from macaroni to penne. i was scandalized, and literally went from one grocery store to the next, buying the few cans of the old version that they still had left on the shelves. yep, crazy person.
however, it was still my ProgMin, and i learned to love the newer version. it is still my go-to: i eat it when i’m sick, when i’m hungover, when i’m at a loss for what to eat when i’m busy/preoccupied/sad/distracted. that’s what i call a comfort food.
i also live in NOLA, and i feel so much for what has been going on not just here in the gulf, but also florida and the caribbean. thanks for mentioning how crazy it is.
miso soup. soft-boiled eggs on buttery toast. homemade chicken noodle soup. fresh-out-of-the-oven-still-melty chocolate chip cookies (always). summer-fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes with a little salt. my sweetie’s french roast coffee with muscovado sugar and heavy cream (yes!).
Fresh white bread, still warm from the oven, with a big smear of butter and heavy sprinkling of sugar. Takes me back to being a kid and eating this on my aunt’s porch.
Also, chili with cornbread. Beef stroganoff. Any citrus fruit (the whole process of peeling, segmenting, and slowly eating it is just soothing).
Soupy mashed potatoes are a favorite comfort food of mine. You make basic mashed potatoes, put some on a plate and make a well in the middle. Then pour soup over it all like gravy. Preferably scotch broth or oxtail soup made from the Knorr powdered soup packets.
Chili mac: pasta (traditionally spaghetti) topped with chili (these days, vegetarian chili), topped with cheddar cheese. You can make it with other stuff but that’s my default.
There are other comfort foods (ricotta on toast, Thai food delivery, with delivery being an important element) but this is the one true love.
Delivery is often times the most important part.
Anything with Bolognese sauce and a glass of Barbera.
A recipe that was born out of my grandmother’s need to feed five hungry mouths on a teacher’s salary in the seventies: essentially deeply browned onions and sausage cooked with chicken and tomatoes and then baked with slices of french bread on top with LOTS of butter and garlic. It’s the most comforting meal to eat when the winter blues set in.
Red sauce! Preferably cooked for a few hours (on a rainy day so you don’t feel guilty about being inside) with hot Italian sausage (which are cooked to where you can cut ’em with a spoon) and some homemade turkey meatballs dropped in. Over a pile of twisty pasta, on a roll with some broccoli rabe and sharp parm, OR, my fave: eaten straight from the pot after it’s cooked and cooled a bit. Actual heaven.
Chocolate chip cookies. Also, macaroni and cheese!
When I was growing up, Dad made pancakes every Sunday. The entire family would sit around the kitchen table while he flipped pancakes and melted butter with blueberries into the maple syrup. He would cook for all of us–even making a tiny cake for our dog–before sitting down to eat. After breakfast, we would spend the morning reading the newspaper, laughing, and relaxing together amidst the scent of pancakes and my Dad’s coffee. Now, even the smell of pancakes and coffee bring me comforting memories of endless weekend mornings in the company of loved ones. I discovered your blog several years ago when I was a new cook and, flying solo in the world for the first time, was looking for pancake recipes–so thanks!
Ah so lovely! Thank you for sharing this!
Mashed. Potatoes. With an ungodly amount of cream cheese and butter and pepper and salt. Nuff said.
I’m so late to the game, but my mom always made manicotti. Basically, she takes those huge tube shells and stuffs them with a mixture of mozzarella, asiago, parm and ricotta, some fresh herbs if she has them and tops it all with homemade tomato sauce from her garden and bakes it with more cheese on top. YUM! It used to be a birthday and slumber party favorite. As an adult, dairy products cause me pain, but mom’s manicotti is the stuff my dreary day dreams are made of.
My ultimate comfort food is cake. A good moist yellow or vanilla cake topped with chocolate buttercream frosting with some coffee or a glass of milk. Have many comfort foods I like but nothing tops cake for me personally.
Comfort food to me is what my Grandma/mom cook and nobody does it better. Comfort food=happy memories. Chilli, Lasagna, Potato soup, cinnamon buns, gravy, hamburger casserole, and chocolate chip cookies. Often simple to make but extremely tasty.
1. orecchiette with carmelized onions, broccoli, feta cheese, cannellini beans
2. Lentil soup with fried onions and hash browns
3. chocolate
For me comfort food is easy. PB&J, cereal, grilled cheese with tomato soup, sliced apple with peanut butter
Macaroni cheese – homemade of course! Actually, pasta of any sort. Your French Onion Pasta is definitely a fav! Or marmite (super salty tar-like yeast spread, an acquired taste) on toast with heaps of butter.
Mmmmm vanilla almond tea with soy milk….and in the winter, homemade cinnamon raisin swirl bread with salted butter. So good!
My mom makes redskin mashed potatoes and cabbage, heavy on the butter and sour cream. Then she makes a mushroom and onion gravy. We eat this in a LARGE bowl and usually come back for seconds. It always makes me feel better.
That, or a nice big slice of yellow cake with caramel frosting ;)
Are you mulling over the idea of a comfort foods cookbook?Gosh, that would be amazing, especially if your unique and delicious perspective is reflected…yum.
Comfort food for me is anything carb related…cookies, cake, pasta, delicious warm yeasty things. I think I need to go bake!
Oh also bread! Sourdough anything. Croissants are also accepted in times where comfort needed – if they come with coffee :)
Always chocolate! Also all pasta, and porridge with delicious toppings so it feels special. I love to gorge but if my comfort food can also be good for me and i don’t feel sick after- even better!
Toast, lightly toasted, with salted butter and thick slices of fresh tomato, also salted.
Coconut curry with whatever veggies are in the fridge/freezer.
Your bourbon chocolate chip banana bread (I’ve stopped trying any other recipes).
Soft scrambled eggs with a side of toast with grape jelly.
Dumplings. Dumplings. Did I mention dumplings? Chicken &…, soup & … filled, fried, light, airy,heavy, from any culture, most kinds, including matzo balls
Mexican food and chocolate chip cookies!
A good hearty, moist slice of meatloaf with macaroni and cheese and a hot biscuit on the side. YAS.
After reading all of these comments, I realized I am definitely hanging with the wrong peeps. Who wants to invite me for dinner?
HAHA… right!?
My grandmother’s chicken and noodles. Over mashed potatoes. We German Hoosiers love our carbs.
I am slightly embarrassed to admit that my go-to savory comfort food is mac and cheese from a box. As for sweet, not much can beat a warm cookie or brownie with ice cream. Can’t wait to see what comes of this project!
Chilaqueles! From scratch. Lots of prep, but my go-to Sunday brunch recipe. And they’re pretty… I feel comfort just looking at them lol
Comfort foods: As weird as it might sound I love a good steak, and will take one almost over any other offering as long as it is grilled medium rare and NEVER well done. My home baked lasagna has been known to satisfy even the snootiest of eaters, and last but not least, home made chocolate chip cookies with pecans, and lots of butter.
Tea and pastry on the sweet side/ On the savory side– mac & cheese, bbq pork, bacon and eggs in almost any variation, ramen (the real kind), tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Cambell’s chicken and stars soup, almost any sandwich with chips and a tall cold coke.
Generally it’s anything carb-y. Right now I’d say mom’s baked mac & cheese with bread crumb topping, baked in a cast iron skillet for a crispy bottom :) In college, it was fried mush with hot sauce instead of syrup. It’s something I’m not really interested in learning how to make myself and when I found it at a 24/7 diner it reminded me of home.
German potato salad (potatoes, pickles, bacon + sauted onion, pickle juice, salt, pepper), generally room temp or warm. So good!
Deviled eggs or bread pudding also factor highly.
Whenever I need to ground into my home and kitchen – after a stressful time, a big move, or a catastrophic event (like 9/11) – I roast a chicken and maybe make classic chocolate chip cookies. Lasagna Bolognese is also a major win for comfort food. Sharing it with loved ones is also crucial. If it’s just me, then it’s top ramen with an egg simmered in the broth, maybe some kale or maybe some cheese added to it if I really feel the need for a hug.
1. Nachos- anytime anywhere
2. Pasta with garlic, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and toasted bread crumbs
3. Chocolate chip cookies
4. Gingerbread cake
5. Hot chocolate with real whipped cream
mac and cheese or lasagna. mac and cheese AND lasagna. warm, cheesy, pasta-y. but they have to be made the way my mom makes hers.
We call it mush but its basically shepherds pie sans pie. Mashed potatoes topped with peppery ground beef topped with peas or corn and then gravy, mix it all up on your plate and you have mush. Also toasted white bread with butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar.
Both sound so so good!
Chocolate. Anything chocolate.
My absolute favorite: Tortilla chips piled on a plate, shredded cheese over the top, microwave for 45 seconds, dip in sriracha, drink with cold skim milk. Mmmmmmmmmm.
Cereal. Preferably something sugary that I’d never try to pass off as breakfast (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Frosted Flakes, etc), but any cereal will do.
What my grandmother called escarole soup and what everyone else calls Italian wedding soup. Homemade chicken stock, mini pork meatballs, little pastas, lots of escarole. It makes me think of her and makes me happy.
Being Australian, I suspect my comfort foods might require some googling…but nonetheless…
My comfort foods are all the foods I associate with being fed when I was sick as a child – because they’re (mostly) plain, (mostly) easy on the stomach, and (mostly) an absolute salt bomb. They’re sill the foods I gravitate to when I’m feeling under the weather, much to the disgust of my boyfriend with his much more sophisticated tastebuds.
1. Maggi brand beef flavoured 2 Minute Noodles. Always cooked these on the stove, then separated the broth from the noodles. So I had a bowl of ‘dry’ noodles and a bowl of soup. She’d give me very generously buttered bread to go with the soup component, because if some carbohydrates is good, more is better, right?
2. Vegemite on not-too-toasted, heavily buttered white bread. Preparation while the toast is still warm to ensure butter/Vegemite swirly salty fatty unity is essential.
3. Dhal and roti from my local Indian takeaway – I grew up on that street and I still go there regularly 22 years later.
All these foods should be served with either…
4. Ribena. Made with way too much syrup.
Or…
5. Very, very hot, very, very sweet tea, with just a dash of milk.
Notable mentions:
6. Mint choc chip ice cream. My childhood favourite, though not so much anymore. But it reminds me of being a kid and of going to the beach with my dad.
7. Hot chip butties – i.e a sandwich filled with hot chips (fries). Always heavily buttered, always white bread. Always with ketchup and a lot of salt.
8. McDonald’s Big Breakfast – I think this was only a thing in Australia (and maybe the U.K.?). It was basically a tasting plate of all McDonald’s breakfast staples – the oddly peppery sausage patty, hash browns, English muffins, plasticky scrambled eggs. I used to assemble it all into one mega sandwich with lots of ketchup. It’s been discontinued for years now though.
9. Crepes with lemon juice and sugar. These were always the definition of ‘pancakes’ in my house. No maple syrup or other toppings, no big fat fluffy guys. Thin and eggy and cooked in an enormous black cast iron pan with a lot of butter. Mum would make up huge batches of the batter and let it rest overnight, ready for a pancake flipping competition in the morning. Worth getting up extra early for school.
10. Any kind of jammy pastry. Whenever mum made a pie, she’d save the scraps of pastry so I could fill them with jam and make my own little mini pies.
I think the moral of this story is ‘carbs’.
I’m all about the sweet, carb filled goodies for comfort!
Pancakes soaked in syrup, doughnuts slightly warmed for a few seconds in the microwave, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting!
Poutine is an absolute must for comfort, in all it’s cheesy, French fries-y and gravy glory!
Warm chocolate chips cookies and cold milk cannot be beat :)
Immediately polenta came to mind. I didn’t grow up eating it, but in this moment a soupy, cheesy, savory, sticky polenta sounds like it could change me. With an egg on it. Other comforts are tater tots, avocado toast, ricotta, salami and vinegar chips. I would make myself the polenta or the toast, but it would be SO much more comforting if it were made for me. Something about comfort food’s special sauce is that it’s been made for you.
Spaghetti pangratatto with crispy eggs, chocolate cake, and warm homemade pudding.
Honestly, my fave comfort food is your recipe from your first book for chili cheese fries. So salty/savory and delicious!
Also, brownies. Always.
Those are so dang good!
Ohhhhhhh shit. This is a tough one for me. Chicken and waffles is probably my top pick. If we are talkinโ sweets, it has to a corn flake cookies that Iโve grown up having in the south. Sounds weird af, but soooo good!
WOW! Two strong dishes! You’re on it!
My guilty pleasure: Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza and an ice-cold IPA. Yum!
Buttery salty carbs!!! A whole lot butter and salt on noodles, popcorn, honestly straight bread and butter. YUM.
When I need instant stress relief/comfort (read: work email overload) I like something I can crunch on by the handful, preferably from a bottomless bag, like m&m’s or pretzels (boring, I know). But pure COMFORT, I’d have to go with melty-cheesey like mac & cheese or grilled cheese with copious amounts of cheese and butter and maybe a side of tomato soup. Then followed by warm-gooey-chocolatey, a tie between fresh chocolate chip cookies and brownies with a glass of cold milk. And now the craving is REAL.
I make the Homeroom mac n’ cheese, but I use Fancy Yancy’s buffalo cheddar instead of regular cheddar. It’s like crawling under a fluffy-yet-heavy warm blanket. That is spicy. Sweet go tos include Mexican drinking chocolate and honey lattes. But first and foremost it’s buffalo mac n’ cheese.
So so so good.
Fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese!!!
Typically mom-food: Cabbage rolls, veal paprikash, chili. Stew-type things. If I’m fending for myself/not feeling well/just feeling lazy it’s vanilla ice cream, all the way. Next up, potatoes, in any form. I don’t discriminate!
Tagliatelle (or any wide, butter-absorbing pasta), too much parmesan cheese, chili flakes, black pepper. For the win, every time.
Tagliatelle (or any wide, butter-absorbing noodle), too much parmesan cheese, chili flakes, black pepper. For the win, every time.
comfort food – mom’s stuffed pork chops with scalloped potatoes (sadly mom’s passed and no matter how my sister and I try, we can’t get it to mom’s) same for her apple pie.
comfort food – that I can make or even buy – good mac and cheese, nyc pizza or bagels
#1 – Handel’s ice cream
I immigrated to the UK from the US three years ago, and British food is such brilliant comfort food. Sausage and mash and onion gravy. Steak and Guinness pie. Chicken and leek pie. Sunday roast and proper Yorkshire puddings absolutely covered in gravy. Chicken tikka masala. I think since moving here, my favourite comfort foods are saucy and savoury. Put gravy on something and I will love you forever. When I lived in the states, I found they were more pasta based and cheesy (especially browned cheese).
My favourite comfort food on the sweet side of things is a warm apple crumble with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, or warm sticky toffee pudding with lashings of custard. Be still my heart.
Cheese and Carbs and WARM. Grilled Cheese, Mac and Cheese, Pizza all homemade all with extra cheese please
At this point in my life, my comfort food is whatever someone feeds me that I don’t have to cook or clean up! THAT is comfort, and usually love.
I hear you 100%.
Hot chocolate with cinnamon and a good dollop of whipped cream! Also, any warm, apple dessert or cheesy pasta or a steaming hot bowl of loaded cheddar baked potato soup…I guess just about anything I would want to make in the Fall! Thank you for all the amazing recipes!
Pasta – any sort, but capellini with olive oil, pepper and parm cheese is particularly satisfying. Chips (tortilla or potato), even better with a dip (salsa or cheesy spinach/artichoke). Ice cream with sprinkles. Peanut M&Ms, but of course no recipe needed for those :)
Salty cream of wheat with butter and milk. Double chocolate brownies with Ghirardelli 70% chocolate.
For pure comfort, nothing comes close to mashed potatoes. With lots of butter. Lots. (And I suppose a slice of meatloaf or pot roast could get close to the mashed potatoes on my plate and I wouldn’t complain.)
You are such a pleasure to follow! Thanks for the link to NYT…times are effing crazy and I love seeing people coming to together for other people.
On to comfort food! I like sweet AND savory together. My most favorite comfort foods are both. Pecan pie, pumpkin pie, baked brie with some sort of homemade preserve (wouldn’t hurt to throw some sausage or bacon in with it), blue cheese and honey always sounds amazing after a long ass day alongside a crispy cold cocktail. Hope this helps!
Cabbage and potatoes. Sautรฉ some cabbage in butter until soft, throw in some cooked and cubed potatoes, and then add lots of salt and pepper. It’s a simple and stick-to-your-bones kinda meal!
I’m so hoping you’re getting inspired and geared up for another cookbook Joy! I’ve been thinking about and eating lots of comfort food this week while broken-heartedly watching hurricane coverage from the safety of my dry home, along with evacuees, family and friends from coastal Texas. It’s. Been. A. Hard. Week.
Comfort food for me is all about savory and recipes from home…my dad’s grilled cheese sandwiches that somehow taste best when he makes them. Arroz con pollo, fideo (a Mexican spaghetti kind of deal) and calabacitas – all recipes passed down from grandmas and great grandmas and always accompanied by homemade tortillas, both flour and corn are the things I crave when the world makes me weary. Basically all things warm, carby, salty and remind me of home bring me comfort. Cheers and best wishes!
If I’m up to it, grilled cheese and tomato soup. And although I am totally in favor of fancy grilled cheese (and will defend until my death the combination of brie, cranberry sauce and sriracha), when I’m sad I make them with cheddar cheese and dijon mustard.
If I’m not up for cooking, I eat whatever salty crunchy things happen to be banging around my kitchen. Also gummy bears.
Chocolate chip cookies come first.
French fries. Grilled cheese. In the winter, boxed mac n cheese with sauteed spinach.
If I’m with my best friends, sushi, but that’s a people-association more than a food-association.
Actually, I think most of my comfort foods have place-associations, too. Like, I grew up in NYC but don’t live there anymore–and when I’m down, all I want is a shitty, greasy nyc diner grilled cheese sandwich with slightly soggy fries and cold decaff coffee because I took too long to drink it. You know?
But chocolate chip cookies always come first. And zebra cakes. And lately lunchables, oh lord.
Also–I’m glad that you’re honest and care about the world and mention it here. It makes it easier to read and feel connected. Even in the worst of times we need both food and human interaction, and sharing or reading a blog post is in some way both of those things. But I think it’s also important to acknowledge–holy wow, things look kindof awful right now.
Thanks for the excuse to think about COMFORT today :)
Thanks for your sweet comment. I totally feel you about comfort food being associated with place.
It’s always been anything with custard, but right now my extended family has a new one – red flannel hash. A 92-year-old member of the family has had serious medical issues, and all she wanted was that dish her mother made in Maine during her childhood. It’s delicious!
I’m squarely in the tuna noodle casserole camp with all the rest of them up there, but also: Taco Time crisp burritos– meat or pinto bean, it doesn’t matter. The funny thing is that they’re not so much MY comfort food but my late mom’s, and so it became a Pavlovian kind of thing. She’d pick us up from school on a bad day and while you were pouting in the car say, “Wanna get a burrito at Taco Time?” (there was one on the way home) “No,” you’d snap, and keep scowling out the window. There would be a long silence while she kept driving, and then– “Well I’M GOING TO GET ONE” and then jerk the steering wheel around at the last possible second to make it into their parking lot. Getting slammed against the car door would never fail to snap you out of your funk. Always made us feel better.
Not totally sexy, but a pilaf of rice, lentils, and caramelized onions soothes my soul. And then brownies. Like, a lot of them.
Hi, I am in New Orleans, and we were here for Katrina. So Tuesday, with time on my hands, I made a chocolate Dutch baby for breakfast, beans for lunch ( but they weren’t ready), and chocolate chip cookies in the afternoon. I don’t know if I have a go to comfort food, but chicken and dumplings is a good one. Take care.
Ooh top comfort food is a veggie Bolognese- usually do puy or red lentils, lots of browned mushrooms in a thick tomato sauce (lots of garlic also essential) with brown spaghetti and parmesan shavings on top!
Definitely also in the salty carbs camp: beef & vegetable red curry from the only Thai restaurant in my town, Mac n Cheese in nearly any variation, my grandmother’s cornbread dressing
New to your blog, will be following! do hope all is well for you RE: tropical rain storm. Lord Have Mercy! On to the topic at hand: comfort food! So I will be making this again soon and it’s one of my ultimate comfort foods. Savoury, just the right spice balance, hearty, wonderful with plain yogurt on the side. Saute onions, garlic and then the ground lamb. Lentils cooked in another pot, added at the end. Rice cooks in the pot (I use my Dutch oven on the stove) with the already cooked lamb + onion/garlic/oil. The cumin is a must. Be sure to add the apple cider vinegar and do so at the end, it makes it just perfect. https://eroosje.blogspot.com/2016/11/elies-lamb-dish-welcome-meal-on-busy.html … it’s warm, comforting, soft and delicious!!! Makes a lot, freezes well.
My comfort food is the entire meal I often share with my family on Sunday nights in the summer. Growing up, my grandparents would be in charge of cooking, but since they’ve passed, my parents have taken over and recreate each dish. The meal includes homemade coleslaw (the kind with cabbage and onion only and a mayonnaise-based pepper and poppy seed dressing), grilled baby back ribs with homemade barbecue sauce, boiled sweet Iowa corn, side of tomato wedges with salt, and homemade custard or pie for dessert. If I was in a crisis and just one of these dishes appeared in front of me, I would be thankful for days.
That sounds incredible!
I’ve got a horrible sweet tooth, so my comfort food is anything cakey and soft with tons and tons of frosting. Embarassingly, Ho-Hos tend to really hit all those bases.
On the savory side: pizza, pasta with extra cheese and butter, grilled cheese
Comfort food favorites, in no particular order
Toast & scrambled eggs, biscuits, garlicy lentil soup with carrots, onions, celery, and a tomato-y broth, chicken noodle soup, deep dish pizza (ok, ok…ANY pizza), spaghetti with meat sauce OR meatballs, chips & salsa or pico de gallo, and “leftover bowls” — where you take a base of rice or couscous and pile on your leftover veggies/protein from the week. Oh, golly, and honorable mention to spicy Szechuan noodles (with or without chicken).
Great question Joy!
I have two main go-to comfort foods, both involving chocolate:
-Favorite brownies – with lots of nuts added. SO good. https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/08/my-favorite-brownies/
– Chocolate mug cake! Delicious and easy. https://food52.com/recipes/47749-chocolate-mug-cake
nothing is more comforting to me than anything that reminds me of my mom’s kitchen. gooey grilled cheese sandwiches (with kraft cheese, of course), stir fried lo mein noodles, piles of buttery mashed potatoes, pot roast with smushy carrots, etc. they’re not the most elegant foods ever, & the recipes might be a little dated, but they just take me back to a time of feeling comforted & cared for. i think that’s what comfort food is all about.
I have a few, I’m lucky to be multi-ethnic and come from two strong food cultures -Italian and Puerto Rican. I spent a lot of time with my Great Aunt from the italian side as a college student and then recent graduate living in her attic in brooklyn. Many of her recipes have become a way for me to feel like she is near me, which is comforting in itself. I loved her pasta faggoli, she would make it no matter how hot the day, it didn’t matter. Any day was a soup day. You start off with garlic. All good things start with garlic and oil. The sound of the garlic hitting the oil, automatically makes me feel better. Let it brown, then add a can’s worth of good tomato sauce, add a half a can of water, then a table spoon of tomato paste. Add a can of red kidney beans (rinse first), and a cup of elbow macaroni. Add handfuls of fresh basil, and oregano,to your own preference. I add carrots and celery at the last minute so they stay a little crunchy. When the pasta is done, the soup is done. Then lots of pecorino grated on top. Bread is mandatory for this dish for wiping up the bowl.
Other comforts are pasta aglio e olio, and pastina soup. Again all good things involve, garlic. The last two are super simple and I make on rainy or cold days. My dad always made me pastina soup when I was sick. There’s something about the little stars that cheers a person up.
Ah these are great!
MAC N CHEESE. ALL DAY ERRY DAY.
Also, Chinese food, the greasier the better. And brownies/cookies/cookie dough.
mashed potatoes. mustardy potato salad. eggplant parm. basil pesto (on anything). juicy buttered toast. lox + cream cheese + bagel. white sticky rice.
Hearty or sweet for me! I’m thinking along the lines of simple homemade mac and cheese, pot roast and mashed potatoes, or beef stew. Also, always chocolate, especially in classic chocolate chip cookies.
A glorious bowl of beef stew with a liberally buttered hunk of french bread. Basically my go-to when things are bad bad bad and I just need my food to hug me.
I associate comfort food with food that brings warmth to my belly. I love homemade Indian food, preferably vegetarian dishes with the base combination of garlic, ginger and chilli blended with the earthy taste of cumin. It doesn’t hurt if there is caramelised onion in there as well.
Beef stew topped with horseradish and ketchup… It’s comforting and nostalgic at the same time.
Is Wine a food? If yes, that’s my favorite.
My other two are Homemade Chili with tons of tortilla chips, and my family’s chewy Molasses cookies recipe. I always made them when we had snowstorms when I was a kid.
Mac and cheese, but it has to be Kraft. Homemade mac and cheese doesn’t do it for me…for some reason it needs to be neon orange and filled with chemicals or I don’t find it nearly as comforting.
Well, I have panic food – food I turn to when stressed or/and anxious, which is anything chocolate, or biscuits (as in cookies), of the shop bought variety, to be consumed in large intense volumes. That’s a sort of comfort, consoling. But the food that soothes my mind is the stuff that comes out of a warm, safe kitchen hours after spending a little time tending to it – a beef braised in stout from the slow cooker, roast chicken with salty crisp skin. Brown sugar banana loaf. A coarse wholemeal soda bread, cooled & sliced in big hefts with a chunk of cold butter on top. All of these are also comforting because there’s solace from the initial cooking & eating, but also they are all keepers, to pull out of a fridge or cupboard or storage box for days afterwards. The contentment of provision.
(The perennial hot mug of strong black tea with milk & buttered brown toast gets a vote from me too.)
What a great post – I just read through all the comments (172 at this point) instead of looking at the news this morning – all while cradling a steaming bowl of oatmeal that was topped with chopped crystallized ginger, fresh blueberries and slivered almonds (breakfast comfort). A nice way to start the day – you clearly reach a diverse group of people! Love all the mentions of melty cheese, potatoes and mom. For lunch I’ll be making my other comfort food, chilaquiles. I also love love love a version of colkannon made with tuscan kale – I add some bacon and the mashed potatoes must made with mayonnaise. German-style fried potatoes “Bratkartoffeln” are also high on the list. Oh, and grilled cheese made with gruyere and carmelized red onions. Mmmmmmm. Thanks for all you do, Joy!
Jamaican food is comfort food: Think festival (sweet fried dumplings) served with saltfish (salted cod tossed in peppers and onions) and ackee (a soft yellow fruit that absorbs the flavor of what it’s cooked in). Curry goat served with tangy marinated cabbage and rice and peas. Red pea stew, as thick and hearty as red beans and rice. Baked beef or chicken patties in a sunflower yellow crust. Banana chips, which are really plantain chips, but Jamaicans say “banana.” Outside of the Jamaican food realm, I love a homemade carbonara (and, more recently, the punkier pasta alla gricia) or meatballs with no more than five ingredients. Matzo ball soup, always. Tacos, especially al pastor or asada. I’m hungry.
sugar cereal, mac n cheese, waffles, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal:)
Every year on the first day of school my mom would make us cookies. Every year, without fail. There are four of us kids and there’s about 5-6 years between each kid. So sometimes our school start dates would be all different. But my mother would make us each a batch of chocolate chip cookies. The glory of these cookies though was honestly before mom ever put the chocolate chips in them. I would always request that she make a tray or two of just plain sugar cookies. My dad always called them “naked cookies.” My mom could easily make these cookies with her eyes closed and minimal attention to the actual batter. It’s been almost ten years since I’ve graduated high school and these cookies still being a sense of comfort and home that I can hardly describe. So when my oldest ferret died I was making these cookies. When I went through both of my miscarriages I made these cookies. When my husband was gone for a year long deployment and nothing made sense in my life I made these cookies. When my mom or dad and stepmom would come visit, I made these cookies. Usually always without the chocolate chips. These cookies are more than just a confectiony treat, these cookies always seem to help me through any emotional speed bump. Slightly crispy on the outside, always soft, warm, and moist on the inside. Simple and perfect.
Risotto with peas & asparagus, my Oma’s rouladen (carrot in the middle) with mashed potatoes, cream carrots & red cabbage, Nestle style chocolate chip cookies, and Skyline chili.
Bell peppers and onion, caramelized, then mixed with pasta and goat cheeseโplus thick grinds of salt and pepper. Miso with noodles, cubed tofu, edamame, corn, sprouts and a soft boiled egg. Good chocolate and ciabatta or baguette ripped off the loaf in hunks. Ginger and lemon tea made from fresh ginger and just-squeezed lemon juice.
Melted cheese on English muffins, topped with tomatoes
My comfort food includes anything in a pie crust. Pumpkin chiffon pie, chocolate cream pie, chicken pot pie…
E.L. Fudge cookies. Buttery, crunchy shortbread sandwich cookies with fudge filling. Their comfort, like that of all comfort foods, I think, is part taste, part nostalgia. When I was a kid, my mom would buy a package whenever we went to our Midwestern cabin for a summer weekend.
Being a massive bread baker I would have to say homemade sweet potato cinnamon rolls or some kind of flavored challah brings much needed comfort. Soup really is good for the soul..the thicker the better. I have to stay away from white potatoes so I try and make everything with either sweet potatoes or butternut squash..love those types of soups..and thick stews..I love food.
I just woke up from a pretty unpleasant dream, so reading this and thinking about my favorite comfort foods is already making me feel better! Here’s my list:
– grilled cheese sandwiches (crispy-edged white bread with lots of cheddar jack) and creamytomato soup for dipping
– my mom’s slow-cooked pork chops with onion gravy over mashed potatoes
– grilled teriyaki steak and roasted asparagus over fluffy rice (I make this for my kids at least 2-3 times a month)
– fresh baked brown butter chocolate chip cookies and a mug of cold milk
– maple blueberry bread pudding
Sending love and comfort!
Potato Pancakes with Applesauce and Sour Cream – reminiscent of my German Grandmother; Mac and Cheese with Tomatoes or a Beef Roast with potatoes and vegetables with horseradish in memory of my mom. Dark Chocolate, Ice Cream and lots of cheese!
oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough.
Every few months I need to make hoe cakes – pancakes made with stone-ground cornmeal & buttermilk, no sugar. Eaten like toast with butter and cranberry sauce or honey. The way my Mississippi-born dad taught me. Also, fresh raisin bread with walnuts or pecans, not toasted, just smeared with cold butter. I swoon just thinking about it.
chicken wings, mashed potatoes, & red wine OR a hot fudge brownie sundae.
I really love a good, extra creamy, cheesy mac & cheese, or even just some perfectly seasoned spaghetti with butter (aka Butter Noodles in our house) when I need a bowl of comfort food for heartache As a pick-me-up type of comfort food for a bad day, I go crazy for mangoรฑadas, which are these amazing cups of housemade mango sorbet topped with chamoya, chile powder, and fresh squeezed lime juice – omgsogood. Oh! And you can’t go wrong with an Almond Croissant from Starbuck’s either. ?
Boxed mac and cheese…yes, the one with the powdered cheese. No apologies. And Oreos. Double stuff. I bake and cook from scratch all the time but when I need comfort, I reach for the things I ate as a kid.
Peanut butter and chocolate anything.
You won’t believe this…cream of wheat or polenta with marscapone and apricot jam. Creamy carbs.
Comfort is a plate of daal and rice. A cup of milky, lightly spiced chai and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
Mostly rice dishes. Curry (no potatoes) with Basmati rice, rice only with melted butter and soy sauce. Mushroom Tikka Masala and last but not least enchilada suiza.
Egg noodles with shaker parmesan cheese (not the real kind, that ruins it).
Grilled cheese made on whatever bread I have, medium cheddar and a little bit of mayo.
Your browned butter chocolate chip cookies.
Avgolemono soup. Miso soup. Coffee. Egg salad sandwich. Ice cream.
cheesy carbs are my favorite with something chocolatey to go with it.
I was just in France for a week and by the end of our “fine dining” experience I longed for a bowl of homemade chicken soup with noodles, carrots, onions, celery, and fresh tarragon. Nothing is more comforting to me than that.
Truly true!
My go to comfort food is probably homemade chocolate chip cookies!
-Gabby
http://www.orcuttfamilydentistry.com
pierogi…potato and cheese filled with carmelized onions and butter…My Grammy made these for me as a kiddo.
Steel cut oats with stewed fruit, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a blop of cashew cream. Like eating a hug.
My favorite comfort foods are: tater tots, nachos, dark chocolate cake, homemade ice cream, SPAM musubi, and pillowy, fried donuts.
Basically, I love you.
Buttered toast
My sweet comfort food is chocolate. Preferably something rich and fudgy. I’ve also been known to do baguette + nutella + brie (which is something you need to try if you haven’t yet).
My savory comfort food is TexMex. It’s a broad category, but there are some critical components. I’m in Austin, and when my friends and I compared notes on what we were buying to prep for Harvey last week (when we weren’t sure how far north he was going to come), tortilla chips were at the top of the list for all of us. I personally like mine from blue corn and on the thin side, but not so thin that they can’t handle guac. Guac is key. Warm, wonderful, blankety flour tortillas are a must, as are Mexican rice and refried (pinto) beans. Cheese is always welcome. I do usually add something that feels more adult and responsible (e.g. fajita veggies), but those aren’t what I crave when I want comfort food. What I crave are flour tortillas filled with rice and beans, with chips and guac.
Enchiladas (green chile chicken, preferably) and hot-fudge pudding cake. Lasagna and garlic bread. Food made with love by someone else.
A Baby Ruth candy bar if I’m not near a kitchen. Otherwise comfort food is spaghetti with red sauce (and pecorino grated on top if it’s available)!
Depends on who’s making the comfort food. If I’m making it, then anything with cooked apple: my mom’s apple muffins, improvised apple crumble, an amazing French apple cake I found on Epicurious. Something about the flavor of warm apples just makes me feel happy and at home. If my mom is cooking: spanakopita from the original Moosewood Cookbook (before they took out most of the butter, eggs, and cheese from their recipes), or grilled cheese and homemade turkey noodle soup. My mom is a wizard with soups and her grilled cheese sandwiches are always inexplicably and unreproducibly (a word of my own invention) perfect.
Macaroni and cheese!! Either the good and baked kind, or if comfort is really needed, velveeta all the way. And red pepper flakes and parm on top! Also, gooey chocolate lava cake sprinkled with sea salt!
My list is pretty much carb and/or cheese based: Mac-n-cheese made with smoked gouda and plenty of butter-soaked breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, baked until toasty. Chicken and puffy, cloud like drop dumplings. Navy bean soup. Potatoes au gratin. A sandwich of spiced apple butter and sharp cheddar on whole wheat, both savory and sweet in every bite. Grilled cheese sandwich of mozzarella and pesto on sourdough. Warm cobbler; any fruit will do. Thick sliced toasted buttermilk bread slathered with unsalted butter and cinnamon sugar, with old fashioned hot cocoa heated in a saucepan on the stove, made with milk and Hershey cocoa powder and sugar, that must be stirred constantly so the milk doesn’t scald.
Thanks for this post.
When I think of comfort foods I think of my grandma’s perogi (potato & cheese, kraut, and farmers cheese ones) and of roasted veggies with an egg on top. Mac n Cheese used to be another go-to but dairy often makes me sick now so I had to adapt.
A wedge of brie (or wheel) with a loaf of crusty french bread. Followed by and bag of fun sized candy bars – assorted, like you buy on Halloween, but must include snickers and butterfingers.
A giant pile of mashed potatoes with a very unhealthy amount of butter and salt. I’m making my mouth water already.
Spinach and ricotta cannelloni; semolina porridge topped with butter, powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Tea or coffee and homemade buttery biscuits (cookie type not scones) always.
I always crave tom kha soup (with tofu) when I’m sick – it’s so warm and comforting and delicious! Even just the lemongrass and ginger smell of it makes me feel better!
Chicken and pasta bake. A childhood classic I would always request as soon as a spotted a whole chicken in the fridge. It’s a leftover meal essentially, meat stripped from the bones and layered on top with a rich tomato sauce with garlicky mushrooms then a simple mac and cheese layered on top. Baked in the oven until the pasta is super crispy. If I had a bad day or if it was my birthday my mam would make it for me, even buying chicken breast to cook when there were no leftover scraps to work with. I don’t make it too often but if i want to really treat myself I’l make a fancy mac and cheese, simmering garlic and herbs in milk before straining and adding to a roux for a flavoured mac and cheese sauce. Rice pudding with a blob of jam in the middle, my mam’s christmas clootie dumpling (look it up, its a Scottish steamed pudding thats dense and full of fruit), a proper mug of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. Basically anything that reminds me of childhood I guess!
https://victoriaspongepeasepudding.com
My comfort food is a thin crust, all meat pizza. I find that I have to eat pizza, any kind of pizza, at least once a week for my own sanity. Also, Sea Salt, dark chocolate chip (chunk??) cookies. The sea salt is key though, I love the salt and dark chocolate with the sweet cookie base. Yay for comfort food!
Give me all the carbs! Preferably in the form of pasta (mac and cheese), pizza, or baked goods.
Oh so many comfort foods, anything pasta based usually but I love making butternut squash, sage and pancetta risotto, all of the white wine, Parmesan and butter goes in. I think the act of stirring creamy risotto whilst it’s cooking in itself is extremely comforting, and smells so good!
I won’t lie…I have made and adore the one-pot french onion pasta. It has become a staple winter dinner item for me. But when I’m feeling low, when I need some comfort and my regular giant bowl of Three Sisters Stew (NYT recipe) won’t work its magic, I turn to a family-size dish of mashed potatoes with ample loads of butter and embarrassing amounts of sour cream, salt, & pepper. Sure, it sounds like too many carbs in one sitting, totally unhealthy for dinner, but, who cares. It always makes me feel like I’ve got a soft blanket wrapped around me, and I usually do immediately following my meal, since it makes me want to take a nap, no matter the time of day. I’ve been known to fancy it up with peas, bacon, and/or expensive cheeses, but usually I’m too tired to care if I’m needing comfort food.
My favorite comfort food is either chicken and dumplings from my great grandma’s recipe or a big ole cheesy pizza that gets delivered directly to my lap.
Ah comfort food… Depends on the kind of comforting I need…
A general bad day is pizza
An oh-woe-is-me day is BBQ kettle chips
An I can’t believe that just happened and I’m pissed day is Dulce de Leche ice cream
Usually when I need comfort, I just start baking something our of the pile of recipes I have torn out of magazines or off the internet and start cooking like a mad woman. The brain goes to a different place when you cook and all is right with the world for a small pocket of time. My workmates love it when this happens as they get the fruits of my labour.
It’s carbs for me as well, and freshly baked bread most of all. Homemade challah is what I think of first, especially my dad’s. When we were kids we would all tear out the softest pieces from the middle of the loaf, but now I try to restrain myself to actual slices. A bonus – if there is any leftover by Sunday it makes a very comforting french toast.
One of my favorite comfort foods is shepard’s pie, the way my grandmother made it. We don’t make a sauce or anything, just seasoned ground beef, corn on one side, peas on the other and mashed potatoes on top. Very plain but very filling and tasty, sometimes when I’ve made it for people who aren’t familiar with it look at me like I’m crazy for serving something so simple and they think the things don’t go together, but after they try it they all have loved it (even my husband’s grandmother who is notoriously very picky about food!).
Also, thanks for re-linking that recipe for the french onion pasta. I think I need to get the things to make that this weekend.
It would have to be my mom’s chicken noodle soup for me. Simple as can be, just a chicken cooked off with some bay leaf and peppercorns to make the broth, the picked chicken meat and homemade egg noodles. I’m GF now, so the noodles are hard to replicate. I have found a store bought brand (dried) that does in a pinch when I need some REAL comfort. I have also found a GF Chicken and Dumplings recipe that is a very close second! The dumplings are pillowy and salty and thicken up the soup just right!
noodles with butter, egg drop soup, and ramen noodles (the kind from the packet). Oh and a nice baked potato with all the toppings. so mainly carbs.
YES. Noodles with butter, you had me!
Tortilla chips and that queso in a jar. It’s the worst/best!
Good, hearty soup is so comforting and soothing!! But I also find comfort in pizza as well :)
Giant, dark chocolate studded, big salt flaked chocolate chip cookies. Also, potato nachos with homemade cheese sauce from Shutterbean, grilled cheese sandwiches, and bread and butter.
Well, this is a series of firsts, my first time to feel brave enough to comment, my first time to use a link in your post (donating up next), my first time to share. My comfort food is mashed potatoes, real mashed potatoes with butter and cream, a hint of herbs like chives and dill. But more than just the potatoes its the meal I always think of first-Mom’s fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans with little salty chunks of ham. That’s for savory, as for snacky, its chips good ole’ plain Lays, like the lady with her bowl of popcorn, I can snack all thru a bag and make the world better in my little corner. Sweet? well who doesn’t love No-Bake Cookies? Perfect little bite of chocolate, peanut butter and oats to pretend they are good for you! Thank-You Joy the Baker for taking the time to put all this out here, I love this thing you do!
Thank you Lisa!!
Cake is a big comfort food for me, or cupcakes. Getting a piece of chocolate eruption cake from Whole Foods is a common comfort treat for me. If I am feeling salty, I will often crave a diner grilled cheese, though I rarely end up getting one!
pho ga, or any asian noodle soup really.
rice and curry chicken too.
I love pizza…and tacos. And dougnuts. And cookies. And ice cream. And chips. Hard to beat a really good, hand-cut french fry. Or a McDonald’s french fry. I think I have a problem.
Hi, Joy, long time reader, first time commenter here.
My go-to comfort food for the last few years has been something I call “Depression Pasta,” complete with proper noun status. Here’s how it works: sautee some spicy Italian sausage–a whole pack of it, like four or five links, whatever the pack is, and when it’s done, spoon out some of the fat. Add a (very) small onion, add some garlic, some red chili flake, sautee, then add a whole can of San Marzano tomatoes and crush them with your spoon. Add a good glug of hearty Italian wine that you opened earlier and are currently drinking a glass of–barolo is what I prefer if there’s an oldish one at the store that doesn’t cost too much money. Simmer your sauce and add in whatever else you want. Cumin, salt and pepper, some herbs like basil or whatever. Continue drinking the wine. Meanwhile, boil water and then cook spaghetti in it. Wheat disagrees with me so I use gluten-free spaghetti, but whatever is fine, and cook it until it’s just south of al dente, then strain and add some of the cooking water to your sauce and add the noodles to your sauce and let them simmer another few minutes in the sauce. Then have your plate, your glass of wine that you’ve refilled at least once by now, twice if possible, and take a bed of arugula, and put your spicy sausagey pasta on top of the arugula, and put some fresh basil on top if you want, or not if that’s too much, and there you go. Depression Pasta.
Another thing I like a lot that doesn’t have a special name is two big thick slices of sweet brioche, spicy mustard on both, aged gruyere cheese, prosciutto slices, then that pressed and squished and fried over low heat as a grilled cheese in ghee. The brioche basically turns into a donut and then it’s still a grilled ham and cheese inside.
Definitely something cheesy/creamy and carby (most always pasta), like a tortellini with cream sauce and lots of garlic. So indulgent. But when I’m in need of serious comfort, I need this balanced ;) by something sweet and chocolate layer cake (with ganache!) or cheesecake always does the trick. Specific enough??
Chicken and dressing! Being Louisiana born and raised, you can’t get through a holiday without an amazing, savory dressing. Cornbread based dressing made with cornbread fresh outta the cast iron skillet and homemade chicken stock in the mix is the holy grail of comfort food for me. It warms my heart just thinking about it. I can’t wait for Thanksgiving!
I love a good grilled cheese sandwich or liver sausage, tomato and mayo. Leftovers from a poor childhood but I love them.
I think my ultimate go to comfort food is chicken spaghetti. Shredded chicken, spaghett, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, thinly sliced celery and mushrooms, and grated cheddar baked together until bubbly. Hits the spot every time.
Homemade mac and cheese with stewed tomatoes. Or just a piece of bread with Skippy peanut butter, folded over and dunked into a cup of sweet milky coffee.
When I am upset, I make myself your Single Lady Cake from your first cookbook – no lie. It’s the most comforting decadent thing ever, and it takes almost no time to put together. I’ve made it for friends, too, when they need some comfort, and it never fails. If I need something a little more nourishing than chocolate, peanut butter oatmeal with banana and honey is a go to (in the microwave, of course haha) and any sort of stew or pot roast is big for me in winter time. Stay safe Joy! Much love to you.
My forever go to comfort food is pasta – mac&cheese, spaghetti with butter, egg noodles with butter and parm. Delicious carby-carbs coated with butter and cheese.
Bagles and cream cheese are also a go to. (See the aforementioned carby-carbs coated with butter and cheese.)
Pints of Ben & Jerry’s also make an appearance in times of stress. Americone Dream and Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Core are my go to.
Evidently my go to go to is go to.
If I want sweet, definitely peanut m&ms. If it’s savory, pasta with lots of Parmesan cheese.
Hot chocolate. It’s been a comfort food for my whole life. I have it every other day. My go-to is Steven’s hot chocolate mix, which we buy in bulk at Costco every Christmas just for me. And then any type of bread roll. My dad makes the best bread rolls ever. They are yeasty, somewhat dense, and a little salty. Popcorn is also another comfort food, and I’m really glad it’s somewhat healthy!
Nachos and a top-shelf margarita (with salt) and gingersnap cookies. Always.
My comfort food usually involves rice and Asian flavors. Specifically a giant carton of fried rice or a hot, sizzly stone pot full of bibimbop with plenty of spice always does the trick when I’m feeling down.
xx Hannah // http://www.HomemadeBanana.com
So many different things – but that Atlantic article is right! I thought of my comfort foods and pretty much all of them are associated with my loved ones. Grilled cheese, egg sandwiches, properly cooked rice, mashed potatoes, roasted salmon (all specialties of my dad), avocado toast (study abroad and my host family), Chipotle burrito bowls (college)…it goes on and on!
Oh, my comfort food is for SURE chicken and dumplings. Something like this https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/classic-chicken-dumplings but with white wine in the mix as well, maybe sometimes a little dill or grated parmesan in the dumpling dough. Also, while we’re speaking of comfort food… does wine count?
I have so many! In the winter I love my Mamaw’s spaghetti and meatballs with buttery and garlicky bread (not the fancy stuff – I like the frozen Texas toast or a hamburger bun slathered in butter and garlic and Parmesan). I also love a good beef and mushroom or chicken pot pie and chicken and dumplings. Or soup beans and cornbread – the smell of pinto beans cooking with a smoky ham hock takes me straight back to my Mimmie’s house in the winter. Warms my cold heart right up.
In the summer, I love this kind of made up recipe I have with a raw, grated tomato sauce tossed with hot pasta and cubes of cold mozzarella. So the cheese gets a little melty and stretchy. We usually grill some kind of garlic chicken sausage to go with it. So easy and usually made when after drinking a good bottle of white wine on the porch when we can’t be bothered to make anything more complicated. I know my husband loves me when he makes me a perfectly grilled steak, baked potato, and steakhouse style salad with homemade bleu cheese dressing. That dinner usually perks me right up. I’m hoping this is a cookbook in the works!
Beef ramen, cooked with two eggs (which usually scramble unless I’m careful enough to poach ’em). Now that I’m a grownup I throw a little sambal oelek in at the end.
Grits with butter and runny fried eggs.
Sapporo Ichiban Ramen, made with 2 cups of water and boiled for EXACTLY 3 minutes, just the way my dad taught me to make it when I was little. (This is also my go to hangover food.) The sodium and noodles and broth just soothe me. Also fried rice using whatever vegetable and meat situation is in the fridge, rounded out with scrambled egg like my mom made it. I’m half Japanese, and I’ve realized lately that my comfort food is solidly Japanese.
Actually, cooking is my comfort food. Anything I can give to someone to eat and it comforts them. And yes when I need comfort – I miss my Mama(she died 15 years ago) and when ever – I cooked for her, she told me over and over how wonderful it was. So the comfort is in the cooking for others, especially any kind of bread: yeast breads, quick breads, stuffed breads, what ever someone else wants. I suspect for reading what all of you have to say every week on Sundays – you feel much the same comfort in comforting.
My mom’s south Indian cooking is always comforting to me – idlis, dosas and sambar are some of my favorites. Served with rice and yogurt, I am one happy camper. However I have yet to learn how to make any of those dishes on my own.
One thing I can make on my own is chocolate chip cookies. I keep cookie dough in the freezer for “emergencies”. Warm cookies fresh from the oven always make me happy. Also, all the edge pieces from when I make brownies or blondies. I need to get one of those all edges pans.
When times get tough, when rainfall enters the forecast after days of sun, when life feels impossibly unpredictable, I drizzle olive oil into a skillet on the stovetop, wait for it to become even more viscous and translucent, then cover it (too) generously with a heap of frozen shredded hash browns. With time, patience, and some proper messing up over high high heat, they transform into the crispiest little miracles that ever did save a day. As they cool ever so slightly in a not-too-tall bowl, I fry a couple of eggs in more oil, sunny side up, to be scooped gently out and onto their bed of salty, carby goodness. The crunch of fried potato meets the ooze of fried egg when mixed and slightly mashed with a fork, followed by more sprinkles of salt, pepper and maybe some torn greens straight from the crisper for a pop of color and halfhearted embrace of “balance.” This dish, plus pajamas, is perfection for my soul. Just don’t even think about reaching for that ketchup. The only condiment I need is the golden optimism of yolk.
Gumbo. Red beans and rice. Shrimp and Grits. Beef stew. Blackberry cobbler. Coconut cake. Can you tell my Dad was from the gulf coast? Thanks for the list of relief agencies. I will be sharing it. We are praying for y’all and sending good thoughts.
Indian food! Naan, butter chicken, curry potatoes, rice. Always makes me feel calm and like everything will be okay. Surprisingly, it was not a food I ate growing up.
Toast with salted butter and strawberry jam. Or if I’m out of jam, toast with butter and garlic salt.
Oh yes. Buttery toast with jam and Earl Gray tea!
Savory: A really good grilled cheese, hands down. It can be traditional or fancy, just as long as it is grilled to perfection with real butter and contains gooey cheese!
Sweet: Tough choice, but I’ll go with a plain or slightly spiced cake donut with hot cider – warms the limbs, the mind, and the soul.
Homemade Matza ball chicken soup with noodles. Chocolate chip cookies (homemade only). Frankly, if someone else is cooking for me, it’s comfort for me.
xoxoxoxo from your hometown under a broiler right now.
I’m with you on the salty thing. Potato chips and fresh tortilla chips. Cheese, olives and
avocado make me very happy!
Chocolate cake!
Writing from the thick of Houston. I am supremely lucky that the flood waters did not enter our home (yet, as they are still releasing reservoirs near us that could change that at any moment). I’ve been mulling around how to donate my time and efforts to families who need it much more than I do. The terror is real. I implore anyone to help. I can only see so many images of the elderly in wheelchairs who have been stuck in waist high water all day waiting for rescue. My heart aches for all those less fortunate than I.
Based on my stress eating experience the past few days, brownies are all I’m craving. Warm from the oven brownies topped with ice cream. But sometimes brownies aren’t the answer and then it’s something warm and quick to whip up… usually mac and cheese or frozen pizza (the kind with too much sauce and a puffy crust.)
I sincerely hope that New Orleans makes it through this one safe and sound. My heart has been heavy since we learned of Harvey. I didn’t think that Nola could withstand another disaster so soon after the last. I hope that everyone will make it out of this safe and sound. Sending all my love from Houston.
Kimchi Jjigae – made with my grandmother’s kimchi <3
I like warm, soft comfort foods. Soup is number 1. Any kind of soup, but maybe number one is this garlic soup with a poached egg in it. or maybe French onion soup. or something with lots of beans. no the real number 1 thing is sambaar a vegetable soup-stew Indian dish my dad would make on weekends.
Whole Foods Pecan Pie Cookies. To die for. I drive 12 miles to get them when I need comfort.
On another note. May I add https://www.texasdiaperbank.org/
Diapers are not generally included at Food Banks, other relief. Started by Methodist Church in conjunction with Good People Giving (I think).
Ice cream and pasta. Lately I’ve been keeping at least one box of mac & cheese – the kind with the pouch of cheese sauce – on hand at all times. I can make a killer home made baked m&c but I do love the trashy box as well. Last night I roasted some cherry tomatoes with Penzey’s Mural of Flavor seasoning and added that in – it might have been the best m&c ever!
Anything with chocolate, preferably dark and if something salty s around to combine with if, even better.
Pasta with butter and Jarlsberg cheese grated on top, like a whole LOT! And vanilla or Praline pecan ice cream. Second to those: nicoise salad or homemade chicken soup. But lately been getting into egg salad sandwiches as our hens are really “goin’ ta town” (as my parents would say). Prayers to flood victims. Love u, Joy.
I chuckled thru the many comments here…we REALLY need comfort!!! The comments that are just a long list of comfort foods, I just want to meet them and point to my shoulder, “Go ahead, lay your head down here…………….then we’ll have somethin’ to EAT!!!”
Sausage and potatoes. It’s probably properly called some sort of hash. Boil some cubed potatoes until they’re mostly done. Brown some ground sausage in a skillet and drain off some grease. Then combine and fry until everything is crusty and delicious. The original recipe may have had some onions (maybe some peppers?) but us kids weren’t into that sort of thing. We’d drizzle ketchup on top.
Well, those Cookies & Cream cookies you advised me to make the other day would definitely be the sweet side of comfort food. But savory? Gotta be a thick grilled cheese with some sharp cheddar, and some home made tomato soup. I get warm fuzzies just thinking about it.
I love this post! I’m in Houston and we made it through Harvey safe and dry, but I feel like everyone in Texas and Louisiana could use some good comfort food right now!! (I’ve got my eye on your brownie recipe from last week!)
Fave savory comfort food: Your spicy tortilla soup (for real, we make it all the time), mac n’ cheese, PIZZA, spaghetti, enchiladas, and of course my mom’s chicken cacciatore and chili. Also I’ve been making homemade bread 2-3 times this summer a month and it is the BEST! Nothing is as comforting as the smell of bread in the oven!
Fave sweet comfort food: Cake (esp the scone loaf from Molly Yeh’s cookbook and the “I want chocolate cake” cake from Smitten Kitchen), along with waffles, muffins, and my grandma’s no-bake chocolate cookies.
And if all else fails, all the store bought junk food I loved as a kid — ice cream, oreos, nutter butter cookies, and the mini Reeses from Trader Joe’s.
Whenever anyone in my circle of friends/family is in need of comfort, I make them a loaf of bread and a curried coconut-red lentil-sweet potato soup. It comes out a little different every time, because I’ve never written down the recipe, but it’s always creamy, gingery, sometimes spicy, and all-around warm and easy going.
Heidi Swanson’s Turmeric-Miso Soup (from Near and Far) comes at my comfort spot from a slightly different angle, but it warms and soothes me like almost nothing else.
Thanks for the links to helping resources.
Plain ol’ Bisquik pancakes with peanut butter and syrup (Aunt Jemima’s or the like – no pure maple syrup here!), with chocolate chips and whipped cream too, depending on the level of comfort we’re talking here. Also on the sweet side – warm, fudgy, dense brownies with vanilla ice cream. Heaven in a bowl. And for something similar, pretty much any kind of decadent, sinful ice cream (preferably straight out of the carton ;)).
As for savory, definitely mashed potatoes and homemade mac n’ cheese. Or fettuccine alfredo, or any kind of rich, carb-y pasta honestly. There is never a moment when pasta doesn’t sound delicious to me, especially when I’m in need of some comfort.
Lentil soup! Surprisingly (and kind of annoyingly) healthy, I know, but my mom makes it every year during Lent and its like one big bowl of hugs. Oh, and rice pudding, obvs, another mom staple
ooh rice pudding is such a good answer!
Mexican – specifically, cheese and chicken enchiladas, preferably with more cheese than is truly necessary. Nothing fancy, but doused in hot sauce, sour cream, and avocado because I’m not a total heathen. If I need sweet, warm brownie and vanilla bean ice cream does the trick!
Mashed potatoes and oatmeal when I am sick. Any kind of homemade cheesy pasta when I am stressed. Chicken pot pie, meatloaf and soup when I am feeling the winter time nesting bug.
I. AM. STARVING.
Meal: risotto or mashed potatoes
Dessert: ice cream
Homemade pasta sauce, which my Italian family calls gravy. Ideally with spaghetti. I always make sure I have a jar in the freezer when I leave for a trip, because it’s the first thing I want to eat when I get home!
My top comfort foods are panang curry, soccer ball or star soup, or kidney bean stew.
Panang curry I can never recreate to perfection at home, so it’s generally just take-out. The other two are the definition of ease. A bouillon cube with ball or star-shaped pastini served with a sleeve of saltines (I eat this any time I get a cold–it’s what I’d eat as a kid). The kidney bean stew is something I still ask my dad to make me when I visit (because for whatever reason, it’s not as good as when I try). It’s basically a can of kidney beans, a can of diced tomatoes, some chopped potatoes, rice, and a bouillon cube.
I guess in short, comfort food for me is something that takes little time to prepare and reminds me that there are still some things in life that are easy, comforting, and simple.
Mac and cheese all the way. Homemade, store bought, boxed… just give it to me. In real dire straits, chili spaghetti. I can’t even explain it. Plain spaghetti noodles topped with chili and covered in cheese. Growing up we had a Bob’s Big Boy and this was THE menu item for me.
Anything salty and crunchy or just salty: chips, nachos, corn chips, olives, pickles, etc. Not pretzels though, I don’t like the way they stick to my teeth.
Thank you so much for this. Longtime reader from Houston sending love. It’s hard to choose! Some faves include Mac and cheese, my mom’s taco salad, warm chocolate chip cookies, and mint chocolate chip ice cream
True comfort food if I have the time for making it, is my Grandmother’s soup and dumplings. It takes about 5 hours to make, much of which is wait time while the meat braises, but the comfort factor is sky high on this. If I don;t have the time and need something more immediate, then it’s mac and cheese.
All of these things need to be followed by some ice cream though.
Comfort food – it depends on the kind of comfort I need. When the world is too gray and I feel like hibernating it is sweet hot tea in a BIG mug and scones that I sprinkle with pearl sugar for a bit of crunch. If it is full blown this world has gone to heck and I am overwhelmed it is something with a lot of meat – like a roast with Yorkshire pudding or a pot roast with thick gravy and lots of potatoes. Maybe because I am subconsciously laying in stores for whatever is coming my way. I am more of a savory person than sweet – but sometimes I just have to break out my amazeballs brownie recipe – with milk chocolate chunks instead of icing. Eat them warm, or heat them up later – you want those choc chunks all melty mmmmmm.
From Houston, thank you for your kind words. Things are a mess here, but the generosity has been incredible. Perfect timing for this post on comfort food, we need it now.
Definitely “gourmet” mac and cheese – with creme fraiche and grated swiss cheese and maybe a few other cheeses I have in the fridge, caramelized onions, lardons… with small pasta for maximum sauce per bite. Yum!!
Sounds like I’m in the minority, but I’d go with cookies every time. Those Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Cookies are about my perfect match.
I’m on the cookie train too! They’re my go to for pretty much all of life.
Super buttery grilled cheese & tomato soup. Classic, nostalgic, delicious!
Followed by a thousand warm chocolate chip cookies.
Hot polenta that’s made with corn broth and TONS of cheese. I mean, I add parm, cheddar, sometimes finish it with blue. Then some stewed veg, like tomatoes and eggplant or maybe mushrooms and too much garlic. I just love the way a hot, cheesy pile of polenta feels in my tummy. It’s SO comforting. Then when you have leftovers, you can make polenta cakes…. Or cornbread with honey butter. That brings me so much joy.
Also all authentic Indian food. And all Americanized Thai food – the spicy, too-sweet coconut curries all over sticky rice. I love real Thai food too, but the Pad Thais and Panang noodles bring me back to college, when I was first discovering new cuisines and comforting my homesick soul with warm, saucy food.
I hope you’re safe – sending so many good thoughts your way and to all the victims! Thank you for always being a strong, warm voice.
My go to comfort foods are one of the following:
-Grilled Cheese: either with Brie and fruit jam/butter or a sharper cheese with carmalized onions. Always with the best bread I can make or pick up at my local bakery and with all the cheese I can possibly fit in between two slices of bread (and sometimes griddle on the outside).
-Crispy fries with mayo ’nuff said
-Cinnamon and cardamom buns/roll with creme: I grew up with these as a kid in a Scandinavian household. These remind me of pure coziness during the cold fall and winter days.
Pumpkin pie. Vegetarian pot pie with shiitake mushrooms. Chocolate chip cookies. My mom’s leek and potato soup. Deb’s favorite brownies.
I wish I could nail down just one food, or maybe two, but I just can’t. It depends on my mood, the weather, what’s in the fridge or pantry, or a recipe I stumble upon. But, that being said, your double-crust pot pie looks amazing!
In winter up in the far north where I live I love beef stew or veggie beef soup, with fresh homemade bread. In later summer it’s BBQ chicken fresh sweet corn and out of the garden tomatoes. Such fleeting moments of seasonal bliss.
peanut butter straight outta the jar
Mom’s potato soup! Or just about any soup mom makes. And/or Thanksgiving stuffing. And/or Chipotle (no shame in my game).
WORD.
Warm brownies or a blondie. With ice cream. My true comfort is in the making of whatever it is though. I don’t even need to eat it.
Savory: your mac and cheese recipe (with some added bacon and chicken), or a good cheesy risotto – clearly there’s a theme here
Sweet: homemade chocolate chunk cookies with a glass of milk
My comfort food is my Italian grandmother’s zucchini soup (it has ditalini pasta in it so still hits the carby-note) topped with Locatelli cheese. It’s amazing how personal comfort food is! That soup reminds me of everything that’s good in the world and definitely got me through a few tough months in grad school. Also, there’s something about time spent over the steaming soup pot that’s calming…kinda like a facial :)
I take any kind of non-savory bagel, spread plenty of real butter on it, put it in a toaster oven until brown and burnt on the edges, drizzle with honey…my favorite breakfast comfort food!
My sweet comfort food is brownies- the fudgier, the better. For savory, I’d say either pizza or a very simple risotto with Parm, black pepper, and a hint of lemon.
My ultimate comfort food is pasta bolognese, with lots of grated aged Gouda cheese AND ketchup. Brings back happy childhood memories!
Oddly, chili is one of my comfort foods. It was the first thing in the soup pot each fall once the weather turned cool. And it cooked a long time, so there was much aromatic anticipation. I was longing for some recently. It was also always something warm and cozy that I could make healthy. Alas, health changes have required I limit this favorite reminder of a time I felt safe from everything but monsters under the bed..
As a child mac and cheese for sure. As an adult I find myself gravitating towards bao. The bread is everything a girl needs in time of comfort. Plus you can add anything you to suit your mode. Pizza bao? Yes! Char sui pork? Always. banh mi bao? If you insist.
Definitely french fries, preferably with aioli.
Vanilla bean ice cream with a large scoop of (super chunk) Skippy Peanut butter. Love and comfort all in one cup.
I am more of a comfort baker than a comfort eater! I make pastry when I am stressed and the world seems a better place! Disclaimer; I eat the pastry too! A good chicken pot pie or a deep fruity rhubarb number! I feel better already ?
Grilled cheese and tomato soup for savory. Cinnamon rolls (like my grandma made, like my school kitchen made, like I make now) for sweet.
Macaroni and cheese all the way! A nice homemade one with a creamy sauce (sans velveeta though) and a good panko topping.
Mmm, homemade mac and cheese with cheddar, gruyere,and Parmesan with Salisbury steak. Oh and green beans on the side! Hope you are staying warm and dry. Loved your spread in Good Housekeeping!
My mama’s pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions. Baked mac and cheese. Good bowl of gumbo. Preferably eaten in front of the fireplace.
Spaghetti & Meatballs with a pile of freshly grated parm on top, plus numerous slices of garlic bread!
As strange as it may sound, oatmeal and a cup of tea hit the spot. That or a bowl of beef stew.
I have two meals that come to mind when I think of comfort food, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and greenbeans is one of them and the other is turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy. Yikes now I am very hungry. I also love a great chicken pot pie
A big bowl of popcorn with nutritional yeast and a lot of Tony’s, and a side of cheddar cheese. When things are really desperate – boxed mac and cheese (also with a sprinkle of Tony’s – so maybe it’s really Tony’s that’s my comfort food?) and fast food french fries with lots of Heinz ketchup squeezed straight from the packet onto the fry.
I always default to soups. Chicken Tortilla is my favorite. I’ll make some basmati rice and spoon a good helping of that into my bowl with the soup. It’s pretty brothy but full of all the best spices so the rice just soaks up all of those flavors and it’s lit.
This is kind of a funny one, but schnitzel is the comfort food in our family. It was one of the first things I learned how to make on my own since it was such a staple. Other than that, I’m with you on the brownies!
I keep a stash of canned sweet peas in my office. On really stressful days a bowl of mushy canned peas with a little salt is my go to comfort food.
A bowl of chili or a warm soup is my go to comfort food.
My mom makes the best homemade chicken noodle soup and rice pudding!! The noodles are her grandma’s recipe. The best way I can describe the shape is a bite-size parallelogram (sorry to use geometry terms in a comfort food comment, because geometry is the opposite of comforting). Her chicken noodle soup always includes corn. Maxed out carbs. Love this post, it is so fun to read everyone’s comfort food! Sending good vibes (and $$) to Harvey relief efforts.
Hi Joy,
Meatloaf and yams here. Or another would be chicken and dumplings.
Homemade ice cream is great too.
All my favorite comfort foods.
Italian egg drop soup full of garlic, onion, escarole, and mini turkey meatballs. Some nice, crusty bread and salted butter on the side, perhaps. It’s a dish I make when I’m ill, someone else is ill, or I just want to channel my grandmother. I sometimes feel remorse that I now live in central FL, where it’s rarely soup weather.
That’s so sweet! My comfort food is my grandmother’s soup too – she’s still living (though far away) but I think “channeling” her is part of what makes the soup so comforting.
Potato-leek soup. Thick. With warm fresh bread and butter. Prepared and served by loving hands. Because isn’t that where the comfort originates? I love your words and the spirit that guides them, Joy!
Praying for everyone affected by the hurricane. Devastating.
Macaroni and cheese au gratin makes me feel safe and cozy. Also, chocolate chip cookies with a touch of earl grey tea added to the batter. They soothe the soul.
Earl grey in cookies! Intriguing. I’m putting a mental pin in that one.
Comfort food + sharing: a big ‘ol pot of green chili with chunks of pork and fresh flour tortillias. Make enough to share with my brother and comfort has been achieved!
Comfort food? Definitely carbs! If I want it quick – a simple baked potato with butter and kosher salt will do, or a bowl of pasta with lots of Parmesan. If I have time (lots) then my noodle pudding (kugel) is the ticket. It is sweet but it’s not a dessert, perfect as a side dish for my brisket. Together they are the perfect comfort food. Oh or a big pot of minestrone soup? With apple crisp for dessert. My “let me bring you dinner, you just came home from the hospital” meal.
Mac. and. Cheese.
It can be fancy (your bonkers awesome mac & cheese comes to mind) or straight up Annie’s shells and aged cheddar.
My grandmother made a creamy potato soup for us growing up during the cooler months. It was like glorified mashed potatoes, with lots of sweet onions pureed into velvety bliss. Oh, and served with a pat of butter on top and lots of fresh ground pepper.
My daughter would say a bowl of properly made plain rice or mashed potatoes with lots of butter and cream but she’s only 11 and hasn’t wised up to the beauty that is Alfredo, Carbonnara or bechamel with lots of garlic and warm pasta, with or without mushrooms or sausage.
Chicken Curry is my go to! Oh and warm strawberry rhubarb pie! Happiness indeed.
My number one comfort food is pizza…lots of cheese, a thin-ish crust, with an oregano-heavy tomato sauce. Mhmm.
After that, it’s anything cheesy/carby…mac n’ cheese, your jalapeno/pepper jack scones. Oh, and strawberry short cake (well, with buttermilk biscuits!).
Smothered pork chops with rice and gravy and chocolate truffle cake. Praying for everyone’s safety and peace of mind.
Whole Roast chicken, and baked potatoes with sour cream. Perhaps some greens for healthy.
Cheesy, gooey, hot baked pasta dishes. You know the ones: ziti, macaroni and cheese, lasagna. Give me noodles, sauce, and plenty of cheese, and I’m cozy.
anything mushy and warm!! mashed sweet potatoes, oatmeal, cream of rice.
Homemade soup and mac and cheese are my favorite comfort foods. I also love some homemade bre
Mac and cheese. But homemade like my mom used to make. A big bowl of cream of wheat cereal ( sweetened) with buttery sourdough toast. And rocky road ice cream
Pasta. I think it once really cured my headache. Creamy sauce would be best but I’d take tomato based sauce if I’m need of comfort food.
Unbaked, homemade, chocolate chip cookie dough! The tollhouse recipe from the back of the chocolate chip bag. But really any cookie dough.
I live in NOLA too. Was feeling stressed/overwhelmed yesterday, and work was closed so I also made cookies. I was following along with your insta story, felt like we were on the same wavelength.
Rice pudding , made with evaporated milk and baked in the oven, perfect comfort food! Add a spoonful of raspberry jam and you can’t do much better.
Savoury wise – cod, parsley sauce, peas and buttery mash is my number one comfort dinner.
Goodness knows the world needs all the comfort it can get these days.
My mom’s eggplant parm with a side of pasta, or her beef and tortellini soup with a chunk of good bread and salted butter. Anything that reminds me of being at home, safely curled up on the couch.
There’s something really comforting to me about a good chucky guacamole/salty tortilla chip combo. This plus a great margarita…obvs.
popcorn. plain (or sometimes loaded up with cinnamon), air-popped popcorn.
that’s probably not so useful if we’re brainstorming for recipes out of this haha, but that’s my weird go-to that really brings me back down to earth in times of stress or high anxiety.
cheers! xo
Comfort food:
Casseroles – Shepherd’s Pie (with ground beef), cheesy broccoli, tuna, leftover turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes baked in a 9X13 dish, lasagna, baked enchiladas
Pasta – spaghetti with butter, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; spaghetti and meatballs;
Baked goods – coffee cake, apple pie, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, shortbread
Chinese food (because I’m Chinese) – tofu with ground pork, fried rice, stir-fried beef and broccoli with white rice, stewed pork with carrots and turnips, roast chicken with gravy
Beverages – milky tea made with orange pekoe and condensed milk, ovaltine and milk
Breakfast – pancakes, porridge
Snacks – popcorn, cool ranch doritos
Mashed potatoes. Have to be made with milk/half and half or butter. Cream cheese is also often an excellent choice.
great post, Joy, thanks as always for your vulnerability and calling us to love our neighbors! My go to comfort food is risotto – my two favorites are butternut squash risotto and smitten kitchen’s sausage and tomato risotto. Risotto hits all my comfort food checkpoints of cheesey, salty, carb-y, and warm but the slow process of making it also helps me recenter, gives me time to process, and helps me appreciate the beauty and gift that is good food. But when there isn’t enough time for risotto, that’s when the mozzarella sticks get called in.
Have you tried Joy’s sausage and mushroom risotto? OMG it’s delicious.
Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread. Or any bread slathered with butter. It was my favourite meal growing up & if there were any leftover my mum would make it into a sandwhich for me to take to school the next day. Heaven!!
My mother’s chicken and dumplings, which I’ve never been able to recreate to my satisfaction. First, it’s impossible to get a true stewing hen anymore (unless you have your own chickens). Even the locally sourced chicken I get doesn’t have the kind of fat and taste that comes from cooking for hours. Second, like all great comfort food cooks, my mom had little secrets tucked away in her brain that she never wrote down. Oh,what I would do for just one bowl made by her again.
Meal wise, mac and cheese for sure. Or a good carbonara. Pasta definitely. Desert/snack wise, brownies, sometimes ice cream, but always chocolate!
Cacio e pepe with a nice glass of red wine! Cheers Joy!
Cheese! Cheese in most forms actually (melty cheese, hard cheese, cheese curds etc). If I had a rough week, on Friday night I just want to eat a cheese plate, and I need it to include some really good brie.
1) mom’s pepperjack cheddar burgers with worcestershire
2) brown butter mazithra pasta w/ creamy pesto salad & baguette with herb butter
3) polish mistakes at christmas
4) uncle’s german potato salad w/ acv and sugar and bacon base
5) springerlie cookies
6) a good chocolate frothy malt
7) medium rare steak w/ salted crispy baked potato on side covered in sour cream & ranch & A1
8) movie theatre popcorn w/ bbq chips
9) coca-cola w/ salted peanuts poured in
10) fried egg sandwiches & miracle whip on white bread
so comfort food is basically deathrow meals, yeah?! happy to send you any recipes/more info from list. sending love to you!!!
Definitely salty and carb-heavy foods- garlic bread, mac and cheese, pizza, chips…. also all the tacos!
Brittany
Your list is so inviting and making me hungry for any and all on your list! Would you kindly send me the recipe for polish mistakes and their origin? Thanks so much! Lisa
Address: JLJ13@sbcglobal.net
Red vines! Thank you for all you do, sweet Joy!
Cranberry oatbars (a recipe from my mom that’s kind of like a cobbler with fresh cranberries and lots of oats) AND homemade gingerbread – that scent always soothes.
Saag Paneer is my go-to.
Also. I love my mom’s twice baked potatoes with sides of green beans, corn, cucumbers with vinegar, and always biscuits!
Hey Joy! Living in Italy I discovered that my comfort food is pasta e fagioli (pasta with beans). My personal version is with tomatoes, rosemary, sage, onions and bay leaves. Nothing means more comfort to me than that! All the best!
That sounds incredibly simple and delicious!
My late grandmother made this all the time – it’s one of my all-time favorite meals!
Lasagna and baked ziti
Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream
Cannoli
Italian layer cookies
Fried chicken drumsticks
Raspberry ginger ale
I spent most of my childhood in New York, but still love my Southern comforts too!
Spaghetti carbonara!
Tuna noodle casserole. My grandpa’s recipe. It’s the one universally beloved dish in my family and I always turn to it when times are rough. I’ll be making it tonight! Thanks for the great link to places to donate.
I happen to be in the market for a good tuna noodle casserole!!! Could you share the recipe? (If that’s allowed here.)
I third this! tuna noodle casserole for sure. And also warm brownies or warm fruit crisp of any kind..
Growing up, I was a legitimate pasta lover. When I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in college, my pasta-loving-but-health-conscious sensibilities were seriously challenged. One evening I stumbled upon a sausage, mushroom, spinach, garlic, tomato sauce, parm cheese concoction, which was essentially all of the pasta flavors without the carbs and it provided me with so. much. comfort. Since then (over 10 years ago), I continue to make comfort food when I need to be soothed from the inside out.
I would love a link to that recipe or the recipe itself. My son was diagnosed Type 1 at 24, so he would love this.
Hi! I’m a little late. But can u please share that recipe I didn’t see a link. I am in the same boat! And am going to start not bread pasta thing so this sounds PERFECT! oh and comfort food is basically anything with bread or cheese. And for a sweet comfort food is hot gooey chocolate chip cookies. A recipe that my mom passed down and I love!
Susan and Ivana, I’m so glad you asked about the recipe! Susan, you are an amazing Mom (my Mom, also named Susan, was a huge support during my diagnosis) and Ivana, you got this! I didn’t follow a specific recipe, but this one from Tracy Shutterbean is pretty close. Rather than making them in individual bowls, I make it in one big skillet (brown sausage, add mushrooms, add fresh garlic, add sauce, add spinach to wilt and then serve and top with parm). My favorite thing is that you can add whatever you have or whatever you’d like. Here’s the link to the recipe I mentioned: https://www.shutterbean.com/2015/sausage-mushroom-pizza-bowls/
Thanks! My son does a great job controlling his T1D. He works with special needs preschoolers all day (often gets assigned kids with T1D since he can handle them) then coaches cross country and track at a local middle school. His level of activity definitely helps. But he also eats well and has a pump now, which has helped considerably. But he always loved pasta and pizza, so a way to get those flavors without having to give himself an extra boost of insulin is great.
Thank you so much! Defiantly going to make this for dinner tonight and I’m sure way whole family will love this dish! It’s been a struggle especially since we out a lot and r usually going here or going there. And I love to make dessert. But now I’m going to find more great healthy tasty recipes like this one!!!! Again thanks so much!
It’s amazing that he’s able to use his diagnosis to help others! Activity definitely helps. I’ve recently starting listening to a podcast called “Diabetics Doing Things” and the host (who is T1D himself) interviews others who have Type 1. I’m continuing to learn a lot! Take care, Susan.
My mom’s fudge, one of those tricky superstitious recipes. I’m allergic to chocolate so I can only have memories and smells, but it was the best.
I love comfort food! :) My favorites: definitely chocolate banana bread. I swear, a piece of it, still warm, with a cup of tea can heal almost any sadness. I have a simple recipe that I bake every time a friend or family is down or needs a special support. Any fruit crumble: in winter, I feel it comforts my soul to eat a bowl of this. To finish, of course, chicken soup. Life is a whole lot better after a hot big bowl of chicken soup.
Reading your blog is comfort food for my mind. On Sunday is the best.
As I am a vegetarian I feel odd saying this but the first dish I feel feeling like was expressly made to soothe me by my mom was corned beef hash. When is basically potatoes and corned beef. The second? Steak wirh bermaise saucw by I still am all about sauce. The comfort dish that stick?! The original nestle till house chocolate chip recipe. Always the best…
I must maintain my extremely low sodium diet 700mg -1g per day, but sometimes…. My comfort food:
1. Spicy Italian Sausage & Mushroom pizza delivery. (I won’t be driving for the next 48 hours.)
2. Marshmallows, a bag of: big or small and usually stored in the freezer.
3. The most important: Potatoes! It really doesn’t matter how they are prepared! (Preferably serves with traditional Russian Beef & Mushroom Stroganoff!)
Gingerbread. In fact, I just made it last night. Not a cake-like gingerbread but a dense one made in a jellyroll pan. My mom got the recipe from a living history museum years and years ago and now I make it for my kids. It is the taste of my childhood. Also, linguine with chicken and a lemony, garlic sauce with tons and tons of parmesan cheese.
Popcorn. It’s crunchy, salty, hopefully a bit greasy…bonus points for a bit stale. I can make an enormous bowl and mindlessly munch while trying to pretend this is all normal right now…
Any kind of dish that has lots of rnoodles, veggies, and a really decadent peanut sauce. And also freshly baked brownies topped with ice cream. We’ve got a richness theme here.
Soup, preferably something thick and stew-like: my mom’s chicken corn soup with rivels, and her ham and navy bean soup. Running a close second are noodles with stuff: my wife’s chicken spaghetti, her Asian pork and noodles, and my garlic pasta.
Greg, can you and your wife come live with me? Yum!
Biscuits and sausage gravy! And sometimes a biscuit with homemade jelly, usually made from muscadines, the native grape that grows in south Alabama or if I’m lucky mayhaw jelly. It’s hard to get the mayhaw fruit before the deer and birds.
Grilled cheese. Made with challah and the sharpest cheddar and only good, real butter. Heaven.
Also, any sort of ricotta laden pasta is high on my cravings list.
I guess my answer should’ve just been cheese, eh? :))
On the sweet side, fudgy brownies are always a winner. (The Kroger store brand box mix is actually amazing when I don’t feel like doing all the measuring for my scratch recipe.)
Stay safe, Joy.
Custard. All the custard. The existence of custard type recipes in cuisines around the world (pretty much wherever they use dairy and egg) is proof that God loves his children. It is also my love language.
Tapioca, rice pudding, creme brulee, pastry cream, bread pudding, rich ice cream, those sprinkle speckled slightly plasticy holiday pies they used to have at McDonald’s, you name it.
Something about the combo of milk, sugar, and eggs makes magic.
I’d say brownies. When I was in the Peace Corps in Africa, I jury-rigged an oven and managed to bake brownies when I was homesick. I’d share them with the neighbor kids, who would dance and sing my name and “chocolati.” Talk about comfort.
On the savory side, it would be potato salad, with lots of onion and mustard and chopped up pickles, because it was my mom’s recipe that she made for everything and I miss her.
Good luck with the flooding. We narrowly escaped high water earlier this year and the thundering rage of the river was terrifying. I hope we learn the lesson to stop pumping carbon into the atmosphere.
Ohhhh… homemade mac n’ cheese with (admittedly awful) velveeta thrown in… along with some milk, butter, and cheddar cheese. Almost any kind of pizza. Chocolate chip cookies. Molasses cookies. Brownies with chocolate chips. Creme Brulee. Cheesecake. Pancakes with butter and syrup. A hot mug of excellent coffee with half and half and a nice flavor (caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, whatever). A hot, strong cup of black tea with milk and a bit of sweetener.
I’m with you Jenn, homemade mac n cheese and yes, you must use Velvetta (along with some other real cheese to fancy it up)
Risotto; partly because eating it is so comforting, and partly because making it is so soothing.
Also, fresh pasta (not homemade) cooked and then some pesto (from a jar), cream or goats cheese (add parmesan if you can be bothered to grate), maybe a splash of white wine and balsamic vinegar stirred through it. Also insanely comforting to eat, and can be made in less than 10 minutes (we actually call this ‘quick pasta’).
Ooh, is this for a new book? And Kinchee Fried Rice, every time.
Mashed potatoes. Simple- Yukon Golds, boiled, and mashed by hand, unsalted butter, half & half, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Not too stiff, just-right creamy. Lifts my spirits, every time.
You truly are a Joy, I enjoy your posts so much. I make your food. Thank you for your sweetness, caring, and down-to-earth personality.
My go-to comfort food is any kind of custard….be it flan, creme caramel, plain egg custard or custard pie. Tapioca will fit the bill if custard isn’t available.
Love your posts!!
Eileen
Sounds like Eileen & I could have a giant ‘anything custard’ party. I was brought up in UK and Mum just made the best desserts for us 5 kids, custard, rice pudding, tapioca, sago, semolina. I still to this day just adore those type of desserts and happily make up a saucepan full that only I eat!
I just saw this after I posted my comment. Can I come to the party too? Yay!
Two foods that ALWAYS pick me up when I’m feeling kinda ‘blah’: 1) Chocolate chip cookies baked to that precise moment when they just melt on your tongue but hold their shape in your hand; and 2) if I have the time, a good rack of ribs or pork butt smoked all day. Except for my wife and kids, nothing brings me greater joy than building a fire and maintaining it all day in order to see smiles on the faces of those who eat something that was hours on the making.