40 Comfort Food Recipes for When You Need a Hug on a Plate

Mmm, tender lamb meatballs blanketed in a spicy curry sauce are just what the doctor ordered.

This hearty number features pillows of homemade pasta, potatoes, cabbage and plenty of Fontina and Parmesan cheese. And heads up, making gnocchi is easier than you’d think.

Congee, or rice porridge, is traditional in Asian countries as a nourishing, easy-to-digest meal—the ultimate comfort food. Even better: This one only takes 30 minutes to make.

You need melty cheese and pasta, and you need it fast. Good thing this dish comes together entirely on your stove top, in one pot and in half an hour.

When you feel like Sunday supper on a Wednesday, grab your skillet. This recipe is hearty and delicious, and it tastes like you spent all day making it.

Want to pretend you’re in sunny Italy? We know what you should make for dinner.

Thanks to your slow cooker, this one is just as easy as opening up a can but about a million times more delicious. (Oh, and it’ll make your whole house smell amazing.)

Soup season is just a state of mind. You won’t regret making this hearty-but-not-too-heavy meal.

Every layer of the phyllo topping is brushed with butter and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Need we say more?

Chicken soup is already the ultimate comfort food, but adding gnocchi really takes it up a notch.

Is it bad to have a crush on a pizza? Not at all, especially when it’s topped with burrata.

Finally, we can make one of our all-time favorites at home, thanks again to that slow cooker. (Want to know a secret? It’s even better with a splash of apple brandy.)

Creamy, filling and versatile, polenta is the definition of comfort. In our humble opinion, we should all be eating more of it.

When you feel like eating a decadent bowl of mac and cheese but also want to be a responsible adult, just add cauliflower.

Parmesan rind and a kitchen sink’s worth of veggies, pasta, beans and aromatics give this Italian classic a ton of flavor.

These freeze well, so it’s easy to make a big batch and just reheat when you need a pick-me-up.

Ever felt the urge to dive face-first into the creamiest, cheesiest dish you can possibly imagine? We found that dish.

This is comfort food 101 in a totally new package. Psst: Store-bought biscuits make the topping a breeze.

We’re always suckers for a good meatball, but it’s the sticky honey-ginger-soy sauce that sealed the deal.

Also known as khichdi, this restorative Indian stew is a staple in the Ayurvedic diet. It’s also just what we need after a long day (or week, or month).

This dish is rich, comforting and can be assembled ahead of time and held in your refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it. (Don’t wait too long.)

Pie for dinner? Don’t mind if we do, especially when it’s this filling take on the classic Thanksgiving side.

The only thing better than this briny-sweet number would be a bear hug from Ina Garten herself. (We can dream.)

A lazy version of a childhood favorite? Check. Almost no dishes to clean after dinner? Double check.

Oh, you thought we wouldn’t combine our two favorite pasta dishes? Think again.

Life is all about balance. This cozy meal is rich and satisfying, but also really good for you.

Pour yourself a glass of red wine and tuck in.

When in doubt, smother it in mozzarella cheese and add a side of pasta.

Even when unadorned, risotto is one of those meals that makes you feel better with every bite. With crispy leeks, this is even more irresistible.

This is even better (and easier) than splurging on takeout.

C’mon. These are basically like fancy chicken tenders, and what could be wrong with that?

From the buttery noodles to the melt-in-your-mouth beef tenderloin, there’s nothing not to love about this unapologetically rich and creamy bowl of comfort.

Vacation in France? More like vacation on our couch with a bowl of this melt-in-your-mouth masterpiece.

Are we allowed to say it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread? Well, we’re going to, because it is.

You’re not really living until you’re eating soup out of a bowl made of bread…lined with melty cheese. If you’ve got kids, they’ll love you forever.

This sweet, spicy and delightfully sticky chicken can be on the table in under an hour, and it tastes like a takeout favorite.

Sometimes we like to swap the ziti noodles for rigatoni, just for fun.

Not only is it satisfyingly saucy, it’s also a chance for a crisper drawer cleanout. Wilted celery, we hardly knew ye.

This is not your mother’s chicken soup—no offense, Mom. The broth is very flavorful and slightly spicy, but the lemon and greens brighten it. (It’s also adaptable and easy to make.)

There’s nothing like a good cheese pull—with three types of fromage!—to put us at ease.