#comfort food

#comfort food

Forget chives and butter. What your baked potatoes really need is a Philly cheesesteak twist. Born on a street corner in Philadelphia, the next-level sandwich has long encapsulated the city's vivacious essence with its bold, intense flavors. Now, just imagine that same greatness crowning steaming hot, fresh-off-the-oven potatoes. No longer is the starchy base just predictably creamy and boring. The dish's overflow of cheese-smothered meat and veggies ensures that it arrives at your table dressed in the finest flavors.

That's both a sweet treat and a comfort food, especially when it's fresh out of the oven. The downside is that it takes time to make and bake, and then when it's done, you have a whole cake to deal with. The obvious answer, here, is to make a mug cake when you need "a little something" to help you cope. It's a single serving, it's warm and comforting, and it comes together just about as quickly as you can stir.

If you are a lover of all things fall, or simply enjoy a big hug in a bowl, then this super comforting apple cinnamon oatmeal recipe is for you. To make this warming spiced breakfast option, diced apple is sauteed in a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup until soft and lightly caramelized. Oats, chia seeds, milk, and salt are then added to the pan and simmered until the oatmeal is thick and silky.

As autumn settles all over France, the light becomes moodier. Cinderella pumpkins spring up in the markets, along with wild mushrooms, and crisp heirloom apples. Kitchens are alive with soul comforting food- and no one evokes that spirit better than The Cook's Atelier's Marjorie Taylor who helps run a French cooking school, boutique kitchen, home store and wine shop in Burgundy. The Cook's Atelier's most recent book French at Heart contains 100 go-to recipes that exemplify living well, the French way.

In the bustling world of food and beverage trends, where viral flavors and plant-based dining dominate headlines, there's something refreshingly authentic about a humble noodle soup that has quietly sustained Hawaii's soul for over a century. Enter Aina Saimin, a culinary gem that represents more than just another restaurant concept: it's a living testament to Hawaii's unique food culture and the enduring power of comfort food done right.

If you grew up in the '80s, you probably have comforting memories of sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, watching cartoons while munching on your favorite foods. Perhaps you enjoyed the tangy-sweet mess of sloppy Joes or the magical layers of Jell-O Pudding Pops that defined your childhood. These comfort foods represented simpler times full of bustling weeknight dinners, after-school freedom, birthday party joy, and the unmistakable taste of childhood.

Cheesy funeral potatoes are so unfortunately named that some may hesitate to whip up the recipe for an occasion. However, the dish is not only filled with comfort, it can also feed a crowd and isn't difficult to master. Most recipes are packed with canned soup, sour cream, butter, cheese, and seasoned potatoes that are finished with corn flakes and tossed in the oven to cook.

The martinis are cold, the oysters endless and every table sounds like a dinner party. Lately, going out for martinis, fries, and oysters has become the night-time version of matcha and froyo - a ritual, a little luxury. But when did our "savory treats" become so... French? From West Village bistros to London brasseries, French cuisine - once dismissed as too heavy or too fussy - is suddenly what's on everyone's lips. After years of small plates and coastal Mediterranean, we're saying oui to butter,

2. A 24-pack of macarons because is a Girl Dinner *really* complete without *INHALES* chocolate, vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, espresso, pistachio, raspberry, and cassis-flavored sugary goodness to top it all off? I think not.

There's something undeniably warm about walking into a Cracker Barrel. The scent of sizzling country-fried steak, stacks of golden pancakes, and biscuits fresh from the oven fills the air before you've even opened the menu. But one of the chain's made-from-scratch dishes keeps customers coming back for more than just nostalgia: the mashed potatoes with gravy. Brown gravy or sawmill gravy, your choice. Both are creamy, perfectly smooth, and deeply flavorful, with that rustic, homemade charm you just don't get from frozen alternatives.

Fine dining and fast food definitely have their place in the foodie world, but there's nothing that hits quite like one of those classic comfort food dishes. We'd go as far as to argue that there's something about a perfectly-made, pillowy, flavorful meatball that makes them kind of the backbone of comfort foods. Whether they're served up in a rustic Italian wedding soup or a classic Swedish meatball dish that's perfect for when the weather starts turning cold, we'll never say no.

It's almost a misnomer to call this recipe simply "pumpkin chili." While there is an entire can of the stuff (the kind you'd use for pumpkin pie) in the hearty stew, it's also chock full of ground beef, canned beans, and enough flavorsome ingredients that any prominent pumpkin flavor all but disappears. What's left is velvety richness, body, and an autumnal hue.

When the weather starts to cool down, nothing warms the soul quite like a steaming bowl of Easy Red Pork Pozole. This traditional Mexican-inspired soup is known for its rich, savory broth, tender pork, and hearty hominy. Best of all, this version is gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, and soy-free-with an option to keep it dairy-free-making it a comforting dish you can share with everyone around the table.

Hearty fast-food classics like pizza, burgers, and fries are big hits in the States, and Tex-Mex dishes like nachos and chili are incredibly popular, too. Everyday meal choices are also heavily influenced by Asian cuisines, with sushi and Chinese-style noodle dishes being firm favorites. And, let's not forget the tempting selection of sweets that are synonymous with America, from pillowy glazed donuts to creamy cheesecakes and comforting fruit pies.

If you find funeral potatoes too grim and a hash brown casserole too boring, it's time to bring a little Mississippi Mud into your kitchen. Mississippi Mud Pie, the dessert, is a rich and decadent chocolate treat, but Mississippi Mud Potatoes are entirely different, so don't let the name confuse you. This casserole is loaded with cheese, bacon, and green onions.

Thinking about the start of autumn, how about kicking off the season with a hearty and warmly spiced pot of chili, featuring fresh, succulent tuna? This twist on a classic comfort dish combines the rich flavors of spices with the tender, texture of fresh tuna. It not only provides a burst of flavor but also offers a nutritious and wholesome option to enjoy.

The skillet, which is filled with comforting aromatic flavors like rosemary, garlic, and thyme, is the ultimate combination of all three comforting chicken dishes in one. Instead of a brothy base, the chicken and vegetables are surrounded by thick, creamy gravy, made thicker by doughy drop dumplings. The dumplings, which are a simple Southern biscuit recipe designed to be boiled in the broth, become both fluffy and creamy while steaming in the warm chicken gravy.

To me, pasta is the most versatile of food types and lends itself perfectly to such seasonal cooking: a walk through damp woodland, say, often makes me crave wild mushrooms, sauteed with garlic and herbs, then tossed with fettuccine, while, as the days shorten and the air cools, a slow-cooked game ragu with penne always hits the spot, as does a warming blast of 'nduja in a creamy sauce.

This is one of the last of the Great American Diners, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in large portions at reasonable prices. This is where you go when you want liver and onions, and your companion craves chicken fried steak. Meatloaf is on the menu, served with mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies and garlic toast for $15.99. Henri's has been around for 53 years - which, in LA terms, approaches forever.

Most people have a favorite comfort food, a dish they turn to for relief after a long, tough week, or just to warm their belly on a cold winter day. Celebrity chefs are no exception. From tried-and-true comfort classics like grilled cheese with tomato soup, mashed potatoes with gravy, or butter noodles, to less common picks like cherrystone clams, celebrity chef comfort food has no rules as long as it's soothing.

All it takes is some shredded chicken, a quick cream sauce made from a good can of condensed soup (like Campbell's Cream of Chicken) plus a bit of sour cream, and of course, poppy seeds, and you've got a comforting classic that can bring everyone to the table, then send them off satisfied. But rather than making it from scratch, if you've got a rotisserie chicken leftover from the other night's dinner, the good news is you can have

Meatloaf. Mashed potatoes. Breakfast all day, every day. A cup of coffee that always seems to be full. These are the menu hallmarks of the American diner. Throw in a countertop with stools, booths with laminate countertops, and a lot of stainless steel, and the nostalgic vibe is complete. The first iterations of diners popped up in the mid-1800s, and have been a national staple ever since.