As the fall season approaches, cravings for comfort food return! Every year, we can’t wait to get back to the hearty, comforting foods of fall. From pot roast and beef stew to savory casseroles, smothered chops, pot pie, and slow braises, these top-rated favorites are the comfort food recipes we always reach for first, at the first crack of fall.
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Beef and Guinness Stew
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“World’s worst stew maker ended up making the world’s BEST stew. I made a couple of minor changes. I used a chocolate stout beer as I had no Guinness. It made it richer. I also used the chicken broth as in the original recipe. Because I started it late, I cooked in a pressure cooker for 20 min. instead of the hours of baking. Came out perfect.” —Terri
Simple Beef Stroganoff
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“Easy-to-make Comfort Food! I’ve made it three times – once with ground beef and twice with ground turkey. We prefer the turkey. I also tried adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Simple meal plus leftovers.” —Kathy Costa Upshaw
Marry Me Chicken Soup
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“I’m a broke 22-year-old with minimal cooking experience other than instant meals. I was struggling to find meals to cook on my own due to my lack of motivation and overall intimidation by how many meals I possibly could cook. This recipe saved me – not even joking… It inspired me to cook other recipes.”
Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“It was delicious. I read the other reviews so added a bit more spices and added dry coriander. Used fresh garlic and ginger and served with fresh coriander on top. Creamy and tasty dish on rice especially tasty with warm naan to mop up the sauce” —FluffyBacon9889
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“I made these exactly by directions but finished off the pre-baked cabbage rolls with rinsed sauerkraut and about 3 slices of uncooked bacon. I’m not a sauerkraut fan but in these cabbage rolls it makes them 5 extra stars. I covered everything with cooked cabbage leaves and they spent 8 hours on low in my slow cooker. I loved them and hubby asked me to marry him again. Thanks for this awesome recipe. These are regular rotation food.” —Cindy Bilbrough
World’s Best Honey Garlic Pork Chops
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“I don’t normally go ga-ga over a recipe, even if I like it. I have to say, however, that these were the best pork chops I have ever eaten. I chose to bake the chops due to weather. My wife even told me to go online and give it five stars. No argument from me!!” —JohnT
Italian Sausage Tortellini
Unknown
“I love it. Got the recipe some time back. Invited son and family and they raved. Daughter in law asked for recipe. Prepared as written but last week I was short on white wine and used some red whine with the white. Absolutely still delicious.If I fix it for myself, I only put spinach in the amount for that particular meal. The rest of it reheats nicely but it is better with fresh spinach.” —Irma Tolin
Cha Cha’s White Chicken Chili
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“I’ve been making this recipe for years now. Some other commenters have said this chili is too spicy, whereas I add Tapatio to my bowl! I used to make it with the chicken, but I don’t eat meat now and it’s still very good without the chicken. I use less beans and more broth– mine is a bit more of a stew or chunky soup than a chili, but everyone has their preferences!” —Twin Peaks 2016
Taco Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
This quick-and-easy Mexican-style casserole bakes up cheesy and delicious. You’ll use refrigerated crescent rolls as the crust. Then simply add layers of seasoned ground beef, sour cream, and shredded cheese, and sprinkle crushed tortilla chips over the top! “It’s a quick, easy meal that is very filling,” says stephanie. “Some people will also top it with regular taco toppings, i.e. lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, etc. It also is great as leftovers for lunches! Serve with taco sauce.”
Beef Stew VI
humblepieliving
This 5-star beef stew is simple, savory, and so satisfying. Cubes of beef, carrots, and potatoes are seasoned with rosemary and parsley and simmered on the stovetop. “This thick beef stew is good eaten from a bowl or poured over biscuits,” says Paula. “Substitute lamb, and voila!…it’s Irish stew! The longer this simmers, the better!”
My Favorite Pot Roast
lutzflcat
Here’s one for the Dutch oven. Brown the pot roast on all sides, then combine the roast with potatoes, carrots, onion, and a mixture of brown sugar, salt, mustard, black pepper, and vinegar. Let it roast until the meat just falls away. “This is certainly the most flavorful pot roast I’ve ever made,” says KatieinChina.
Brown Sugar Meatloaf with Ketchup Glaze
lutzflcat
Crushed croutons are the secret ingredient in this easy ground-beef meatloaf. Shell Hargis says: “This meatloaf is glazed with brown sugar and ketchup for a moist and flavorful weeknight dinner.”
Chicken Pot Pie IX
ReneePaj
This classic savory pie combines cubed boneless chicken breast with carrots, peas, and celery in a sauce starring chicken broth and milk. It’s all tucked into an unbaked pie crust and baked to beautiful golden brown. “This was the best chicken pot pie I have ever tasted,” says CDNRUNREH. “I added potatoes like someone else suggested, and it made it a hearty meal.”
Instant Pot® Chicken and Dumplings
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Chicken and dumplings in less than an hour! The Instant Pot makes it possible. “I wanted the richness of long-simmered chicken stew, but without the fuss of using a whole chicken,” says recipe creator Doughgirl8. “This compromise, using boneless skinless chicken thighs with bone-in chicken breast, gave me the richness of flavor and ease of preparation I was looking for! It’s basically chicken pot pie made in a pressure cooker rather than an oven.”
Braised Lamb Shanks
Tjaun Valentine
This braised lamb dish delivers deep, rich flavor. The shanks are wet rubbed with smoked paprika and rosemary and braised with saba, a sweet Italian condiment that’s a little like balsamic vinegar. Chef John says: “If you’re looking for a foolproof, wintry braised meat dish, this is virtually impossible to screw up!”
World’s Best Lasagna
Allrecipes Magazine
John Chandler’s filling, satisfying lasagna really lives up to its name. It combines sweet Italian sausage and ground beef with tomato sauce, Italian seasonings, and three types of cheese. “Really the best,” raves YONKAZ. “The only one that is truly like my grandmother’s. The combination of ground beef AND sausage can’t be beat!”
Chef John’s Coq Au Vin
Meredith Food Studios
This braised chicken dish stars mushrooms, bacon, onions, red wine, and chicken thighs. It’s French-style comfort food at its finest. Chef John prefers chicken thighs here: “Like all braised dishes, tougher cuts with lots of connective tissue work best, and on a chicken that would be the thigh/leg section.
Southern Smothered Pork Chops in Brown Gravy
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
They know comfort food in the South! And these smothered chops are a true classic. TZRachel calls this recipe “Southern comfort food at its easiest. Pork chops smothered in onion, garlic, baby bella mushrooms, and a brown gravy sauce. Tastes great as gravy on mashed potatoes too!”
Chef John’s Chicken a la King
Chef John
This classic comfort food is one of the tastiest ways to transform leftover roast chicken (or store-bought rotisserie chicken). “Chicken à la King is one of my favorite classic comfort foods,” says Chef John. “This recipe is easy to adapt–you can make it thicker or thinner by changing the amount of roux and having a little extra stock on hand. Usually I make this with leftovers from a large roasted chicken. Serve over pasta, toast, rice, or mashed potatoes.”
Zippy Shepherd’s Pie
Scientist_by_Day_Cook_by_Night
Ground beef and mild curry powder give this Shepherd’s pie it’s zip! Add more or less curry as you like. “The ground beef mixture can be made ahead and frozen,” says LAURA BELA. “You can substitute instant potatoes for the real thing if you’re in a hurry.”
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