Feel Better: 6 Classic Comfort Foods to Make This Weekend

Korean Short Ribs
Korean Short Ribs

Melted, gooey cheese atop tender noodles or hot chili filled with creamy beans - ah, the joys of comfort food. Whether they're used to mend an aching heart or a tired body, comfort foods relieve the pressures of the outside world, even if just momentarily, offering a respite from the fast-paced lives that we lead.

Savoring the warmth and heartiness of many classic, comforting dishes like mac and cheese or hot apple pie can also serve as a tripdown memory lane. Memories of the pie your grandmother made or your uncle's meatball special come floating back as the aromas waft your way.

Whether the recipes we've collected here accurately represent your favorite version of the dish or not is not important - we just hope to inspire you to get in the kitchen and start cooking up a storm. Experiment with these new variations on lasagna, pie, and chowder or let them motivate you to make your version at home.

Ricotta Cheesecake

A favorite dessert that's so popular they named a profitable restaurant chain after it. Whether you fall on the plain side or prefer an Oreo-filled cheesecake, there's no doubt that any slices will quickly be gobbled up at your next dinner party.

Click Here to see the Ricotta Cheesecake with Berries and Lavender Recipe

Chocolate Chip Cookies


If the scent of freshly baked cookies wafting out of the oven doesn't illicit some kind of Pavlovian response, then we need to get some top-quality cookies to your kitchen, ASAP. Whether you like your cookies crispy, chewy, or cakey, these classic chocolate chip ones are irresistible.

Click Here to see the Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

PB&J Waffles

Sure, you can go the French toast route for breakfast, but why not combine the staples of your childhood together on top of waffles? Peanut butter and jelly shine atop these addicting sweet and creamy waffles.

Click Here to see the Peanut Butter and Jelly Waffles Recipe

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

French fries are a favorite side dish and go swimmingly with a burger (see a few slides earlier) or as a snack, but baking these tubers offers a much lighter and healthier version that's quite tasty. Sweet potatoes have a creamier and richer flavor than regular potatoes, but there's no reason you can't cook those as well.

Click Here to see the Spicy Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

Korean Short Ribs (pictured above)

For a twist on short ribs, try this Korean-inspired version that uses soy sauce, sugar, honey, rice wine, and sesame oil as flavor-infusers (aka the braising liquid). Fresh ginger brightens up the dish, adding a zing, while the mushrooms give it an earthy undertone.

Click to see the Galbijjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs) Recipe

Spiced Peach Pie Recipe


This recipe is a twist on the classic peach pie. The ginger, cardamom, and cranberries take the summer staple into fall.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups peaches, sliced
2 cups cranberries
2 tablespoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 pie crusts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients (except the pie crusts) in a bowl and mix well. Fold the mixture into one of the pie crusts.

For the top of the pie, you can either cut the second crust and lattice it or you place the entire crust on top, and then slice small holes into it.

Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour if the pie is latticed, 1 hour 15 minutes if not.

Recipe Details


Servings: 6
Total Time: 1 and 1/2 hours
Cuisine: Bakery
Special Designations: Nut-free, Vegan, Vegatarian

Click Here to see More Classic Comfort Food Recipes

-Yasmin Fahr, The Daily Meal