Comfort Food Menu Ideas
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January can sometimes be a hard month to get through. The holidays are over, it’s usually cold, there’s sickness in the air, etc. Below are some Comfort Food Menu Ideas sure to comfort you when you need it most.
(Post modified on 1/26/23.)
Comfort food means many things to many people. When asked what a person’s favorite comfort food is, he might respond with a favorite Italian dish, Mexican food, or maybe even hamburgers.
For me, comfort food means a dish that simmers on the stove for many hours, or a recipe that includes mashed potatoes and gravy. Something that is warm, creamy, and possibly that involves egg noodles.
It might also be a food to eat when we are sick with a cold or flu. And certainly, it includes hearty breads and delicious desserts–maybe those that involve chocolate.
Comfort Food Menu Ideas – Main Dishes
Beef Dishes
Lets begin with my favorite beef dishes. This might be a beef roast or simply ground beef, but always slow cooked or roasted. Simple, savory, and so good.
Roast Beef and Noodles is a favorite dish I like to make in the fall and winter. There are few things better than to walk in from the cold to the savory scent of roast beef cooking on the stove.
You can’t get more down-home cooking than Chicken Fried Steak. Perfect for hearty, Meat-and-Potato food lovers. Comfort food deluxe!
Here’s my take on Ragu Bolognese with Homemade Pappardelle. This dish simmers on the stove for hours, cooking down to a dense, flavor intense sauce, that’s simply wonderful. Comfort Food, Italian-style.
The secret to making a Savory Pot Roast with Vegetables is searing in the juices at the very beginning. Once that’s done, let is simmer slowly on the stove. Then use the yummy juices to season the vegetables for roasting in the oven. So good.
This easy Salisbury Steak and Gravy recipe is a wonderful meal to serve your family when you’re in need of some quick comfort food.
Here’s a good old-fashioned recipe for Sunday Meatloaf, with saltine crackers to make it moist and a catsup glaze that is probably my favorite part.
I made Swiss Steak for the first time in my first year of marriage. As I’ve mentioned before, my husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. So, as a new bride, I was always looking for recipes to make him smile.
Chicken Dishes
Next we’ll turn to some of my favorite chicken dishes. This could be a whole chicken, chicken thighs or maybe chicken breasts. Again, these are slow cooked and served with potatoes or other vegetables. Yum!
I enjoy making Chicken Pot Pie during cooler weather. Our family loves it. Perfect Comfort Food. Tender, flaky crust. Juicy chunks of chicken. Potatoes, carrots, and peas in a succulent gravy. So good.
Serve Chicken and Noodles over Mashed Potatoes when you’re in need of comfort. Serious. Comfort. Food.
Some nights I just want something creamy and easy for supper. This Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe hits the spot with butter, garlic, and heavy cream, plus Parmesan cheese. So, yummy. And perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole is a simple recipe to make for your family when you’re craving some comfort food. Our youngest grandson really likes this dish, as I’m sure our other grandchildren would, too.
Comfort Food when We’re Sick
It must be said that when we’re sick with a cold or flu, we are certainly in need of comfort food. Chicken and a nice broth with noodles or rice will certainly do the job.
Serve Chicken Soup with Wild Rice when you’re craving a hot bowl of rich, brothy soup. Slow-cooked on the stove in a homemade broth that is so delicious, it is sure to heal whatever is aching you.
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup is the perfect recipe when you need an easy, yet comforting meal. It’s my go-to recipe when one of my loved ones gets sick. A soup with hot herbal chicken broth, flavored with celery, carrots, peas and onion and made easy with my favorite Amish egg noodles.
Chicken and Dumplings make perfect Weeknight Comfort Food. On a Deluxe level! Serve this recipe to your family on a cold winter night. This soup simply translates into all things comfort. Creamy sauce. Homemade dumplings. Juicy chicken pieces. Tender vegetables. Yum!
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is wonderfully delicious and easy to make on a cold winter night. Perfect for weeknight dinners, when you don’t feel like doing much in the kitchen but want something hot and soothing. You can make it from start to finish in less than 50 minutes.
Vegetable Beef Soup is a family favorite at our house every fall and winter. Featuring chuck roast slow braised with herbs and spices, chunks of carrots, potatoes, peas, and tomatoes in a flavorful beef broth. It’s so delicious and hits the spot after a long, cold day.
Comfort Food – Bread
Harvest Grain Sandwich Loaf uses Harvest Grains Blend which I love to add to whole wheat bread recipes. It stays soft and makes perfect breakfast toast or sandwich bread.
Oat Rolls are one of our family favorites! They are easy to make and so delicious. Soft, tender, with oatmeal goodness that turns it into a slightly sweet, hearty bread.
We love this Tangy Sourdough Bread and make it every week! It makes two loaves, so I’ll either freeze one for later in the week or take it to our weekly potluck at church, or give a loaf to family or friends.
These Cinnamon Rolls are so delightful, I’m sure you will enjoy them and make them time-and-time again. Pillowy-soft dough that practically melts in your mouth. Cream Cheese Icing. Filled with buttery brown sugar and cinnamon. Pecans and Raisins.
Comfort Food – Desserts
Coconut Cream Pie is my husband’s favorite pie. A delicious vanilla pudding flavored with sweetened coconut flakes and topped with a fluffy, light-as-clouds meringue. I like making this pie from fall to spring, as it just goes perfectly with other comfort food recipes.
This Chocolate Applesauce Cake recipe comes from my Grandma Swiler, and is a family favorite.
Every now and then, I get a hankering for a Moist Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting. Here’s one you can make homemade from scratch. And homemade is always better!
Make this delicious Vanilla Pound Cake recipe this winter. The sugar topping sends this cake right over the top!
See more Main Dishes Here. Browse Soup Recipes Here. View my Bread Recipes Here. Browse Desserts Here.
It all looks so delicious! Comfort food for sure!
Thanks Angelyn. 🙂