Just 26 Comfort Food Recipes You Can Make Right Now

Every now and then, you just need a good meal.

Food is good for the soul, and even something as simple as a meal can go a long way. If you're looking for a recipe to make tonight, look no further than these comfort food dishes.

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1. Spaghetti Carbonara With Peas

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Name a pasta more indulgent, comforting, and straight-up delicious than the Roman classic carbonara. We'll wait... Get the recipe for spaghetti carbonara with peas here.

2. Fajita-Style Chicken Quesadillas

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If you don't have chicken, you can whip up these quesadillas with any protein, from shrimp to skirt steak. Use burrito-size flour tortillas for the best results. Get the recipe for fajita-style chicken quesadillas here.

3. Loaded Vegetable Lo Mein

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Start with whatever vegetables you have in your fridge or freezer and turn them into this Chinese-style noodle dish, tossed in soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and cayenne pepper. If you want to make it more filling, add your favorite protein. Get the recipe for loaded vegetable lo mein here.

4. Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

Life In the Lofthouse / Via life-in-the-lofthouse.com

Somewhere between a casserole and mac 'n' cheese, you'll find this cheesy and decadent pasta bake that gets a flavor kick from tangy ranch sauce and seasoning. Get the recipe for chicken ranch pasta bake here.

5. One-Pot Beef Stroganoff

Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net

This beef stroganoff is packed with flavor thanks to a gravy made with flour, butter, white wine, beef stock, and Dijon mustard. Get the recipe for one-pot beef stroganoff here.

6. One-Pan Creamy Gnocchi With Sausage

Salt and Lavender / Via saltandlavender.com

This true 30-minute meal requires just a few ingredients, like store-bought gnocchi, Italian sausage, cream, white wine, and Parmesan. Get the recipe for one-pan creamy gnocchi with sausage here.

7. Chicken Pot Pie Casserole With Cheddar Biscuit Topping

The Salty Marshmallow / Via thesaltymarshmallow.com

With creamy chicken and vegetables on the bottom and a cheesy biscuit crust on top, you'll want to make enough of this crowd-pleasing dish to have leftovers. Get the recipe for chicken pot pie casserole with cheddar biscuit topping here.

8. Easy Sesame Chicken

Dinner Then Dessert / Via dinnerthendessert.com

This crispy homemade dish just might taste better than the takeout version, but you'll have to try it to find out. Get the recipe for easy sesame chicken here.

9. Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

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This recipe combines everything you love about classic lasagna in cozy soup form, and what's not to like about that? Get the recipe for Instant Pot lasagna soup here.

10. Creamy Mushroom Risotto

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You can use any mushrooms to make this decadent risotto, but we get the best result from using a big mix of baby bellas, cremini, shiitakes, and oyster mushrooms. Get the recipe for creamy mushroom risotto here.

11. One-Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo

Jo Cooks / Via jocooks.com

Spice up your orzo with whatever taco ingredients you have on hand, from ground beef and shredded Jack cheese to olives and cilantro. Get the recipe for one-pot cheesy taco orzo here.

12. Lasagna-Stuffed Chicken

The Little Pine / Via thelittlepine.com

Another take on lasagna, this chicken breast is loaded with marinara sauce and a cheesy filling made of ricotta, mozzarella, egg, and spices. Get the recipe for lasagna-stuffed chicken here.

13. Short Rib Ragù

Girl Gone Gourmet / Via girlgonegourmet.com

These restaurant-quality short ribs don't require much effort, but you'll need a bit of patience to allow them to slow-cook. Set aside about three hours for them to simmer, but you can make a big batch and freeze the leftovers for future meals. Get the recipe for short rib ragù here.

14. Bacon Ramen

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Start with instant ramen and add bacon, soft-boiled egg, scallions, and sesame seeds for an easy meal that warms the heart and soul. Get the recipe for bacon ramen here.

15. Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Life Made Simple Bakes / Via lifemadesimplebakes.com

Crispy dough topped with a creamy, cheesy spinach and artichoke sauce, this finger food is the ultimate feel-good dinner. Get the recipe for spinach artichoke pizza here.

16. Sun-Dried Tomato and Ricotta Turkey Meatballs

Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com

You can make these meatballs with whatever ground meat you have, but adding ricotta makes them delightfully light and fluffy. Serve over orzo, pasta, rice, or whatever grain you like best. Get the recipe for sun-dried tomato and ricotta turkey meatballs here.

17. Sausage Pancakes With Fried Egg

The Pastiche / Via thepastiche.com

The best thing about savory flapjacks is that they're perfectly appropriate for breakfast or dinner. Get the recipe for sausage pancakes with fried egg here.

18. Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers

The Cookie Rookie / Via thecookierookie.com

Sometimes when you're feeling down, you just crave the foods from your childhood to provide a sense of comfort. These homemade chicken fingers are baked rather than fried, but they're still super crispy on the outside and moist when you take a bite. Get the recipe for crispy baked chicken fingers here.

19. Slow Cooker Carnitas

A Spicy Perspective / Via aspicyperspective.com

These melt-in-your-mouth, crispy carnitas come together in the slow cooker, which means there's very little active cooking involved. Serve them in tortillas, in a burrito bowl, or on top of a heaping pile pf nachos. Get the recipe for slow cooker carnitas here.

20. Yellow Thai-Inspired Chicken Coconut Curry

Averie Cooks / Via averiecooks.com

You can swap the chicken for any protein, or you can make this curry totally meatless with tofu or loads of fresh veggies. Get the recipe for yellow Thai-inspired chicken coconut curry here.

21. Creamy Baked Mac 'n' Cheese With Panko Crumb Topping

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Before you reach for the boxed stuff, stop and remind yourself that there is nothing — and we mean nothing — like a bowl of homemade, decadent mac 'n' cheese. Get the recipe for baked mac 'n' cheese with panko crumb topping here.

22. One-Pan Baked Tortellini

Girl Gone Gourmet / Via girlgonegourmet.com

How do you make cheese-filled tortellini taste even better? Bake it underneath a heaping layer of more melted cheese, of course. Get the recipe for one-pan baked tortellini here.

23. Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice

Skinny Taste / Via skinnytaste.com

This fried rice has a nice kick, thanks to shrimp that is seasoned with cayenne pepper, chili powder, and paprika. If you're not a fan of seafood, try it with chicken, beef, or bacon. Get the recipe for spicy shrimp fried rice here.

24. Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Buns In My Oven / Via bunsinmyoven.com

These ribs are rubbed with paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder, then cooked in the slow cooker until extremely tender. Just before serving, brush them in barbecue sauce and broil them so the exterior gets nice and crispy. Get the recipe for slow cooker BBQ ribs here.

25. Tater Tot Casserole

If a taco, a cheeseburger, and tater tots had a baby, it would be this ultimate comforting dish. Get the recipe for tater tot casserole here.

26. Cheesy Italian Chicken Sliders

Weary Chef / Via wearychef.com

How do you make chicken Parm even more indulgent? Bake it in dinner rolls with some Italian seasoning, olive oil, and even more mozzarella. Get the recipe for cheesy Italian chicken sliders here.