Dig into your favorite meals fast with our quick comfort food recipes. These dishes have rich, hearty flavors, but require you to spend surprisingly little time waiting for them to finish up on the stovetop or in the oven.
We used some of our favorite culinary tricks to streamline classic recipes like mac and cheese, chicken pot pie, and chili, speeding things up without sacrificing flavor. We also created some new favorites with fast-cooking proteins like chicken cutlets and skirt steak. Also, look out for plant-based ideas for quick and easy comfort food recipes you'll want to add to your regular weeknight dinner rotation.
Baked Broccoli-and-Artichoke Shells
A weeknight-friendly pasta bake that's ready in 45 minutes? Sign us up! This soon-to-be family favorite dish combines a creamy cheddar cheese sauce and smoky bacon with nutritious broccoli under a blanket of Parmesan breadcrumbs.
Crispy Lemon-Parmesan Eggplant
After you taste this irresistibly quick and easy riff on eggplant parm, you won't go back to the baked version. Long slices of eggplant are broiled until tender and golden, then topped with a zesty panko breadcrumb mixture. It's ready in 30 minutes—and you can make a simple side salad in the time the dish takes to broil.
Chipotle Chicken and White-Bean Soup
It's so cozy and satisfying, you'd never guess this chicken soup takes just 35 minutes to make. Using chicken thighs and canned beans means it comes together fast. It's a quick comfort food dinner we rely on throughout the winter.
Broccoli-and-Chickpea Parmesan
Here's a one-pan dinner that's one of our favorite quick comfort foods. This hearty vegetarian meal is on the table in 45 minutes. Chickpeas, marinara sauce, and mozzarella are topped with wedges of roasted broccoli florets tossed in a crunchy Parmesan-and-panko blend.
Pork-Meatball Skillet Bake
Three-ingredient meatballs are simmered in a sweet pepper-studded tomato sauce for this one-pan dinner. Add slices of toasted Italian bread and top everything with mozzarella before giving the dish a quick blast under the broiler.
Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms with Egg Noodles
Here's a one-skillet dinner that takes just 35 minutes. What makes it so special? The creamy sauce made with mustard, broth, and cream cheese which coats the chicken breasts and egg noodles.
Cheater's Mac and Cheese
When you need a meal that soothes as much as it satisfies, turn to this 20-minute mac-and-cheese. Pasta and broccoli are cooked in the same pot, then drained and stirred together with reserved pasta water, cream cheese, butter, and Parmesan for the easiest sauce ever. We think you'll be making this genius dish on the regular.
30-Minute Chili
Some chili builds flavor and texture by simmering for hours. Other recipes, like this 30-minute version, use key ingredients such as beer and canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce to build it fast. Customize each bowl with your favorite garnishes—cheese, sour cream, green onion, and bacon are all good choices.
Chicken Zoodle Soup
Chicken soup truly does warm the soul, and this fast take on noodle soup is warming and healthy thanks to quick-cooking zucchini noodles. Most grocery stores sell pre-cut zoodles in the vegetable department or freezer section.
Beef and Cheddar Hand Pies
The comfort of a burger is brought to you in the form of these cheeseburger-esque hand pies, which are wrapped in a buttery, flaky golden crust made with store-bought puff pastry. Dip them in ketchup and mustard or enjoy them as is.
Tuna Casserole
Synonymous with comfort food, casseroles have been warming us from the inside out for decades. This weeknight version cooks in just 20 minutes and is a little healthier than the classic thanks to a sneaky add in—cauliflower—which pairs perfectly with the rest of this cheesy bake.
Brothy Orzo and Pork Meatballs
If you've got one pot and 35 minutes, this comforting combo can be dinner. Make the meatballs, start cooking the orzo, add the meatballs to the pot and six or seven minutes later, you'll be stirring in some lemon juice; then serving with a drizzle of oil, Parmesan, pepper, dill, and lemon wedges.
Test Kitchen's Favorite Mac and Cheese
Our food editors' favorite macaroni and cheese is better than store-bought. It's richer, creamier, and made with ingredients you can pronounce. Best of all, this recipe is almost as quick as the boxed variety—it will get you from stovetop to table in just about 30 minutes.
Quick Fried Chicken and Waffles
Two classic comfort foods—fried chicken and waffles—are even more delicious when you enjoy them together. Serve with maple syrup and tabasco sauce for a sweet-savory finish.
Lentil Soup with Crispy Kale
Hearty soups really hit home on the coldest winter nights—and lentils cook quickly and add heft. Shiitake mushrooms bring rich flavor and kale crisps make a surprising crunchy topping.
Classic Burger-Joint Cheeseburger
Why go to the drive-in when you can make an even better burger at home? One of our secrets is slathering the buns with our secret crisping agent—mayonnaise—before toasting them. As the finishing touch, we use the best melting cheese: American.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Spinach and Artichokes
Reinvent everyone's favorite dip as dinner by adding in quick-cooking chicken cutlets. This quick comfort food dinner is sure to become a family favorite.
Orange Pork Watercress Rice
The quick marmalade sauce for this pork entrée mimics the flavors we all love from Chinese takeout and gets dinner on the table faster than ordering in. The sauce works well with chicken, beef, or shrimp, too.
Green Chicken Enchilada Pies
Tuck into these individual enchilada pies in just 30 minutes. Use your favorite store-bought salsa for this recipe.
Taco Casserole
Forget warming and filling individual tortillas; scoop your taco filling into this nacho-topped casserole instead. Arrange condiments on the side so everyone can top their portion just how they like.
Individual Chicken Potpies
Lots of time and love goes into a traditional chicken pot pie. We found a way to cut down on the time and build flavor fast by making individual ones. Note that this recipe serves two, but it can easily be doubled for four.
Test Kitchen's Favorite Grilled Cheese
If getting dinner on the table fast is important to you, you'll be pleased to know that gooey grilled cheese sandwiches are the winner for fastest comfort food. This recipe spreads butter and mayonnaise on the bread, which makes for the crispiest crust and softest interior. For extra comfort, dip your grilled cheese into our Test Kitchen's Favorite Tomato Soup. It can be prepared while the sandwiches grill.
Grilled Shrimp and Grits with Chorizo and Salsa de Arbol
Take a southern classic—shrimp and grits—south of the border by adding in flavorful chorizo and salsa. Any store-bought salsa can be subbed for the homemade one to speed things up another notch.
Chicken Parmesan
Our fastest chicken Parmesan recipe uses thin chicken cutlets and the broiler to speed up cooking time and get dinner on the table fast. To make things even easier, you can bread the cutlets used in this recipe and freeze them. All you have to do is bake, top, and broil anytime you're craving this dish.
Beef Goulash with Potatoes
Hearty stews are one of the ultimate comfort foods, but they are often overlooked as a weeknight option because they take a while to cook. This stew is ready in just about the time it takes to boil potatoes. How do we manage that? By using a quicker-cooking cut of beef—skirt steak.
