Top 10 Homemade Comfort Foods

Top 10 Homemade Comfort Foods

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Top 10 Ready-Made Comfort Foods

Everybody needs an escape. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 home-made comfort foods. While it’s easy to go out and buy something to eat, there’s something undeniably comforting about food that comes from the familiar territory of your own kitchen. Be it sweet or savory, it’s all fantastic, and it’s all sure to leave us feeling satisfied, nostalgic and reminded of a simpler time.

#10: Hamburgers / Cheeseburgers

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The American staple! Like the hot dog, a good burger conjures up images of roller skating carhops, dangerous hot-rods, and hot summer nights cruising the main drag. It may even remind you of the good old days when your dad would grill up a juicy patty at the summer cookout. The simple beef hamburger has undergone constant reinvention, but whether topped with gourmet ingredients or good old cheese, pickles and ketchup, whether fast food or slow grilled, it’s versatile, portable, and will never go out of style.

A weekend favorite. And what’s not to like? From the smell to the light, fluffy texture, pancakes are the meal-of-choice for a breakfast-in-bed. Popular around the world in different forms, with kids and adults alike, griddlecakes are great topped with berries or whipped cream, as thin crepes or thicker flapjacks, and slathered in syrup. There’s no better way to start your day than waking up at the crack of dawn, eating a few stacks of pancakes, and then sleeping for another six hours.

Every grandma has a meatloaf recipe they’re positive is the best – and chances are, you agree. A mixture of ground meat and spices – often with a sweet sauce and some bread crumbs thrown in – this loaf-shaped meal is the perfect dish to dig into on a blustery winter’s eve. With its origins dating to the 5th century, meatloaf gained popularity during the Great Depression as a way to stretch the meat budget. But that’s not why we eat it now, and it’s certainly not why we go back for seconds, thirds, and possibly fourths if nobody’s looking.

Ah, the humble potato. This deceptively simple and inexpensive starch can be prepared countless ways: baked or stuffed, fries or chips, roasted or scalloped, salad or tots. But the tastiest tuber may be the almighty mashed potato – available in pretty much any diner and restaurant you’ll ever find. Everyone uses a different recipe for their mash – some with cream, some with garlic, some smooth, some with lumps – but whatever the style, it’s like a warm carb-loaded culinary blanket. And unlike real blankets, these go great with gravy.

Where would Italian cuisine be without nummy noodles? Arguably one of the most versatile foods out there, pasta is yours to customize and place your own culinary stamp on. Fresh or dried, long or short, fettuccini or rigatoni, it’s all delicious and full of comforting carbs – and the potential preparations are even more miscellaneous. Dig into lasagna, cut into carbonara or serve up spaghetti and meatballs just like nonna used to make. All you gotta do is boil some noodles, whip up some sauce, bake some garlic bread and you’ll feel the comfort of fullness in no time.

#5: Bacon

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Bacon. Need we say more? You can eat it beside eggs, throw it in a sandwich or cover it in chocolate and it’s just as pork-tastic. Sure it’s unhealthy, but what’s a little heart disease compared to savory, crispy slices of perfectly fried bacon? Cured pork cut thin or thick, this meat can perk up any meal or make any dish a winner with its salty flavor. That’s probably why “bacon mania” has gripped the internet – and the world – leading to bacon-covered and bacon-flavored everything. All we can say is: bring it on.

Few things are simpler or more satisfying than the grilled cheese sandwich. Bread + cheese + more bread = snack time nirvana. Take mealtime from drab to fab with some Swiss on rye – and throw in ham for the iconic deli taste. French bread and camembert add a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to déjeuner. Or go traditional with Wonder Bread and American cheese. Add a bowl of tomato soup, and you’ve got yourself a meal. Another dish made popular during the Depression, grilled cheese has come a long way since then.

The only way we know how to improve upon our number seven pick – the mouthwatering mashed potato – is to add meat and some select veggies to make a casserole fit for a king. Originally conceived as a way to use up leftover meat, Shepherd’s or Cottage Pie is traditional Irish or English recipe that’s passed down from generation to generation. Made with lamb or mutton in its native homeland, or often beef in North America, in the end it’s all the same glorious concoction – simple, hot and filling.

#2: Chicken Soup

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What snack sparks a more sentimental spirit than soup? Whether with noodles or without, chicken soup is a classic dish that’ll warm anyone on a cold day with its clear broth, chicken chunks and veggies. But more than that, this delicious dish has earned a rep as a healing elixir. Sick with a cold or flu? Boil up some chicken soup and let it work its mojo. Sure, the health hype surrounding the soup could be no more than an old-fashioned folk tale, but it sure tastes better than cough syrup, and leaves you cozy and content. Before we dig in to our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions: - Tacos - Pie - Chili - Cupcakes - Chicken Pot Pie

Y’gotta love mac and cheese! It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic comfort food: it’s easy to make, it leaves you feeling nostalgic for days gone by and it’s got tons o’ carbs. Originating as far back as the 14th century, you can bake it up traditionally as a casserole with multiple cheeses and a bread crumb crust, or just pour the ingredients out of a box and into a sauce pan. Pasta drenched in a savory cheese like cheddar, gruyere, Gouda, parmesan or – better yet – Velveeta, mac and cheese is the kinda dish that’ll make any day better. Do you agree with our list? Which of these foods do you turn to for comfort and deliciousness? For more tasty top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.