Best Comfort Food Recipes

Ali Slagle’s recipe fuses French onion soup with macaroni and cheese — two comfort foods in one. Added bonus: Caramelizing two pounds of onions can be therapeutic.

On election night, Genevieve Ko, NYT Cooking’s senior editor, plans on making dishes that require a lot of finger-pinching work like dumplings and empanadas. “A fidget spinner for anxiety with dough,” she said. These gyoza, which Kiera Wright-Ruiz adapted from the chef Ivan Orkin, are a perfect project.

This Korean-American dish from Darun Kwak is made with canned corn, mayonnaise and mild shredded cheese, and can be a very easy side dish or appetizer.

Recipe: Korean Corn Cheese

Genevieve Ko transformed a classic treat into something spectacular by adding dark chocolate chunks, salty pretzels and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Wrap a few in foil and leave them on your neighbor’s doorstep.

Recipe: Rice Krispies Treats With Chocolate and Pretzels

Von Diaz’s arroz con pollo, or chicken with rice, takes a good two hours to come together, but it’s well worth it. Use boneless chicken thighs: Boneless breasts lack the same amount of fat and flavor, and they’re likely to dry out.

For this cozy soup, Ali Slagle cleverly uses sausage removed from the casing and pinches it into mini meatballs that season the broth as they cook. Use whatever vegetables or pasta you have on hand, but keep in mind that cook times may vary.

Recipe: Mini Meatball Soup With Broccoli and Orecchiette

If you or someone you know needs cheering up, make these tender, slightly tangy beauties that Margaux Laskey adapted from “American Girl Cookies” (Weldon Owen, 2018). Don’t overbake them, and be generous with sprinkles.

Recipe: Sugar Cookie Bars

Sam Sifton scored this recipe for tater tot casserole, known as “hot dish” in some parts, from Molly Yeh. She makes her own creamed soup, but you can use canned cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup in its place if you’d like.

Recipe: Tater Tot Casserole