Spaghetti with or without meat of any kind and even with sauce other than tomato based always makes me happy.

Comfort foods, to me, are the dishes I grew up eating, prepared like my mother did. It was meat and potato fare- like meatloaf and scalloped potatoes, pork roast and applesauce, spaghetti with red meat sauce, pot roast, homemade mac and cheese. I don't make any of those dishes any more, but those are still the dishes that mean comfort food to me.

Sushi. Period. Anytime I need comfort food, I go out for sushi.

Anything chocolate, but especially pudding-y textures like custard, yoghurt, mousse, cornstarch pudding etc; baked custard and sweet weak black tea (mom always gave us these when we were sick).

I can't think of any one food or group of foods that I personally consider comfort food. Perhaps the atmosphere in which I'm eating is more important to me, but IDK, really.

Does Diet Pepsi count? I drink it daily, and a lot of it daily, but if I'm feeling frazzled I'll reach for an extra one later in the afternoon. (As far as I'm concerned, if it doesn't count as a food, it should :0p )

chicken and noodles, pot pie, pot roast, ham and beans, goulash, fish and chips.

Several dishes from my childhood I consider my comfort foods - mashed potatoes and gravy, roast beef and yorkshire pudding, a couple of favorite casseroles, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Don't really care if highly processed or not (most are not) but these do bring me joy.

I would also include French dip sandwiches and French fries - they are a go-to fast comfort food fix for me. 😉

Although my mother wasn't a very good cook, in my mind, comfort food has to do with memories of "what mother use to cook for the family." More often than not, a meat and potato thing, or a casserole of some kind. Heavy, more than light, stick to your ribs and all that. Hidden between the lines, though, is that mothers in the "good old days" stayed home and had time to cook this stuff. Those days are sure the heck gone. And the two lousy days off are spent running around, shopping, and doing chores. I doubt that the kids of today even have the mental picture of mom (in a dress and heels) pulling a piping hot roast beef and potatoes dish out of the oven at all.. I don't know.

I’m a real meat and potatoes fan. Always happy with anything involving them. Last night we grilled a piece of London Broil (top round) served with twice-baked potatoes. Tasty! Also love things like pot roast or stew.

Porkchop, perhaps your screenname counts more as the "food" part of comfort food, but since you ingest it to give you comfort, I don't see why you shouldn't count it. I used to literally use iced caffeine-free Diet Coke to work like a cold compress in my throat, especially around the ears, but I've switched to hop water. All the cold bubbles and more, none of the chemicals (well, citric acid, but that's culinary, not science lab). Soooo soothing! And it counts as a treat, too, if I'm looking for one, so I get it, about the soda. Though I suspect from your timing that you're also enjoying the caffeine (which counts, given that it comes from beans and leaves).

Thank you all for confirming my thought that real comfort food is about the emotional warmth rather than gooeiness! When I was thinking about this, my first thought for myself wasn't the gooey bagel (I guess my version of grilled cheese though not grilled). I was thinking of my mother's stew and couldn't decide lamb or beef. :) I can make it right, but I rarely do. Having to give persnickety directions to the butcher or cut it myself strains the comfortness, though it's still good eating. And nutritious. ;)

I used to drink a lot of water, eat a ton of greens....I felt "light". Then I'd eat a one pound T-bone steak, heavy-rich...full of flavor and filling! That to me was comfort food. I've tried to reach a happy medium in my eating habits. A chicken breast with broccoli smothered in Alfredo sauce is my NEW comfort food.....it's "rich" and "filling"....satisfying....water to drink. :0)

Comfort food = cancer on a plater.

Deep smoked ribs for me. :-)

dcarch

Comfort food is usually winter food. Hearty soups, casseroles (which I don't eat much anymore, due to trying to stay lowish carbs), a roast, a roasted chicken.

Comfort food for me usually involves overdoing carbs, but a bowl of chicken soup works, too, sometimes. I don't have fond childhood food memories. My mother was an unimaginative and poor cook.

It's so hard to choose but , lasagna ! (esp if it has spinach so I can call it healthy :))

Mexican food is a long-time favorite, can't resist the rice and beans, chile rellenos, enchiladas, the works ! I can cook chile rellenos decently .

And all of the usual suspects, chicken pot pie, beef stew, pork roast, on and on !

I'm a lover of a good tuna melt too.

First and foremost....SOUP! My favorite is chicken noodle, but so many others will do it for me.

Second, I love stews and casseroles. I don't make them often, as I'm the only one that enjoys them.

We were eating breakfast out yesterday and the couple in the next booth asked the waitress about their special of the day. Her reply was a " meatloaf on a bed of mashed potatoes topped with brown gravy" and I was tempted to take home a meal. It just sounded so comforting to me.

For me, comfort food is something you have when you need comforting, i.e. when you're not feeling very well. Mum used to give us soft boiled eggs and toast soldiers so that's comfort food for me.

A hot shredded wheat biscuit (put on a slotted spoon and dip in boiling water for a second, to soften) pats of butter, top with an over easy egg. Salt. Still my comfort food when I don't feel good!

I think my idea of comfort food changes based on season mood or whim.

I went to the Farmers Market on Saturday. There were bunches of baby beets with greens. I sauteed them with lots of garlic and lemon. This time of year specifically greens are a comfort food. In fall I start wanting heavier foods.

I find soups to be a comfort food. Lately I have been missing New Jersey diner soups - chicken soup generally and matzoh ball in particular. Here in Maine I find most restaurant soups to be made creamy and thickened. Not bad but not what I have been craving. Also the hot and sour soup that I would dash across Montreal to get after the library closed in my college era.

My hamburger stuff. Dad called it "goulash".

Hamburger Macaroni

1 pound ground round

1 small onion chopped

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 stalk of celery chopped

1\4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 15oz can tomato sauce

1 14.5 can petite diced tomatoes

1 1\2 cups chicken broth

8 oz (2cups) elbow macaroni

Brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Add rest of ingredients. Cover and cook on low until pasta is done, stir often.

"Comfort food" is a very subjective and personalized term :-)) In my personal view, I don't think it needs to be seasonal, nutritionally poor, greasy, fatty or high calorie. All I require for something to qualify as comfort food is for it to satisfy an urge, taste good and make me feel comforted. That might involve evoking a sense of nostalgia or a happy memory, feature an ingredient I have an association with or that is prepared in a specific (and expected) way.

But I would never consider someone else's choices of comfort food to be wrong - everyone has their own opinion.