Whatever the weather, winter is the time to hunker down, get comfortable, and cook what you love—for yourself and your gang. And whether your idea of real comfort food is a fragrant beef stew or pot pie, a creamy risotto, or a warm pudding, the classics here are the perfect way to get and give comfort.

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Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is the best kind of comfort food: sweet, rich, seductive, and easy to make. This vanilla-studded dessert is perfect with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
 

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Classic Chicken Pot Pie

This is the definitive pot pie recipe: a creamy chicken stew loaded with onions, peas, mushrooms, and carrots, and baked under a rich, flaky crust. It's comfort in a bowl.
 

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Just-Like-Mom’s Meatloaf

Some comfort foods never go out of style, and meatloaf is one of them. This classic is made with beef, veal and pork. Serve it with a velvety mushroom gravy.
 

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Chicken Noodle Soup

When you are looking for a straight-ahead chicken noodle soup, this recipe fits the bill beautifully. Light and soothing, it will please just about everybody.

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Warm Maple and Cinnamon Bread Pudding

Take the flavors of a coffee cake, apply them to a bread pudding, and you get this warming custard, reminiscent of French toast.
 

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Slow-Cooked Pot Roast

The smell of this homey pot roast alone is enough to bring comfort. A Sunday supper classic, this roast can be made in a slow cooker or a heavy Dutch oven.   

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Tender Lamb Meatballs

For some, there’s no more comforting dish than lamb. These meatballs are light in texture but very deep in flavor, and the tangy tomato sauce is savory and rich.
 

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Chicken and Dumplings

Traditionally, chicken and dumplings is like a thick, creamy chicken soup with a layer of doughy dumplings that steam right on top of the simmering soup. The dumplings here are layered with butter and leavened with baking powder, making them more like biscuits.
 

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

The Brits certainly know their comfort food. This sponge cake is fragrant with caramel and vanilla, richly studded with squidgy dates, and oozing with a creamy toffee sauce.
 

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Classic Beef Stew

Few foods satisfy as completely as beef stew, and much like chicken soup, this dish, with its ample potatoes, carrots, and herbs has restorative powers
 

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Butternut Squash Risotto

Quick can be comforting, too. This full-bodied risotto, with crumbled bacon and flavor-boosting sage is creamy and satisfying without feeling heavy.
 

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Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake

Sometimes, a girl just needs chocolate. Other times, she needs triple chocolate. This favorite from Abby Dodge brings comfort for sure, along with euphoria, optimism, and the notion that there’s no problem chocolate can’t solve.
 

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Baked Mac & Cheese

A quintessential comfort food, this macaroni and cheese is loaded with super sharp Cheddar and mellow Monterey Jack.
 

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