Food Equivalent to a Big, Warm Hug

In all its forms, food can be a real comfort—and these recipes are teeming with it. They're also laden with chocolate, oozing with cheese, and just generally lip-smacking.

If there's one thing we can all agree on, it's that food is universal. A particular dish can evoke a childhood memory, firing up the oven can unite family and friends, and stumbling upon a new favorite recipe can turn a bad day into a better one. In all its forms, food can be a real comfort—and these recipes are teeming with it. They're also laden with chocolate, oozing with cheese, and just generally lip-smacking and satisfying. Keep on them on hand for whenever the need arises, whether that's on a Thursday that feels like a Monday, a special occasion that's heavy with emotions, or a long weekend that you plan on spending snuggled under the comforter.

1. Gnocchi Pesto Carbonara

Chances are you already have all six ingredients well within reach to make this soul-satisfying pasta dish. A package of store-bought potato gnocchi and jar of basil pesto help cut down on dishes and prep time, leaving you the rest of the evening to savor every forkful of creamy, velvety comfort.

2. Homemade Brioche Donuts

A dozen homemade donuts may not make the world a brighter place, but they are guaranteed to sweeten up any sour morning. This step-by-step recipe gently guides you through mixing the sticky brioche dough, then frying and finishing each golden ring of joy with your favorite jam filling.

3. Egg and Kimchi Breakfast Quesadillas

If you typically turn to cheesy recipes in times of transition or stress, consider changing things up in the morning with a touch of tangy kimchi. These quesadillas are stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs and as much melty cheese as you can manage, delivering a protein-packed breakfast before the day begins.

4. Churro French Toast

This riff on the popular street food will make you wonder why you haven't been coating your French toast in cinnamon sugar all along. Like the best sweet comfort foods, it tastes like dessert masquerading as breakfast—and there are no complaints here!

5. Loaded Breakfast Egg Rolls

At the intersection of breakfast and comfort food, you'll find these loaded breakfast egg rolls, each stuffed with spiced sausage, shredded potato, scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar, and avocado. Clearly, the intersection of breakfast and comfort food is a great place to be (especially when there's bacon involved).

6. Biscuit, Bacon, and Egg Sandwich

The buttery biscuits in this recipe come dangerously close to maximum flakiness, making them the perfect little vessels for creamy folded eggs, sharp cheddar, and crispy bacon. That breakfast sandwich you've been stopping for on the way to work has nothing on its homemade counterpart.

7. Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles are a quintessential Mexican comfort food with peaks and valleys of warm, spicy red chili sauce and crispy tortilla chips. Top them with a fried egg and a few crumbles of queso fresco for a movie night snack that'll make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

8. Egg Salad Rolls

The simple dishes you grow up with have a tendency to turn nostalgic over time. For a lot of people, deli-style egg salad is one of those meals. This version is served on buttery brioche rolls with a side of sweet memories.

9. Skillet Monte Cristo Sandwich

One sandwich rules the roost when it comes to comfort food: the Monte Cristo. Inspired by Parisian café offerings, this Gruyere, smoked ham, brioche, and Dijon mustard combination is dunked in an eggy batter and skillet fried in butter, then showered in powdered sugar and served with raspberry preserves on the side. Needless to say, it's pure comfort with a touch of sweet and a whole lot of savory.

10. Tortilla de Patatas

Spain has comfort food down to a T. More specifically, tortilla de patatas. This traditional dish can be served virtually any time of day, and it will always have the same comforting effect. After all, you can do no wrong with potatoes, onions, eggs, and nearly half a cup of olive oil.

11. Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Cookies with Sea Salt

When chocolate chip cookies aren't cutting it, make these instead, if only for the molten hot caramel center. Bonus points if you make an extra batch to keep in the freezer for when you need your chocolate and flaky sea salt fix.

12. Pasta Carbonara

Pasta is the ultimate comfort food, and carbonara takes it to another level. And if you're sharing with a loved one, nothing satisfies the soul like a salty, savory, yolky bowl of spaghetti made with love.

13. Huevos Ahogados (Eggs Drowned in Salsa)

Eggs poached in warm, simmering sauce is a tale as old as time. Take huevos ahogados, for example: runny yolks spilling into a salsa of smoky guajillo chiles and chili de arbol just makes sense. It's no wonder why this Mexican dish is warming hearts all over the country.

14. Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

Cream cheese is the secret to this bursting-at-the-seams French toast—and lots of it! The end result is a warm, gooey filling studded with fresh blueberries and sandwiched between crispy, cinnamony slices of bread. What's more comforting than that?

15. Sundubu Jjigae (Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew)

You're looking at the epitome of comfort food: sundubu jjiage, a spicy Korean stew with soft, fall-apart tofu, pork, and seafood in a gochugaru broth. Best served boiling hot with an egg yolk nestled on top.

16. Root Vegetable Pancakes

These latke-esque root vegetable pancakes exude comfort food. They're crispy, starchy, filling, and begging to be dipped in ketchup or apple sauce. You can have a plateful in front of you in just 20 minutes, so this is the perfect anytime snack or side dish.

17. Grilled Pesto Flatbread with Pancetta and Eggs

The only thing that could make pizza better is pesto, pancetta, and a few runny egg yolks. Enter this grilled flatbread: it's your favorite cheesy comfort food with a few delicious edits.