50 Recipes That Taste Like Home
When it comes to ultimate comfort food, there's nothing like savoring those delicious recipes that taste like home. Now based on where you live or where you grew up, home-cooked meals can certainly look different for everyone. Which is why we rounded up some of the classic home-cooked meals that would be found in all kinds of households. From simple grilled cheese and tomato soup to falafel and even corned beef, here are some of our favorite recipes that always remind us of home.
Egg Sandwich with Pastrami and Swiss
Throwing an egg sandwich is certainly easy for any meal of the day, especially when mom is the one who is making it.
Get our recipe for an Egg Sandwich with Pastrami and Swiss.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is quintessential comfort food from home, especially when you're not feeling 100 percent. Plus, it's incredibly easy to throw together in your slow cooker.
Get our recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup.
Clam Chowder
For New Englanders, a bowl of creamy clam chowder will always remind them of the seashore. This hearty version will take you right back.
Get our recipe for Clam Chowder.
Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
It's a lighter version of the classic comfort dish you can eat again and again.
Get our recipe for Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs.
Pan Burger with Fried Egg
There's nothing quite like taking a bite out of a juicy burger, and while the idea of firing up the grill might seem daunting, you don't actually have to cook a burger that way. Instead, you can pan fry your patty for an easy way to satisfy your burger craving.
Get our recipe for Pan Burger with Fried Egg.
Corned Beef
Typically served with cabbage, this classic Irish dish is a staple around St. Patrick's Day—and delicious fried up with potatoes in a hash.
Get our recipe for Corned Beef.
Air Fryer Falafel
To serve, put on a salad or over chopped vegetables, or stuff inside a hot pita. When it comes to sauces and dips, falafel goes with everything from creamy, cool tzatziki to a spicy harissa dressing. Even aioli!
Get our recipe for Air Fryer Falafel.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Craving Indian food, but don't have any Indian take out places near you? Don't worry, you can make your own version of chicken tikka masala—thanks to your handy Instant Pot—right at home!
Get our recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala.
Pasta Fagioli
Pasta Fagioli is a combination of all the comfort foods you want in one dish—hearty beans, pasta, meat, all in a flavorful tomato sauce.
Get our recipe for Pasta Fagioli.
Mac and Cheese
Even if making mac and cheese from the box was your go-to at home, you can enjoy a homemade version of this dish with this easy-to-make recipe.
Get our recipe for Mac and Cheese.
Meatloaf
Whether you liked it or not, mom's meatloaf will always remind you of home. Whip up your own version with our easy recipe.
Get our recipe for Meatloaf.
Chili
Between the spicy tomato sauce and the hearty vegetables, what's not to love?
Get our recipe for Chili.
Pancakes
This recipe will take you back to lazy Saturday mornings flipping pancakes with mom, and drowning them later in lots of maple syrup.
Get our recipe for Pancakes.
Butter-Baked Salmon and Asparagus
Salmon may not seem like comfort food, but between the herb butter and the roasted asparagus, this dish will remind you of the days mom did try hard to get everyone to eat healthier.
Get our recipe for Butter-Baked Salmon and Asparagus.
Milkshakes
Ice cream was always the best treat at the end of the day, especially if mom blended it up to make milkshakes!
Get our recipe for Milkshakes.
Corn on the Cob
Eating corn straight from the cob is always a staple for summer nights at home, eating grilled meat and corn on the cob for dinner on the back deck.
Get our recipe for Corn on the Cob.
Salsa
Whether it's a family gathering or a huge party, mom always loved putting out chips and salsa. Who knew making homemade salsa was so easy?
Get our recipe for Salsa.
Crispy Cod with Sweet Potato Fries
Whether you made fish and chips at home, or just went out to enjoy them at a restaurant, this dish will take you back to simpler times where going to the fish fry was your big Friday night plan.
Get our recipe for Crispy Cod with Sweet Potato Fries.
Chicken Piccata
Even quick, easy dinners remind us of home, like a plate of lemony chicken piccata.
Get our recipe for Chicken Piccata.
Jambalaya
There's nothing like a steaming, spicy bowl of crock-pot jambalaya to warm you up! While you can make a faster jambalaya recipe, using a slow cooker helps to savor all of the flavors of the jambalaya.
Get our recipe for Jambalaya.
Beef Ragu
Ragu in a jar is one thing, but grandma's homemade beef ragu certainly beats it! Here's how to make your own version.
Get our recipe for Beef Ragu.
Classic Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Grilled cheese and tomato soup was an easy staple meal at home, so make your own homemade version of it with our recipe!
Get our recipe for Classic Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup.
Beef Tacos
Taco Tuesdays can be just as easy (and fun!) as they were at home with the family.
Get our recipe for Beef Tacos.
Turkey-Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
And if you're thinking of greasy diner food when hash comes to mind, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this healthy recipe.
Get our recipe for Turkey-Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash.
Grilled Banana Split
Homemade banana splits were easy to make with mom as a kid, so make your own "adult" version with this grilled banana split recipe!
Get our recipe for a Grilled Banana Split.
Fudgy Brownies
A pan of fudgy brownies certainly didn't last long at home, but boy, were they good. Make your own!
Get our recipe for Fudgy Brownies.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
The wonder of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies lies in the texture: a perfectly chewy interplay of butter-softened flour and baked oats, with a surprising jolt of chocolaty goodness.
Get our recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Beef Goulash
Any dish that is made in a slow cooker is one we fully support, and this beef goulash recipe will leave you with plenty of leftovers you can eat during the week. Go ahead—dig in!
Get our recipe for Beef Goulash.
Maple-Cashew-Apple Toast
Sometimes a simple slice of toast with nut butter tastes as good as home as any other home-cooked meal.
Get our recipe for Maple-Cashew-Apple Toast.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Whether it's for Thanksgiving or a simple weekend supper, mashed potatoes are always a comforting side to enjoy with dinner.
Get our recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
BBQ Pork Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Topping
As if shepherd's pie wasn't already delicious enough, this barbecue spin is the perfect twist to the classic dish.
Get our recipe for BBQ Pork Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Topping.
Herb Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables
This roast chicken recipe produces an incomparably moist bird, simple enough to make on a weeknight, but elegant enough to serve to guests. Just like the meals mom made when having people over for dinner!
Get our recipe for Herb Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables.
Apple-Sausage Stuffing
This recipe works equally well with garlic-rosemary roast beef, bourbon-glazed ham, or a roast chicken or giant Thanksgiving turkey.
Get our recipe for Apple-Sausage Stuffing.
Chicago Hot Dog
For anyone who once called the Windy City home, there's nothing like digging into a Chicago dog. No ketchup, obviously!
Get our recipe for a Chicago Hot Dog.
Apple Pie
Whether mom loved to make apple pie or apple crisp, this recipe combines the two for a stellar (and healthy!) dessert.
Get our recipe for Apple Pie.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Whether mom made it from the box or whisked up the sauce herself, this dish will always bring us back to fond memories of dinners at home.
Get our recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo.
French Pot Roast
Every culture has its version of pot roast, that amazing slow-cooked amalgamation of hearty meat and vegetable chunks and flavorful broth.
Get our recipe for French Pot Roast.
Beef Stroganoff
Beef stroganoff may be Russian in name and origin, but it's since become a global go-to, finding a home everywhere from Iran to Brazil to Australia. Only the best dishes inspire this type of universal love, and the ease and innate deliciousness of stroganoff is clearly why Americans have embraced it as their own.
Get our recipe for Beef Stroganoff.
Caramelized Banana and Walnut-Topped Bourbon French Toast
Take mom's French toast recipe up a notch with our fancy version!
Get our recipe for Caramelized Banana and Walnut-Topped Bourbon French Toast.
Deviled Eggs with Bacon
Whether you enjoyed them at pot lucks or mom made them herself, deviled eggs were always a staple when eating with a crowd.
Get our recipe for Deviled Eggs with Bacon.
Oven Fried Chicken
Enjoy fried chicken growing up? Make this healthier version! First, the chicken is brined in buttermilk and hot sauce, then it's coated in bread crumbs that have been tossed in a gentle amount of oil. The result? The juiciest, crispiest oven-fried chicken ever.
Get our recipe for Oven Fried Chicken.
Turkey Bolognese with Fettuccine
Before there was spaghetti and meatballs, before there was tomato sauce with ground beef and Italian seasonings, before there was Hamburger Helper and bottles of Prego, there was ragù, a slow-simmered meat sauce that is heartier, more complex, and, yes, more comforting than its American counterparts.
Get our recipe for Turkey Bolognese with Fettuccine.
Patty Melt
This classic diner dish may be the most satisfying of all hamburger iterations: a thin, crusty patty crowned with a melting veil of cheese and plenty of sweet griddled onions, all held together between warm, crunchy slices of toasted rye. Yum!
Get our recipe for a Patty Melt.
Chicken and Dumplings
This is the kind of food Mom used to make when the sniffles set in, and it is still a comfort food classic all these years later. This chicken and dumplings recipe has many of the same magical powers and core flavors of chicken noodle soup—like root vegetables, savory broth, and shredded chicken—but it is made more substantial by the addition of a roux to thicken the soup base and, you guessed it, fluffy dumplings instead of limp noodles.
Get our recipe for Chicken and Dumplings.
Southern-Style Biscuits
To keep the biscuit as healthy as possible while still producing a genuine, flaky, Southern-style treasure, we've cut out the shortening (trans fats are so 1990s), showed some restraint with the butter, and used low-fat buttermilk to bring moisture and tang to the mix.
Get our recipe for Southern-Style Biscuits.
Baked Ziti
Our lighter version of the classic home-cooked dish means you can happily indulge without eating a total calorie bomb.
Get our recipe for Baked Ziti.
Chicken Pot Pie
Pot pies may be one of America's favorite comfort foods, but there's nothing comforting about a dish that can swallow up an entire day's worth of calories, fat, and sodium, as many restaurant renditions do. We clear out the artery-clogging fats, cut the calories by more than half, and deliver an easy chicken pot pie recipe you're bound to love.
Get our recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.
Pulled Pork Sandwich
Traditional North Carolina pulled pork is dressed with nothing more than a bit of spicy cider vinegar that's used to accentuate the meat's flavor, not mask it.
Get our recipe for a Pulled Pork Sandwich.
BLT Sandwich
Is there any combination as rewarding and perfectly calibrated as a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich? With the crispy, smoky bacon playing off the cool crunch of the lettuce and the acidic sweetness of ripe tomato, it's a top contender for Last Meal on Earth status.
Get our recipe for a BLT Sandwich.
Tuna Melt
Even a can of tuna could be transformed into a delicious meal thanks to mom's magical cooking, especially when she was throwing together tuna melts for lunch.
Get our recipe for a Tuna Melt.
