Looking for comfort food dinner ideas? This list of 30 easy comfort food recipes has something for everyone, whether you’re in a stressful life season, or it’s simply fall or winter at the moment where you live, or you want a cozy meal, just because. How about something warm and cozy for dinner today?
Easy Mennonite-style Comfort Food Recipes to Make for Dinner
In need of a little bit of dinner inspiration? Like something that is easy to make, but also comforting and delicious? If so, we’d love to have you check out this list of 30 Comfort Food Dinner Ideas!
And just so you know, we are Mennonites (from the Midwest at that), so naturally, you can expect hearty, homemade comfort foods from us.
These dinner recipes are in no particular order; we like them all! They’re mostly all easy to make (I dislike complicated recipes that make a bunch of dirty dishes) so yeah. Easy, cozy, and comforting is what we’re going for. 🙂
And hey, there’s 30 of them, so you could even use these comfort food dinner ideas to plan a month of meals!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Stuffed Peppers
While I’m not a real big fan of the classic Italian-red-sauce-type of stuffed pepper, I do like these Chicken Bacon Ranch Stuffed Peppers! They’re more like a Jalapeno popper, but without the heat.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
Loaded Chicken & Vegetable Bake
Kind of like a sheet pan meal, only this one gets topped with sour cream and Ranch, crispy bacon and cheddar cheese! You can customize it with your favorite veggies, or even skip the loaded toppings. Either way, it’s a favorite!
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Bake time: 1 hour
- Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Chicken Potato Casserole
Layers of potatoes, chicken, peas and a homemade white sauce make up this cozy comfort casserole. It’s a great recipe for using up leftovers, like from a roast chicken.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
Taco Soup
Taco soup is a cozy, hearty, one-pot dinner that tastes just like a taco, only it’s in soup form. It features ground beef, beans, corn, and taco spices into a rich, tomato-y broth. The fun really comes with the toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla chips, or whatever you’d pile onto a taco. It’s simple, comforting, and perfect for feeding a crowd!
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Similar to Taco Soup, only this one has chicken instead of beef! You can add the same toppings you’d add to taco soup, too. They’re both a favorite of ours!
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
Poor Man’s Steak
This is just homemade ground beef patties that are fried, then tossed in a homemade mushroom gravy. Almost like something you’d get at a small town diner (but better)! Serve it with mashed potatoes or egg noodles for the ultimate comfort food dinner.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
Healthy Baked Chicken & Rice
My very favorite recipe for Sunday lunch! Just layer everything in a pan (no pre-cooking whatsoever) and let it bake slowly while away at church. When you come home (and everyone is “starved“), a cozy lunch is ready! I do like to marinate the chicken overnight the night before, but that is optional.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Bake time: 3 hours
- Total time: 3 hours and 15 minutes
Spanish Rice Skillet Dinner
Beef, rice, peppers, and onions simmered in a savory tomato juice. My favorite thing about this recipe is the fact that you only need one skillet to do all the cooking! And it’s tasty, of course 🙂
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
Classic Meatloaf
You can’t go wrong with a classic meatloaf like this one. And this specific meatloaf is my favorite, because of the texture! No onions or other mysterious crunchy things inside. (Eek, maybe I am still a bit of a picky eater!)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Bake time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour
Cheeseburger French Fry Casserole
Like a cheeseburger and French fries, only in a casserole! As it bakes, the fries turn golden on top while the filling turns rich and bubbly underneath. (And I like to add a generous drizzle of ketchup to my serving at dinner time!)
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 1 hour
- Total time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Hearty Hamburger Soup
Hearty hamburger soup is one of those “warm you from the inside out” soups. It’s got browned ground beef, onions, and garlic, in a rich, savory and creamy broth loaded with potatoes, carrots, and more. It’s hearty, comforting, and makes a big batch – perfect for feeding a hungry family.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
Chickenetti
Also known as cheesy, creamy chicken spaghetti. This is an old fashioned church-cookbook-style recipe for a total comfort food dinner!
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 1 hour
- Total time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
BBQ Meatballs
Similar to our meatloaf recipe, only shaped into balls! No browning needed, these get topped with a homemade BBQ sauce and baked in the oven. Meatballs are actually quick and easy to make and they can be made ahead of time, too.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour
Ranch Chicken & Rice Casserole
For this recipe, we layer raw rice, cooked chicken, beans, and a Ranch dressing mixture, and bake! Super simple and cozy. For serving, you can add crushed tortilla chips and sauteed peppers and onions if you wish.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Bake time: 1 hour
- Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Tater Tot Casserole
A good old Midwest and Mennonite classic: tater tot casserole. We start with browned ground in a savory sauce on the bottom, followed by a vegetable layer and topped with cheese and tater tots. Bake! Then serve with ketchup if you wish. (Yes, I’m a ketchup fan, in case you were wondering!)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Bake time: 1 hour
- Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Just like classic spaghetti with red sauce, only this one has a bunch of “rich” add-ins like cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese.
- Prep/cook time: 30 minutes
- Bake time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
Chicken Corn Noodle Soup
Simple ingredients come together to create a wholesome and soothing chicken corn noodle soup. This one is likely a little different than most of the chicken soup recipes out there, since it has no celery or carrots; only chicken, noodles, and corn in a savory broth. A Mennonite classic and a childhood favorite of mine!
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
Pizza Casserole
Just like pizza, but without the crust! Pasta with all of your favorite pizza toppings and pizza sauce.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
Cheeseburger Soup
Arguably one of the best soups out there, this cheeseburger soup is creamy, cheesy and packed with vegetables and ground beef! And this recipe makes a bunch, enough for leftovers the next day. 🙂
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Soup
One of my go-to crockpot meals is this one! Just put everything in the crockpot, raw chicken and all, and let it do the work while you get other stuff done.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Slow cooker time: 8 hours
- Total time: 8 hours and 15 minutes
Dairy Casserole
An old Mennonite classic – dairy casserole! Creamy macaroni with ground beef and corn. A simple, comforting meal, and a family favorite, too.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
Chili Soup
Just a simple, basic, and very tasty Chili Soup. There are different ways to serve chili too, like with cornbread and cheese sauce or on top of baked potatoes. And of course just in a soup bowl with a generous dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese is delish too!
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
Lasagna
The easiest recipe for lasagna you ever did see! Starting with ready made pasta sauce, and skipping the noodle boiling part, all you have to do is brown the ground beef and shred the cheese. Then assemble, and bake!
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Bake time: 1 hour
- Rest time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Three Bean Casserole
Another old-fashioned meal made all in one skillet! It’s just ground beef and three kinds of beans in barbecue sauce. Super quick and easy dinner idea!
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes
Crockpot Whole Chicken & Vegetables
One of my favorite ways to make a whole chicken pot roast is in the crockpot, believe it or not. The meat gets so soft! And the vegetables simmered in chicken broth are yummy too.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Crockpot cook time: On low: 8-10 hours, on high: 4-5 hours
Vegetable Beef Soup
My mom’s special one-pot meal – vegetable beef stew. I have good memories of eating this, growing up. It’s a very great way to use up leftover roast beef and you can add whatever veggies you have on hand!
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Here’s a fun pasta dinner idea, made with rotini (or any pasta), chicken, bacon and a creamy Ranch sauce! Simple and cozy, especially if you have leftover chicken that needs to be eaten.
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
Ham & Bean Soup
I’ll admit, I though ham and bean soup sounds rather disgusting until I gave it a try. And it’s actually not; it’s delicious! Ham chunks and beans in a savory broth equals cozy comfort food, perfect for fall and winter dinners. (Or any time. I’m one of those strange people who likes soup any day of the year!)
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
Cheesy Chicken Chowder
Very similar to Cheeseburger Soup, only Cheesy Chicken Chowder has chicken instead of ground beef (obviously). It’s also loaded with vegetables, too.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
Simple Classic Spaghetti
And lastly, classic spaghetti with red sauce and ground beef is certainly a cozy comfort food! I love this one. It’s so easy to throw together and it’s delicious, too! I like to serve it with a side of steamed broccoli and garlic bread.
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
Now… how about some side dish ideas?
Now that you’ve seen our list of comfort food dinner ideas, check out this list of 12 Comfort Food Side Dish Ideas!
Share this list of 30 Comfort Food Dinner Ideas
As always…
Thanks for visiting our small town! A bowl of comfort food can feel like a warm hug at the end of a long day, and I hope you found some cozy dinner inspiration here. We’re delighted to have you and you’re more than welcome to stay awhile and explore!
’til next time,
We love you and we’ll be praying for you,
Julie
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