The Most Comfortable Comfort Foods Around

By Kacey Mya

Comfort foods are meant to be a “pick-me-up” for when you’re feeling down. They bring back nostalgia of good feelings. They should be easy to make for when you have little time or are just too stressed to make a big meal. Comfort foods are what you want to eat with your friends and family for all-around happiness and full stomachs. You won’t feel down in the dumps after you try some of these recipes.

1. Slow-Cooker BBQ Pork

An easy meal with little prep-time and a lot of satisfaction is made in a slow-cooker. This pork barbeque takes only five minutes to prepare, and cooks for about eight hours while you’re off to work or running errands. This is a worry-free meal with three simple ingredients: a pork shoulder, barbeque sauce and a can of cola. By the time you’re home and ready for dinner, enjoy this tender, shredded meal. Keep calm and use a slow-cooker!

2. Loaded French Fries

French Fries are always a must when it comes to your stomach being fully satisfied. They’re a major comfort food because you can get them anywhere and (almost) at any time you want. If you want them at 3:00 a.m., then find a Wendy’s with a drive-through that’s open 24/7. If you want to make them yourself, you have room to be creative. Most loaded fries come with cheese, ranch, bacon and sour cream on the side. You can add barbeque sauce, chives or even shredded chicken. If you want to get fancy, cook them in a skillet!

3. Amish Friendship Bread

Imagine warm bread with hints of vanilla and cinnamon fresh out of the oven. The coolest thing about this bread is that it’s meant to be passed along to friends. Although this takes almost a month to make, it is worth sharing! For every one person who bakes the bread, they’re instructed to give a starter bag to two of their friends. When someone says “Hey, you’re my friend. Have some bread” it spreads a warm, fuzzy feeling all around. So share some bread and maybe a hug or two.

4. Chicken & Broccoli with a Twist

You probably wanted to skip over this one as soon as you read “broccoli”. Well keep reading because this chicken dinner has every perk of quick, easy and delicious. On a piece of tin foil, start with stuffing, then add the chicken and broccoli. It gets better. Top it off with cheese, bacon and ranch dressing. A big plus is that there is only one dish to wash at the end! The foil keeps the baking pan clean, so the only dish is the pot for stuffing. To make this meal gluten-free, ditch the stuffing and you’ll have zero clean up. You’ll be able to sit down and relax right after the meal. That’s comforting.

5. Pizza

Pizza sounds like a simple comfort food, and it’s easy enough to order out. If you’re feeling down, order a pizza and binge watch your favorite show on Netflix! Have some fun with your topping choices: Jalapeños, anchovies, barbeque chicken! What’s that? You want extra cheese? Studies show that cheese contains high-fats found in most dairy products. Those high fats can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Doesn’t that sound like music to your stomach? Don’t second-guess yourself, you want stuffed crust too.

6. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

For starters, this pie has a crust made from Oreos and melted butter. Yum! You’ll definitely want to try this dreamy, creamy recipe. The filling is a simple mixture of peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and Cool Whip. The only part of the pie that’s baked is the crust that takes just about six minutes! Can you believe that’s all the baking required? Plus, peanut butter has benefits such as vitamins, protein and fiber that won’t make you regret this desert. Grab yourself a spoon and indulge!

7. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn’t love a warm dessert, fresh out of the oven? Not to mention soft, chewy and gooey cookies. Even better! There’s nothing like a homemade batch of cookies to cheer you up. Most cookie recipes call for butter, an egg, brown sugar, salt, flour, baking soda, vanilla, and last but not least, chocolate chips. Your house will smell amazing while they bake, and you’ll want a glass of milk on the counter for when they’re ready to come out. The melted chocolate will drown your taste buds with happiness. Did you know that chocolate counts as a superfood? With benefits that lead to a healthier heart, stress reduction, and a boost in brain power, how can you say no to chocolate? Que the oven, bake away!

Whether you’re in the mood for a tasty dessert, or you need an easy meal, these comfort foods are sure to please you. You can’t go wrong with a few ingredients and a way to save yourself time. Next time you’re feeling down or stressed out, boost your mood with food.

Kacey is a lifestyle blogger for “The Drifter Collective.” Throughout her life, she has found excitement in the world around her. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations, cultures, and styles, while communicating these endeavors through her passion for writing and expression. Her love for the world around her is portrayed through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. The Drifter Collective: An eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us.