A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

10 Comfort Foods Professional Chefs Always Cook at Home

Most chefs obviously enjoy cooking, but they don't necessarily want to make time-consuming dishes every night at home. Fortunately for us, some of them are willing to share their secrets to making globally-inspired, tasty, and comforting dishes.

shortribs
Martin Turzak/Shutterstock

Mushroom braised short ribs

Personal Chef Jana Silvia loves to make her mushroom braised short ribs simply because, “everybody loves them!” she explains. The secret is to have fresh ingredients like Yukon gold potatoes and porcini mushrooms in the mix. This comforting dish can be cooked in a slow cooker or a Dutch oven, either way they come out equally delicious. Check out this easy and delicious version from Taste of Home.

filetmignon
Olinchuk/Shutterstock

Filet mignon with soy beurre blanc

Although this dish may sound fancy for an amateur, Chef Silvia tells us that all we need is a good piece of filet, and a few other key ingredients. A beurre blanc sauce simply consists of simmering some vermouth and reducing it, adding soy sauce and cream then finishing it off with some butter. Isn’t your mouth already watering just thinking about it? Here’s a similar recipe from a Kansas City Steak.

spaghetti
SherSor/Shutterstock

Spaghetti Trapanese

What dish is more comforting and more simple than pasta? Chef Silvia loves this dish which she refers to as Sicilian pesto because even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy it at home. It’s a perfect summer meal because it can make use of your garden for the ingredients and can even be served at room temperature. Unlike a typical pesto, this one is prepared with almonds, cherry tomatoes, and basil. Try this version that we got from The Chew. Find out which dishes chefs always order at Italian restaurants.

tunamelt
JEONGHYEON NOH/Shutterstock

The classic tuna melt

Jeff Bradley, chef at the Red Cat in New York City loves to make everyone’s favorite, comfort food: tuna melts but with an Italian twist: He adds cucumber, olive oil, red onion, and fontina to make it his own. Yum!

risotto
Kondor83/Shutterstock

Healthy breakfast risotto

Just because a dish is considered comfort food doesn’t mean it can’t be healthy—or for breakfast. Adam Gertler from Dog Haus likes to make quick cooking steel-cut oats and add kale, garlic, scallions, hot sauce and poached eggs on top. Healthy comfort food is a great way to start off the day.

salmon
vanillaechoes/Shutterstock

Slow-baked salmon

Another great comfort food dish packed with omega-3s is slow-baked salmon prepared at home by Kerry Diamond, founder of Cherry Bombe. Simply place the salmon on foil, drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest on the low temperature of 225 degrees for 20 minutes. That sounds easy enough for any home cook and enough nutrients to feel good about feeding it to the family. Check out these 10 foods even professional chefs cook in the microwave.

beansprouts
White Cloud/Shutterstock

Salted and marinated bean sprouts

Although it may sound odd to some, vegetables are considered comfort food to many. Josh DeChellis of Il Buco Alimentari likes to combine grated ginger, onions, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, chili paste, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro stems to make a Thai-inspired dressing for bean sprouts that he wilts with salt in a colander. The heat of the chili paste can warm us up on even the coldest of days. Try this other Thai bean sprout recipe with a bit more kick with Sriracha.

roastchicken
Martin Turzak/Shutterstock

Roast chicken

The well-known Parisian Chef, Pierre Gagnaire, loves to make a simple roast chicken with risotto or vegetable au gratin (that’s with melted cheese for the cooking novices). As many of know, a roast chicken is the ultimate comfort food and is healthy to boot when you prepare it with some sautéed vegetables (hold the cheese). Not sure where to start? Try this classic roast chicken recipe from Taste of Home.On the other hand, these are the 17 dishes professional chefs never oder in restaurants.

enfrijoladas
Jacopo ventura/Shutterstock

Enfrijoladas

Chef Enrique Olvera of Pujo in Mexico City loves to make enfrijoladas, a delicious mix of black beans, black bean salsa, ricotta cheese, and fresh corn tortillas. Even buying a ready-made salsa sounds like it would allow a busy cook to prepare this comforting meal in very little time. Make your own with this tasty recipe.

filipinochicken
AS Food studio/Shutterstock

Filipino chicken and pork adobo

TV personality and chef, Billy Dec, makes a delicious, flavorful, and traditional Filipino dish by using fresh chicken and pork. He first browns the meats in oil, separately fries garlic, onion, pepper, and bay leaves and lets it simmer with a combo of soy sauce and vinegar. He then adds in the meat and serves this over rice. Deliciousness for the ages! Here’s a full recipe for chicken adobo when you’re ready to try it on your own. Then, check out these other 20 comforting recipes just like Grandma used to make.