Our Favorite Comfort Food Lunch Recipes
From a traditional French onion soup to old-fashioned sloppy joes, these nostalgic eats are real mood lifters.
We'll start our comforting lunch recipes with Lentil-Barley Soup. Delicious and packed with fiber, this soup will warm you up in no time.
Carne Asada Steak Sandwiches
We opt for Chipotle chile powder, which has a smoky, earthy profile and isn't as hot as ground red pepper. Our Shaved Carrot, Cucumber, and Sweet Onion Salad pairs perfectly with this meal.
Barley and Beef Soup
You can make this soup the night before to allow time for its flavors to develop; scoop hot servings into a thermos to take for lunch, or reheat individual portions in the microwave as needed.
Mozzarella, Ham, and Basil Panini
A few special ingredients—like freshly baked ciabatta bread or imported Dijon mustard—make a quick, simple sandwich seem like a restaurant treat for a midday meal.
Spiced Meatball, Butternut, and Tomato Stew
Add this comforting, 35-minute stew to your winter recipe rotation. These tender meatballs have a mild, warm spice. Chopped cilantro at the end adds a nice burst of freshness. You can substitute ground chicken, if desired.
Turkey Reuben Panini
Panini are the Italians' answer to our beloved grilled cheese sandwich. We've adopted the technique and created an authentic deli-style flavor in a lower-fat package.
Quick Chicken Minestrone
Fresh, brightly colored vegetables add some welcome vibrancy to this comforting soup. Have fun with the noodle shape, or use any small pasta you have on hand. If you'd like, sprinkle each serving with freshly ground black pepper for a finishing touch. Let the toasted bread and cheese sauce cool slightly. Kids can then spread the cheese sauce over the bread with a butter knife. Serve with French Bread with Cauliflower Cheese Sauce.
Picnic-Perfect Lobster Rolls
Why wait until summer to serve this classic sandwich that hails from the Northeast? The crisp, berry-floral essence of American rosé wines pairs beautifully with the creamy, lemony lobster filling in these rolls.
French Onion Soup
For perfectly caramelized onions, the key is low and slow cooking. You'll be glad you spent the extra time on this warm and savory soup.
Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Ciabatta's crispy-chewy exterior and dense interior pair perfectly with the hearty filling of this sandwich.
Tuna and White Bean Salad
A fresh vinaigrette replaces the heavy mayo dressing in traditional tuna salad. You'll love the fresh produce that stars in this lunchtime makeover.
Turkey and Bean Chili
To save time, chop off the top of a washed bunch of cilantro rather than picking the individual leaves. The thin stems toward the top are very tender.
Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza
With an extensive list of vegetables rounding out the ingredient list and creamy dollops of ricotta sprinkled atop, this pizza will be irresistible from the first bite.
Chicken and White Bean Soup
Cannellini beans, native to Tuscany, work beautifully in this rustic soup because they hold their shape after simmering in the flavorful broth. Serve with a crusty Italian bread, such as ciabatta, and a salad of bitter greens. Balance the rich soup with a crisp white wine.
Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes
This comfort food classic receives a decidedly grown-up makeover with the addition of cremini mushrooms. The morels offer deeper, richer flavor, but you can also use regular button mushrooms.
Chicken-Orzo Soup
Nothing says comfort more than a bowl of chicken soup. With this superfast recipe, you don't have to wait the hours it takes to make a homemade chicken stock.
White Pizza with Tomato and Basil
Crushed red pepper is optional in this recipe but, if you can take the heat, it will give the flavors in this pizza a kick. Heating a cookie sheet in the oven before you put the pizza on it gives you a crisper crust.
Quick Shrimp Chowder
Complete the menu with crisp breadsticks and a fresh spinach and pear salad dressed with a light vinaigrette. A small amount of heavy cream stirred in at the end adds the finishing touch.
Sausage and Egg Burrito
Avocado and sausage elevate this basic egg burrito to satisfying lunch fare. Serve with a salad of fresh spinach, sliced red onion, and cubed cantaloupe.
Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
A new take on a familiar favorite pairs grilled cheese with a BLT for a luscious veggie-packed sandwich that feels like an indulgence. Serve with zesty dill pickle spears.
Roast Beef Sandwiches with Watercress Slaw
Watercress slaw gives the perfect amount of crunch in this roast beef sandwich. A crusty baguette is a must—satisfaction from the very first bite.
Open-Faced Blackened Catfish Sandwiches
Don't skip out on the creamy cilantro slaw. It pairs wonderfully with oh-so-savory blackened catfish.
Prosciutto, Pear, and Blue Cheese Sandwiches
A savory blend of salty and sweet flavors make the perfect pair between two slices of multigrain bread. Toast the bread in a pinch by arranging it on a baking sheet and broiling for three minutes.
Peanut-Sauced Chicken Pitas
Rich dark meat stands up to the robust peanutty sauce. To pack, combine chicken mixture, sprouts, carrot, and cilantro; put in a sealed container; and stuff into pita just when you're ready to eat. Look for satay sauce and chile paste on the Asian-food aisle of your super-market.
Steak Baguettes with Pesto Mayo
Grill the steak and toast the baguette over the same flame for a delicious charred effect. This sandwich holds up well, so you can pack it for lunch, fully assembled.
Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Pick up a rotisserie chicken from the market, and this Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwich is a snap. That said, if you make the chicken salad a day or so ahead, the flavors will marry nicely as the filling chills. Try on a wedge of focaccia, and toast in a grill pan for a chicken salad panini.
French Onion Soup
It's worth the effort to make your own stock for this supersimple soup, but if you want to save time, you can use store-bought lower-sodium broth. You'll need to reduce the amount of salt you add to the soup by half.
Oven-Fried Shrimp and Okra Louisiana Po'boys
We buttermilk-battered shrimp and baked it in a hot oven to golden crispiness, adding fresh okra to the mix for some extra Gulf state color. Creamy caper-spiked remoulade keeps things moist, and hot dog buns make this Cajun country treat right-sized.
