49 Cozy Recipes That Feel Like a Hug (2024)

A homemade meal can be such a strong source of joy — it's a hug during a difficult day, a "welcome back" after a journey away from home, or a nostalgic childhood memory revisited. In this collection of comfort food recipes, we've gathered cozy dishes that make us feel warm and content. Tuck into a bowl of Ina Garten's Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons when it's cold outside and you'd rather be on your couch, wrapped in a blanket. Start your morning off right with a generous plate of chef Claudette Zepeda's chilaquiles. Or, go sweet and build an over-the-top, completely wonderful ice cream sundae, courtesy of chef Dan Kluger. The spread also includes Short Rib Chili, Yogurt Rice, Jamaican Stew Peas and Spinners, and dozens of other delicious recipes. Read on for the rest and know that you're only a few steps away from a comfort food dish that will make you smile.

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Three-Cheese Lasagna with Roasted Red Peppers and Mushrooms

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To create a vegetarian lasagna that's packed with flavor (rather than watery and bland), start by roasting mushrooms and red peppers with a quick garlic-infused oil. While the vegetables are cooking, stir together a quick ricotta filling with plenty of Parmesan for extra umami. Using no-boil lasagna noodles and good-quality store-bought tomato sauce cuts down on cook time without sacrificing taste.

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Auntie Georgia's Dakgangjeong (Korean Fried Chicken with Soy Sauce)

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A sticky glaze of soy sauce and brown sugar gets subtle heat from fresh jalapeños to give these fried wings the perfect level of spice, sweetness, and salt. Potato starch creates a shatteringly crisp exterior on the wings and stays crunchy for hours—even after they have cooled.

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Soba Noodles with Crispy Duck and Hot Dipping Sauce

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The combination of cold, chewy homemade soba noodles with steaming-hot crispy duck and dashi-enriched dipping sauce is an unparalleled delight. Timing is key when making this dish — cook the soba just before you serve. Work ahead by steeping the dashi and seasoning the duck the night before or the morning of cooking. For the purest flavor, seek out hon mirin ("real mirin"), which has no added sweeteners or salt.

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Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Croutons

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This creamy, soul-warming soup from the legendary Ina Garten's cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, captures everything there is to love about chicken pot pie. Plenty of aromatic vegetables, a rich, silky broth spiked with tarragon and cream sherry, and plenty of tender chicken (or leftover Thanksgiving turkey) deliver pure comfort in every spoonful. The flaky, buttery puff pastry croutons (made from store-bought dough!) are an irresistible finishing touch.

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Brown-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Most traditional chocolate chip cookie recipes start by creaming softened butter with sugar. Here, the butter is melted in a skillet until golden brown and nutty first. This simple step does require a bit of extra time (mainly for chilling the butter), but the result is an intensely toasty butterscotch note that makes these thin, chewy cookies irresistible. Using two kinds of bittersweet chocolate (chips and a chopped bar) adds luscious layers to the cookies. A final sprinkle of flaky salt enhances their flavor even more.

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Easy Polenta

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Most polenta recipes require nearly an hour of patient stirring; this streamlined version comes together off the heat, with a final whisk just before serving. The result is an almost effortless, exquisitely creamy polenta that's the perfect base for slow-roasted pork and vegetables.

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Egg in a Bagel Hole

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Adding water to the skillet helps cook the eggs evenly without burning the bagel halves, resulting in a lightly toasted bagel wrapped around a perfectly runny yolk. Savory smoked salmon and creamy avocado complete this classic breakfast.

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Thousand-Layer Duck Fat Potatoes

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When chef Shaun Searley prepares these crispy potatoes at The Quality Chop House, he starts with King Edward potatoes, which have a fluffy texture. Be sure to start a day ahead so the cooled confited potatoes slice cleanly. The portioned potatoes can then be stored in the freezer for up to a month before frying.

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Poulet Mafé

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In Senegal at the Keur Moussa monastery, a typical meal includes poulet mafé, a thick peanut sauce with chicken, root vegetables, and cabbage served over rice, fonio, or millet couscous. For chef and F&W Cooks contributor Pierre Thiam, poulet mafé is the ultimate comfort food. His advice: "Be patient when cooking mafé. Let the stew simmer slowly until the oil rises to the surface." Creamy peanut butter adds body and nuttiness to this savory chicken dish, balancing the aromatic ginger, garlic, and tomato paste. Thiam's version uses fish sauce, which brings a subtle umami that adds complexity to the stew.

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Auntie Monica's Seafood Mac and Cheese

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Loaded with fresh shrimp, crab, and lobster, and layered with a rich mixture of cheeses, this macaroni and cheese gets an extra boost of spice from liquid shrimp-and-crab boil. The boil seasoning lends its long-cooked flavor to the casserole without overcooking the delicate seafood. This recipe comes from Monica Williams, chef Kia Damon's auntie and former drill instructor for the United States Marine Corps.

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Grown-Up Chicken Nuggets with Herb and Radish Salad

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Cookbook author Molly Stevens fillets chicken breast for crispy grown-up chicken nuggets dredged in panko and fried in olive oil and butter. Flattening chicken to even thickness (1/3 inch) is paramount: If the chicken is too thick, it takes too long to cook, and you risk scorching the coating before the interior is done. If it's too thin, it'll dry out before the breading has time to brown. The key to frying them is monitoring the heat; the nuggets should sizzle when you lower them into the pan.

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Dutch Oven Classic Beef Stew

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There's nothing better than coming home to a simmering pot of this hearty stew on a cool fall or winter day. Hearty chunks of beef turn tender after a low and slow trip in your favorite Dutch oven; potatoes join the party during the tail end of cooking to retain their texture. Cut potatoes into similar-size pieces to guarantee they cook evenly.

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Chilaquiles Rojos with Fried Eggs and Cotija

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Charring the tomato and onion before adding them to the red chile sauce is a quick way to create rich, slow-cooked flavor. Thick-cut fresh tortilla chips soak up the sauce and runny egg yolks without getting soggy.

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Auntie Roberta's Bourma (Armenian Phyllo Pastry with Walnuts)

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A wooden skewer, dowel, or chopstick is the only special tool needed to make this crispy scrunched phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and drizzled with sugary syrup. A splash of fresh lemon juice adds bright, zesty flavor to the syrup that balances both the sweetness of the pastry and the rich, buttery walnuts. The recipe is from Roberta Kochakian of Los Angeles, who is descended from a family of Armenian Genocide survivors and has devoted much of her life to chronicling traditional Armenian recipes and cooking techniques.

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Miso-Tofu Hot Pot with Ramen

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A soothing hot pot is the perfect excuse to set out ingredients and casually dine at the table. Although this recipe can be executed at the stove, donabe is traditionally prepared on a portable burner at the table. Cook the tofu and vegetables first, then soak up the delicious broth with chewy ramen noodles as a second course.

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Spicy Sesame, Bacon, and Egg Congee

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Taking a cue from chef Mei Lin, we're adding spicy pork, creamy egg yolks, and crunchy sesame to classic rice congee. Low and slow cooking is the key to its great texture; adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle bubble that results in tender grains.

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Hina Auntie's Chana Masala with Puri

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Toasting and grinding whole spices instead of relying on pre-ground spice powders adds unparalleled depth of flavor to this spicy chickpea dish from western India. This dish is a specialty of Hina Mody, Restaurant editor Khushbu Shah's auntie who emigrated from the Indian state of Gujarat.

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Yayla Çorbası (Turkish Yogurt Soup) with Velibah

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Although most Turks will opt for a pillowy square of pide bread to accompany this soup of yogurt, barley, and dried mint, buttery-crisp velibah stuffed with feta and potato is a go-to for former Food & Wine editor Oset Babür's family, who hail from Ossetia, a state in the South Caucasus.

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Dinner Hummus with Spiced Chicken and Cauliflower

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"Serving hummus at the center of the table is common practice in the Middle East, where it's eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner," cookbook author and F&W Cooks contributor Leah Koenig says. "The creamy chickpea spread is often topped with sautéed mushrooms or eggplant, browned ground lamb and onions, saucy fava beans, or similar hearty add-ons. I've tried (and adored) all of these versions, but the dinner hummus of my dreams is capped with a generous layer of chicken and cauliflower."

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Coconut-Curried Shrimp with Bara

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Light, airy, and slightly sweet, the fried bara is perfect for sopping up this spicy shrimp curry. A quick Scotch bonnet hot sauce is intense on its own, but drizzled sparingly over the curry it adds the perfect punch of heat and acidity.

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Sweet-and-Smoky Grilled Cheese Toastie

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A combination of chipotle-spiked béchamel and mild Comté cheese melt together to create the rich, creamy center in this pressed "toastie" sandwich.

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Tadka Dal with Roti

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Briefly heating spices and dried chiles in oil or ghee allows their flavors to bloom, creating a flavorful tadka that serves as the backbone of this dish. It also adds a crispy, spicy finish to the creamy mixture of mung beans, lentils, and pigeon peas.

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Posole Rojo

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"Posole is the choose-your-own-adventure of Mexican cuisine," food writer and cookbook author Priya Krishna says. "Start with a stew speckled with chewy bits of hominy, and seasoned with lime and braised pork. Depending on the region, that soup could be green from jalapeños and tomatillos (if you're in Guerrero) or red from guajillo or ancho chiles (in areas such as Mexico City and Jalisco). Then, choose from a selection of toppings: finely chopped onions, sliced avocado, lime, radishes, lettuce, queso fresco. Go big, or keep it simple. That's the true beauty of posole: No two bowls look or taste exactly alike."

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Raclette-Gruyère Mac and Cheese with Pickled Shallots

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Inspired by älplermagronen, Alpine farmers' macaroni, this Swiss twist on a Thanksgiving classic gets rich flavor from Gruyère and a lush creaminess from Raclette. Traditional versions of this dish are served with applesauce; as a nod to that flavor play, we've added some shallots that are quickly pickled in apple cider vinegar to balance the cheesy richness.

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Lee Lee's Double Chocolate Chunk Brownies

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While many brownie recipes call for creaming the butter and sugar before adding the eggs, pastry chef Lee Lee Reid whips eggs and sugar together to aerate them, leading to the ultimate brownie consistency. A brownie will only be as good as the cocoa and chocolate used, so be sure to source the best.

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California Wappa Rice Bowls

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Snow crab, especially the legs of the crab, yields tender, clean chunks of meat, perfect for topping these steamed savory rice bowls. To gently cook the crabs, steam them for 20 to 25 minutes over high heat, let cool slightly, and remove the meat.

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Kru Nid's Khao Tom (Thai Breakfast Porridge with Bacon)

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This comforting, creamy rice porridge shines with punchy, savory toppings for a hearty meal. Traditional toppings for khao tom can include Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, or eggs, but writer Kat Thompson's favorite version of this dish is topped with fermented mustard greens and crispy bacon. This Khao Tom recipe is from Oranij Promsatit, Thompson's beloved Thai teacher and family friend.

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Restorative Ginger-and-Turmeric Noodle Soup

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"During the winter months, this bowl of noodle soup is like a hug," cookbook author and F&W Cooks contributor Hetty McKinnon writes. "The garlic oil adds an extra layer of aromatic flavor, a great way to bring cohesiveness to this curative bowl of soup. It's bolstered by a robust ginger and turmeric base, which offers deep, earthy flavors along with anti-inflammatory prowess."

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Yogurt Rice

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Tempering the toppings in hot oil, a technique known as making a tadka, brings out their flavors and is the perfect counterpoint to the cooling yogurt in this simple, comforting dish. Be sure to use plain whole-milk yogurt, not a strained, Greek-style yogurt, for the creamiest porridge-like texture. Food & Wine restaurant editor Khushbu Shah makes this comforting yogurt rice whenever she needs some self-care after a long trip.

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Hatch Chile Smash Burgers

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Is this the best burger on the internet? We think so. This spicy, crispy, cheesy, swoon-inducing smash burger will have you going back for seconds thanks to the cheese and salsa that melt into a queso-like moment, and take this burger to the next level.

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Banana–Chocolate Chip Snack Cake with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

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Salted peanut butter frosting adds an extra special touch to this delicious snack cake from cookbook author and F&W Cooks contributor Ann Taylor Pittman.

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Short Rib Chili

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Fresh jalapeños, smoky chipotles in adobo, and fruity ancho chile powder give this thick, meaty short rib chili layers of heat, while red wine and tomato add acidity to balance out the richness of the tender short ribs. For a more budget-friendly option, substitute cubed beef chuck roast for the short ribs. Homemade pickled red onions provide a colorful, tasty, crunchy topping.

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Shrimp with Cheddar-Parmesan Grits

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Chef Michael Reed gives us a lesson on why it's worth it to take the time to peel and devein your own shrimp: He cooks the shrimp shells along with vegetables and herbs to create a deeply-flavorful stock, which he then uses as a sauce for these shrimp and grits. Pan-fried shrimp are spooned on top of a mound of cheesy grits, and topped with the rich shellfish stock as the finishing touch. Store extra stock in your freezer for your next batch of shrimp and grits, or add it to seafood soups, stews, and sauces for a boost of flavor.

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Jamaican Stew Peas and Spinners

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Red kidney beans, aromatics, coconut milk, a Scotch Bonnet pepper, and more come together in these Jamaican Stew Peas and Spinners, which writer Brigid Ransome Washington developed based on her mother-in-law's recipe. While the iterations Ransome Washington enjoyed growing up in Trinidad and Tobago included meat, this version is vegan, but make no mistake, it's still luscious, hearty, and satisfying. Don't throw away the soaking liquid from the beans — according to Vivienne, her mother-in-law (who she calls Auntie), simmering the beans in it gives the dish a beautiful color. The resulting Stew Peas are hearty, comforting, and filled with earthy and bright flavors.

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Queso Flameado

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In this irresistible snack, charred poblano pepper, pureed cilantro, and serrano chiles serve as a built-in salsa, layering spicy, garlicky flavors into the rich, melted cheese. Flaming it with tequila makes the whole thing a little extra. The pickled carrots on top add acidity and brightness; feel free to substitute pickled jalapeno slices if you have some on-hand.

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Gnocchi with Pomodoro Sauce

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Gnocchi with pomodoro sauce is a simple yet incredibly satisfying combination. In this recipe, which chef Eric Lees used to make at Spiaggia in Chicago, easy-to-make gnocchi made from russet potatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and egg yolks are paired with a buttery tomato sauce laced with fresh basil. Lees uses a potato ricer to make the gnocchi, but if you don't have one, grate the cooled potatoes on the small holes of a box grater for a similar texture.

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Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars

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Cookbook author Sarah Kieffer's gently spiced pumpkin bars are the perfect segue-into-autumn treats. The cream cheese enhances the pumpkin filling without making everything too sweet. As Kieffer writes, "I like pumpkin pie alright, but in all honesty I will always take a slice of anything else over it, especially if cheesecake is an option. But pumpkin pie swirled into cheesecake? I will never say no."

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Cocoa Cola Bundt Cake

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Traditional Coca-Cola cake, a staple of the American South, usually comes in the form of a chocolate sheet cake that's doused in a gooey glaze. The batter is splashed with a bit of cola, sometimes for flavor but mostly for fluff; the soda's carbonation acts as a leavening agent, similar to baking soda or baking powder, helping the cake rise and come out light and airy. In her modern-day version, cookbook author Vallery Lomas flips tradition on its head by making a cola-flavored cake with cola-flavored icing. The key to Lomas' Cocoa Cola Bundt Cake is in the Coca-Cola syrup. Lomas concentrates the cola by reducing it with sugar and adding a bit of lemon juice, and then she mixes the resulting syrup into both the cake and the icing. "You get a more concentrated taste by using the syrup instead of straight-from-the-can Coca-Cola," Lomas says.

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Vegan Sloppy Joes

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With jalapeño for heat and brown sugar for sweetness, these vegan sloppy joes will please meat eaters and vegetarians alike. A combination of tempeh and extra-firm tofu give them a hearty texture.

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

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"With the smooth, nutty peanut butter filling, glistening ganache, and salty roasted peanuts on top, this pie evokes all the sweetness of a childhood memory, delivered in the form of an elegant, nuanced dessert that adults will want to savor," food writer and cookbook author Ben Mims says.

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Italian Wedding Risotto

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Inspired by the classic Italian wedding soup, this hearty risotto is filled with just-wilted spinach and topped with crispy, garlicky meatballs. Use a cookie scoop to quickly portion out the meatballs; make a double batch and freeze half to whip up this risotto in a flash. Remove the risotto from the heat while it's still a little soupy—it will thicken slightly as it rests.

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Over-the-Top Ice Cream Sundaes with Homemade Caramel

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Fully loaded with creamy fudge, salty pretzels, crunchy toffee, and chewy, bittersweet candied lemon peel, this over-the-top sundae gets drenched in homemade caramel sauce for a grown-up take on a nostalgic childhood treat served at chef Dan Kluger's Loring Place in New York City. Mix up an extra-large batch for ready-made sundaes whenever you like.

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Sweetened Condensed Milk Carnitas

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A fragrant blend of dried herbs, spices, and garlic flavors this slow-cooked pork, which gets a touch of balancing sweetness and acidity from fresh orange juice. A surprising ingredient here, sweetened condensed milk, helps the pork caramelize during cooking. Source a well-marbled pork roast for this recipe; the extra fat doubles down on the rich pork flavor. Many cooks in Mexico City add sweetened condensed milk to carnitas, says chef and cookbook author Pati Jinich, who created this stunningly good recipe. Try treating the Sweetened Condensed Milk Carnitas like pulled pork, and tuck the tasty shreds into fluffy Sweetened Condensed Milk Rolls.

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Crispy Cheese Burritos with Chorizo and Eggs

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When Richard Chang was chef and owner of Tacos La Tehuanita truck in Los Angeles, he wowed crowds with his burnt-cheese-roll taco, made by griddling cheese until crisp and rolling it up around various fillings. This version from Food & Wine's Justin Chapple pairs chorizo-studded black beans and eggs with creamy avocado for richness.

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Roasted "Reblochon"

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In the French Alps, Reblochon, a bloomy-rind cow's milk cheese, is melted in a special brazier for reblochonnade—a meal of the melted cheese served with roasted sausages, boiled potatoes, and other bites. While unpasteurized Reblochon isn't imported to the United States, there are many American farmhouse cheeses (such as Jasper Hill Farm Little Hosmer or Sweet Grass Dairy Green Hill) that make wonderful substitutes in this reblochonnade, adapted by Food & Wine senior food editor Mary-Frances Heck for home ovens.

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Mashhurda (Mung Bean Soup)

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League of Kitchens cooking instructor Damira Inatullaeva learned to make this delectable mung bean soup recipe from her Tajik mother-in-law, who makes it without meat (traditional mashhurda includes beef or lamb) and also uses dried apricots for a flavorful twist. Don't let the list of simple ingredients fool you—this is one of the most complex and delicious vegetarian soups we've ever tasted. The fresh herbs, pepper, and labneh at the finish take it over the top.

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Tater Tot Casserole

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The secret to this casserole is the layer of creamed spinach in the middle. It brings a nice contrast to the crispy, crunchy Tater Tot top.

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Deep-Dish Caramel Apple Pie

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This mouthwatering deep-dish caramel apple pie from former Food & Wine editor Kay Chun is drizzled with a luscious homemade caramel sauce and topped with a crunchy oat streusel.

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Mashed-Potato Casserole with Sage and Fontina

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To take mashed potatoes up a few notches, cookbook author Melissa Clark mashes them with a creamy, tangy mix of crème fraîche, butter, parsley, and sage, then tops them with cheesy breadcrumbs and bakes until crisp.

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