Five dinners to satisfy your comfort food cravings

A craving struck like a lightning bolt: it was Sunday evening, and I had to have stuffed shells. It was too late for me to get to the store, buy the ingredients and make them myself. I texted people who I thought might know where to get it locally. I dove deep on delivery apps. There were no stuffed shells anywhere (an outrage).

Cravings are complex and highly personal, born of both nature and nurture, driven by neurons and doused with dopamine. The dishes below are a few of mine.

Of all the baked pasta dishes, stuffed shells are beloved for good reason: the fluffy ricotta filling, punchy tomato sauce, melted cheese and oversize noodles creates the ultimate comfort food, and the make-ahead aspect is equally compelling. The tomato sauce can be made and refrigerated five days ahead, or you can save time by swapping in three cups of your favourite supermarket-bought pasta sauce. The shells can be assembled a few hours ahead, then baked from the refrigerator an hour before it’s time to eat. While some versions add frozen spinach, herbs or lemon, you really don’t need anything beyond the basics; this classic version is pure comfort.

By: Ali Slagle

Serves: 6 to 8

Total time: About 2 hours

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

60ml extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Salt

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (800g) tin tomato passata

For the filling and assembly:

Salt and black pepper

450g fresh ricotta

280g fresh mozzarella, grated

155g parmesan, finely grated

2 egg yolks

1 garlic clove

340g jumbo shells

Method:

1. Make the sauce: in a large casserole dish or pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste turns one shade darker, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato passata, season with salt, then bring to a simmer. Cover halfway to reduce splattering, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Heat the oven to 190C. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

3. Make the filling: in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with 170g mozzarella, half the parmesan and the egg yolks. Grate the garlic directly into the bowl, then season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine, then set aside.

4. Add the shells to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente (you’ll want to cook the shells about 2 minutes less than the minimum time listed on the package, as the shells will continue to cook in the oven in step 5). Reserve 120ml pasta water, then drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool. Count out 24 shells. (You will have cooked off more shells than will fit in the dish; that’s insurance in case any rip. Reserve extras for another use.)

5. Stir the pasta water into the sauce, then add half the sauce to a 2.8L/22-by-33cm baking dish and spread it in an even layer. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into each of the 24 shells, lining up the stuffed shells in the dish as you go. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

6. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes (if you’d like to brown the cheese, you can grill for a few minutes). Let sit 5 minutes, then serve.

The sherry in this easy traybake recipe makes it feel a little like chicken marsala. But roasting everything on a tray lets the mushrooms crisp at the edges and turns the chicken thighs golden brown. It’s slightly more sophisticated than your average weeknight chicken dinner, but still speedy and fuss-free. Serve it with rice or noodles to soak up all the buttery, winy pan juices.

By: Melissa Clark

Serves: 4 to 6

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

900g-1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus 3 thyme sprigs

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

340g mushrooms, such as oyster, maitake, shiitake or cremini, cut into 2½cm chunks

1 small red onion, cut into 1½cm-thick wedges

2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon (or oregano or sage), plus more for garnish if you like

1 tablespoon dry (fino) sherry or dry vermouth (or ½ tablespoon lime juice and ½ tablespoon orange juice)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Flaky salt, for serving

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 220C. On a large, rimmed baking tray, season chicken all over with 1¼ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Rub garlic, thyme leaves and 1 tablespoon oil on chicken. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, onion wedges, tarragon, thyme sprigs and a large pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons oil until well coated.

3. Spoon mushroom mixture around chicken. Roast until chicken is cooked through, and the mushrooms and onions are golden brown and crispy, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer chicken, onions and mushrooms to a serving platter.

5. While the tray is still very hot, add the sherry. Deglaze the pan by gently swirling the sherry and using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom. Stir in butter (if you have a mini whisk, use it to whisk in the butter, otherwise a spoon is fine). Pour pan sauce on top of chicken, onions and mushrooms, and serve sprinkled with flaky salt on top and more tarragon if you like.

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This Chinese-style braised tofu is an ideal midweek dinner over rice or noodles. Shallow frying the tofu first makes it sturdier and prevents it from breaking apart in the sauce (you could also deep-fry or use an air fryer). Cutting the tofu into thicker pieces means that each mouthful is crisp yet plump, with a soft interior. This is an adaptable dish; when adding the bell peppers, you could add more vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas or whatever you have on hand. Those familiar with restaurant-style braised tofu may expect more sauce, but in this homestyle version, the seasoning sauce delicately coats the tofu and vegetables without drowning them. That said, double the sauce if you prefer.

By: Hetty McKinnon

Serves: 4

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the tofu:

1 (400g) package extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry

Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon doubanjiang or chilli oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 (2½cm) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

4 spring onions, trimmed, white and green parts separated and cut into 2½cm pieces

1 bell pepper (any colour), stem and membrane removed, cut into 2½cm pieces

2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (optional)

4 baby bok choy, trimmed and halved through the stem

Cooked rice or noodles, for serving

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon sugar

Method:

1. Cut tofu across into 2cm-thick slices, then cut each slice in half so you have roughly 12 squares.

2. Heat a large (30cm), deep-sided nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan on medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the base. Place the tofu in a single layer, season each piece with a little salt and black pepper, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip and cook on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes more, adding more oil if needed. Remove tofu from the pan and set aside on a plate.

3. Make the sauce: combine the soy sauce, vegetarian stir-fry sauce or oyster sauce, cornstarch and sugar with 80ml of water. Whisk until smooth.

4. In the same pan over medium heat, add the doubanjiang or chilli oil (if you’re using doubanjiang, add about 1 teaspoon of neutral oil) and stir for 15 seconds. Add the garlic, ginger and white parts of the spring onion, and toss for 1 to 2 minutes, until the spring onions are softened and everything is fragrant. If the pan starts to look dry, add a drop of oil.

5. Add the bell pepper and Shaoxing wine, if using, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in the seasoning sauce and let it sizzle for 30 seconds, stirring once or twice.

6. Add the baby bok choy, tofu and green parts of the spring onion; toss gently to coat the tofu. Let it simmer on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens, the baby bok choy is wilted but still green and crisp-tender, and the tofu has absorbed some of the sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.

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Schnitzel is a way of preparing thin slices of meat by breading and frying them until crisp. While the popular Viennese dish is traditionally made with thinly pounded veal, here, pounded pork cutlets are breaded and baked on a baking tray – rather than fried in a pan – until golden for an easy weeknight meal. The key to perfectly brown breadcrumbs is the addition of a few dollops of mayonnaise, which helps the coating crisp up during baking. A tangy salad offers fresh and bright notes that balance the rich pork. Look for whole hearts of palm (cylinders rather than sliced) for their firmer texture; the vegetable has a delicate flavour similar to artichokes, with a crunchy-creamy consistency.

By: Kay Chun

Serves: 4

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

120ml plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing baking tray

40g all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons minced garlic (from about 2 cloves)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

2 (2½cm-thick) boneless pork loin chops (about 560g total), halved crosswise and pounded to ⅓cm thickness

Salt and black pepper

2 lemons

1 tablespoon finely chopped capers, plus 1 tablespoon caper brine

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 (400g) can whole hearts of palm, drained, cylinders halved lengthwise and each half thinly sliced on the bias

100g finely chopped celery

225g cherry tomatoes, halved

Method:

1. Heat oven to 200C. Lightly grease a rimmed baking tray.

2. Separately place flour and eggs in two shallow bowls. Beat the eggs, then stir in the garlic. In a third shallow bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of the oil with mayonnaise until well blended, then add breadcrumbs and mix with your fingers until there are no clumps, and oil is evenly distributed.

3. Season pork with salt and pepper. Working with one piece at a time, dredge in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg (shake off excess) and dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Transfer to the prepared baking tray. Bake until golden and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the remaining 6 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon, capers, caper brine and parsley, and whisk until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Add hearts of palm, celery and tomatoes and toss to evenly coat.

5. Divide schnitzel and salad on 4 serving plates; cut the other lemon into wedges and serve alongside.

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A delightful breakfast, these burritos filled with soft scrambled eggs, spring onion-flecked refried beans and buttery avocado slices are also great any time of the day. Coriander adds freshness, and a few drops of your favourite hot sauce will deliver a nice zing. The nontraditional open-ended rolling technique used here will tightly encase the filling in the smaller-size tortillas while ensuring the optimal tortilla-to-stuffing ratio. To seal completely, wrap each tortilla in a strip of foil and twist both ends. For convenience, the little wraps can be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator or freezer and reheated in an oven.

By: Yewande Komolafe

Serves: 4

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

8 medium (soft taco-size) flour tortillas

140g cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

260g refried black beans (from a 450g tin)

6 large eggs, beaten

Salt

Hot sauce, for drizzling (optional)

1 small ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

5g fresh coriander leaves

Method:

1. Heat grill to high and line two baking trays with foil.

2. Place the tortillas on the trays. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the tortillas. Broil, one pan at a time, until the cheese is just beginning to melt, about 20 seconds.

3. In a medium nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add the spring onions and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the refried beans, stir to combine and cook until the beans are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Divide the beans among the tortillas, spooning in even lines down the centers.

4. Wipe out the pan and set over to medium-low heat. Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the whisked eggs and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are just set, about 3 minutes. Divide the eggs evenly among the tortillas, in lines over the beans. Drizzle on hot sauce, if using.

5. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the eggs and top with avocado and coriander. To roll, fold one side over the filling to enclose it, then tightly roll away from you, leaving the ends open. Serve immediately, or wrap in foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Reheat in a 200C oven or toaster oven until warm, about 8 minutes.

© The New York Times