Dinner/ Recipes

happy as a clam

Let’s talk comfort food.

You know, food that reminds you of home. Food that you eat in your jammies and fuzzy slippers. Food that nurses you through a broken heart and food that you grew up on.

It might be something so simple as a slice of extra cheese pizza, or it might be your great-grandma’s handed down recipe for milk chocolate mousse. Just feeling it melt on your tongue brings you right back…every time.

My favorite comfort food is linguine and clams. Maybe that’s not so typical…I’m not sure. But it’s my absolute favorite meal on earth and the one my mom always made me growing up. I always asked for extra clams and loved the way they squeaked between my teeth. You could get all fancy with live clams but I always preferred canned.

Gosh, I can’t even tell you how many times linguine and clams has aided in my survival. Like the time my first ever boyfriend broke up with me when I was fifteen (he’s actually a blog reader and we are actually friends now….awkward) or the first time I moved out on my own and nothing tasted right. There’s just something about this dish that will always taste like home to me, no matter how far away I am or how old I get.

There’s no recipe, really; it’s just a little of this and a little of that. Even though the name is “linguine” and clams, I usually use angel hair because it’s my favorite.

Oh! another amazing thing about your favorite comfort food is that you get to make the rules!

I usually just saute up some garlic and shallot in a little olive oil and butter and then add the clams, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a little lemon juice and a quarter cup of clam juice. When the pasta’s done, I toss it all together and grate a nice blanket of Parmesan cheese on top.

Of course it’s nothing like mom’s….but what comfort food is?

It still does the trick though, every time, and after I eat it I’ll waddle away in my fuzzy leopard print slippers and over-sized sweatshirt and draw a hot bubble bath. I’ll read the latest issue of Food & Wine while I soak and the next morning the world is right again.

It always works!

What’s your favorite comfort food?

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  • Kim@Everstrong
    October 21, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    mac & cheese πŸ™‚

  • Michelle (The Runner's Plate)
    October 21, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    tomato soup and grilled cheese!

  • Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
    October 21, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    My favorite is probably mac and cheese (with bacon of course!) but the most memorable is pot roast with mashed potatoes and egg noodles and gravy. I love that. Tastes like my youth!

  • kristen
    October 21, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    I know it won’t be your “comfort dish” anymore- but add a little bacon to that and you’ve got yourself an even bigger winner πŸ™‚

  • kristen
    October 21, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    oh- and my comfort dish is Ichiban Noodles (ramen to Americans I think…but the brand I always had growing up was Ichiban)

  • Jenn @ LiveWellFitNow
    October 21, 2010 at 2:20 pm

    The classic spaghetti with my mom’s homemade red sauce. She used to start making the sauce first thing in the morning and then it would simmer all. day. long. The smell is incredible!

  • Steph
    October 21, 2010 at 2:20 pm

    My dad’s cheeseburgers, his chow mein and macaroni and cheese in general. Yum, I want all of those things right now. I sure do miss my dad’s cooking, I miss living at home with my parents!

  • Heather
    October 21, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Salmon croquettes, lima beans and mac ‘n cheese. Best mom dinner ever!

  • cathy b. @ brightbakes.com
    October 21, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Salty smoky ham with white beans in a savory broth..plus a dried apple “snitz” half-moon pie topped with cheese!!!
    I grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch Country (central PA)…and my Mom made this anytime we had leftover ham…I still make it today..and yes, it epitomizes “home” and “comfort” to me.and now it’s my Mister’s favorite food too!
    love,
    cathy B. @ brightbakes

  • Jess
    October 21, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    My dad’s roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted carrots and onions. Every time I went home during college I requested it. Mmm. I might have to call him up and invite myself to dinner and ask him to make it, now that I’m thinking about it.

  • Amanda (Eating Up)
    October 21, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    Meal that my mom made me: Pot roast with vegetables. I love it.

    Food from the grocery store freezer: Coconut Milk’s Purely Decadent Mocha Almond Fudge.

  • Carla
    October 21, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    I have to say pot roast with gravy and rice or seafood gumbo. Now that I can make them for myself like you I do so and it makes me happy.

  • Laura
    October 21, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    Linguine and clams sound great!
    My favorite comfort food is mashed potatoes with canned peas. Sounds kinda odd but in the winter this is my go-to meal when I need to warm up. I like to add protein and fiber by sneaking pureed cannelini or garbanzo beans into the mashed potatoes.

  • Evan Thomas
    October 21, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is my mother’s idea of comfort food. She would eat it every night if she cooked that much.
    For me, you just can’t go wrong with a baked potato and ground beef cooked with onions and peppers and tomato sauce

  • Molly
    October 21, 2010 at 2:38 pm

    oh man. Do I have to pick just one?
    Anything peanut butter or chocolate (obviously) but my mom’s cooking…anything really. My grandma’s pumpkin chiffon pie, melting moments cookies (like heaven, I swear), or my mom’s chicken/ham and bell pepper lasagna.
    to.die.for.

    • Jessi
      October 23, 2010 at 11:48 pm

      I love Love LOVE pumpkin chiffon pie!

  • Lisa (bakebikeblog)
    October 21, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    oooh yes – what a beautiful dish!

  • Chicago Cuisine Critique
    October 21, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    My favorite is definitely mac & cheese (which my mom made from my grandma’s recipe), linguine and clams is a close second since that was the one meal my dad always made for me and my brother when he was left to feed us. πŸ™‚

  • Runeatrepeat
    October 21, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    My comfort food is a big gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Love.

  • Alina @ Duty Free Foodie
    October 21, 2010 at 2:47 pm

    Nachos!!! Well, among other things. But there is something comforting about their salty and cheesy deliciousness. In fact, I may have some lunch plans involving nachos tomorrow.

  • Laughter-Loving Stacy
    October 21, 2010 at 2:50 pm

    lol, mac ‘n cheese with applesauce ON TOP. (I know, but believe me it’s amazing).

    or buttered noodles with cottage cheese ALSO on top.

    I was a weird child, but it’s tasty, and i love it πŸ™‚

  • Liz @ Blog is the New Black
    October 21, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    I love comfort food. I’m not sure that I have a fav childhood one, but nowadays it’s meatloaf, or anything with mashed potatoes!

  • Liza
    October 21, 2010 at 2:55 pm

    This tomato stew my mother made growing up. I was a vegetarian so I got my own stew without the meat. It was mustardy and delicious.

  • Krystina (Organically Me)
    October 21, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    I love that you use canned clams instead of getting all “fancy”.
    My favorite comfort food? A tie between soup (especially paste e fagioli) and zucchini and potatoes, both done the way my nana does it.

  • Rachel @ The Avid Appetite
    October 21, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    My mom’s meatballs, ziti, chicken parm. She makes the best Italian food and it reminds me of home!

  • Caitlin
    October 21, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    Aw what a sweet story. I love gnocchi, stew, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, chili, minestrone soup, grilled cheese with tuna, bread with mayo and cheese…anything my grandma or mom cooked me as a child.

  • sherri
    October 21, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    yes! linguine and clams is my fav too but only fresh clams. i love picking through the shells and dipping ciabatta bread into the broth. i will eat canned clams in chowder but don’t put them on my linguine. i will not eat them weird i am.

  • Lida
    October 21, 2010 at 3:01 pm

    Chinese steamed egg with soy sauce, sesame oil and scallions over rice… the rice just soaks up the soy sauce broth. It’s heavenly.

  • Ida
    October 21, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    Chicken mirabella and served with buttered rice.

  • Estela @ Weekly Bite
    October 21, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    Hands down… Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes!!

  • Charles
    October 21, 2010 at 3:23 pm

    Pancit Palabok, a Filipino noodle dish, with waaaay too much soy and lemon.

  • eatmovelove
    October 21, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    Well…I eat my comfort foods everyday…for sure…but if were talking real “comfort” I’d think back to meals my Mom made really – like a “ShipWreck” (basically a layered casserole of rice, veggies, tomato sauce, ground meat on top and ketchup dumped on it πŸ™‚ )…pizza and classic chocolate-chip is a given πŸ™‚

    Never had clams…

  • kaila
    October 21, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    those are the exact same clams my mom uses in her white clam sauce! its def one of my fave comfort foods, thin spaghetti, asparagus, hot cherry peppers, olive oil, and loads of clams! so freakin goooood.

  • The Wife of a Dairyman
    October 21, 2010 at 3:36 pm

    Comfort food on a cold winter day……nothing better. Chili and cornbread with honey butter of course!

  • Hope
    October 21, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Mine would have to be mashed potatoes and peas! Either that or this amazing smoked salmon creamy pasta that my mum always used to make…mmm I think I may make this for dinner now! Just hide the salmon from the husband

  • Charise
    October 21, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    Tuna noodle casserole – my mom made it all the time! I hardly ever have it now, because my husband can’t stand the smell of canned tuna. But I do want to figure out a way to replace the icky processed cream of mushroom/celery soup. Also, her mashed potatoes. And every once in a great while, I just have to have mac & cheese from the blue box. πŸ˜‰

  • patty
    October 21, 2010 at 3:46 pm

    what a crime to put cheese on clams!

  • Jasmine @ Eat Move Write
    October 21, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    My favorite comfort food is “celery chicken.” My mom used to fry chicken, then drop that in a crockpot with cream of celery soup, potatoes and carrots. Served with biscuits. OMG. Loved it.

  • Kasey
    October 21, 2010 at 3:53 pm

    My favorite comfort food is Seafood Gumbo the way my MawMaw used to make it πŸ™‚

    • KatieTX
      October 21, 2010 at 5:49 pm

      I absolutely agree. Louisiana has the best food, especially when you MawMaw makes it.

  • Camille
    October 21, 2010 at 3:54 pm

    My comfort food is grilled cheese. All the way πŸ™‚

  • Diana @ frontyardfoodie
    October 21, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    Yummy!

    I have a few but my most favorite food every that I eat is hummus and carrots. Also, the really super crappy Kraft mac and cheese…..don’t judge me.

  • rebecca lustig
    October 21, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    my comfort food is SOUP. but only certain kinds of soup. like matzah soup made especially by my mom and grandmother. yumm.

    my mom used to always make pasta and clams though!!

  • Tabitha
    October 21, 2010 at 4:13 pm

    My Mamaw’s chicken and dumplings , mashed potatoes with peas, hot biscuits and ice cream are my ultimate comfort foods. Ice cream should probably be at the top of the list with the chicken and dumplings. Also, my mamaw’s pound cake or coconut pound cake. They smell like home to me and make me remember times with all our family together.

  • Gina G
    October 21, 2010 at 4:13 pm

    My momma’s pasta with her chicken marinara, with a hard boiled egg or two on top, and italian bread dipped in……don’t get no better! πŸ™‚

  • Paige @Running Around Normal
    October 21, 2010 at 4:21 pm

    There’s really nothing like comfort food, is there? πŸ™‚

  • Rachel
    October 21, 2010 at 4:31 pm

    That looks delicious. I will stay in with you on a Friday night, eating angel hair pasta and reading Uncle Toms Cabin any night.

    I grew up with my Dad, and we used to eat dinner really late because Dads do that. Every now and then, he’d make a big pot of spaghetti with a whole lot of deep, basily marinara sauce and throw in some torn up turkey or roast beef cold cuts. Maybe even a little spinach. I’ll never forget eating those huge bowls of slurpy pasta at 11 pm while watching Dateline or something.

    Comfort food is the best. Thanks for bringing back the memories!

  • Cara Craves...
    October 21, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    Any kind of soup.
    And Pizza, made by my Mom

  • Danielle in Australia!
    October 21, 2010 at 4:35 pm

    I actually just posted the recipe to my ultimate comfort food on my blog. I am from Sicilian background and my Nonna always makes me Pasta con Patate e Piselli and it equals a big warm hug in my books. Now I make it for my family!

  • amy
    October 21, 2010 at 4:44 pm

    Grits with butter and salt, 2 over easy eggs, and lots of toast to sop it all up.

  • Jenny
    October 21, 2010 at 5:27 pm

    Mexican food or anything with bread. : )

  • katie
    October 21, 2010 at 5:32 pm

    my mom’s mushroom, linguine and prosciutto pasta with a cream sauce. soo good

  • Deva (Voracious Vorilee)
    October 21, 2010 at 5:40 pm

    pancakes!

  • Danielle
    October 21, 2010 at 5:48 pm

    Looks delicious! I made a clam pasta dish recently too and it did have a sense of comfort. Comfort food to me is any pasta really. Something really heavy. Or any meal with my family has an element of comfort to it.

  • Rachael
    October 21, 2010 at 5:54 pm

    Comfort food for me is jambalaya. Even though I grew up in New York, my family’s roots are in the South, and every holiday, every wedding, every wake was punctuated by the silence that resulted from folks shoveling in my paternal great-grandmother’s jambalaya recipe. I still crave the warm spiciness when I’m feeling sick or just want to evoke fond memories.

  • M
    October 21, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    Jenna

    Sorry to switch topics .I stumbled on an incredible movie trailer for a documentary
    called May I Be Frank (you should watch it at mayibefrankmovie.com )

    It made me think of you because it is about a place called Cafe Gratitude I believe in
    Healdsberg (sp?!) where you used to live! Have you been there and do you know about this documentary-it looks like there is a screening there soon at the cafe as well as around the country (I hope it comes up here to Canada!)

    Do you know anything about this? Thanks,it looks like a really inspiring film from the clip you can see on website…

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey
    October 21, 2010 at 6:06 pm

    This looks really good – my favorite comfort food is my mom’s vegetarian chili.

  • Brenna (fabuleuxdestin)
    October 21, 2010 at 6:21 pm

    yum! i just made paella, but clams sounds great!!! 8

  • Mandee Lei
    October 21, 2010 at 6:26 pm

    “Chicken” Noodle Soup, chili, and brownies are mine.

  • sarah k. @ the pajama chef
    October 21, 2010 at 6:28 pm

    baked pasta. for sure!

  • Suzanne de Cornelia
    October 21, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    These days ‘my comfort food’ is at the mercy of Google. I have FroYo in Carmel Valley & think ‘this is it’ my new fave. Then Google only to discover it’s full of brain cancer inducing aspartame. Pretty much stick with Whole Foods red organic table wine so know it’s GMO & sulfites free. Even Ben & Jerry’s ‘All Natural’ isn’t. I eat a lot of organic greens–it’s comforting to know those are actually sustaining health. When have the occasional splurge enjoy it guilt free because most the time make healthy choices.

  • Natalie of (Nat Attacks a Balanced Life)
    October 21, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    My mums thanksgiving scalloped potatoes and pumpkin pie.

    and my bestfriends mum salad dressing.

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin
    October 21, 2010 at 6:52 pm

    My mom’s minnestrone soup and tea biscuits!

  • Alexia @ Dimple Snatcher
    October 21, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes & really really good tofu.
    and mostly anything that tastes like jamaica since i live in new york and it’s home.

  • Heather
    October 21, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    Jenna,

    I love your blog, and I didn’t see my comfort food mentioned on here. It’s pierogies sauteed in lots of butter, onions, salt, pepper, and eaten with a scoop of sour cream. So good, reminds me of my Baba, Nana, and Great Aunt.

    Cheers,

    Heather

  • Lesley Lifting Life
    October 21, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    Tomato soup & grilled cheese or a giant sweet potato!!

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca)
    October 21, 2010 at 7:45 pm

    Homemade soup is number 1 comfort food. Pasta and pizza are second.

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing
    October 21, 2010 at 8:39 pm

    Hands down, my mom’s spaghetti.. never fails to comfort me.

  • Moni'sMeals
    October 21, 2010 at 9:23 pm

    hmm, hard question. For sure all the Fall Meals I make like Soups w a bread or corn bread, Pumpkin Pies, warm brownie sundaes, warm homemade cookies straight out the oven.

    I like yours though, Linguine and Clams, never would of thought. πŸ™‚ I will have to try it out.

  • Jaime
    October 22, 2010 at 12:22 am

    My exchange mom in America used to make Broccoli Burritos and they are just beautiful and remind me of everything I love in the world. And they’re healthy to boot πŸ˜‰

  • Katharina
    October 22, 2010 at 1:06 am

    What is it about fall that makes everyone think of comfort food?
    I’ve been thinking a lot about linguine alfredo lately….but I think I’ll have to give yours a try, this looks amazingly yummy!

  • Cecilia
    October 22, 2010 at 1:09 am

    When I was a kid, my grandmother used to make a stew with veal and dill whenever I spent the night there. I haven’t eaten that in years, but just thinking about it brings me comfort!

  • Nicola (Pointy Pix)
    October 22, 2010 at 2:59 am

    My favourite comfort food is a traditional Irish dish called either Poundies (in my home town of Derry) or Champ (most of the rest of Ireland). It is essentially mashed potatoes, butter and scallions (spring onions) all chopped up through it. A load of salt (maybe some cheese through it if you fancy) and you’re good to go. It totally takes me back to my childhood and even now I love it on cold winter days when I really can’t be bothered making anything too elaborate.

  • Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down)
    October 22, 2010 at 3:19 am

    Mmm…that looks wonderful.

    I’d have to say that my mom’s spaghetti and meatballs is one of my favorite comfort foods of growing up. It was made fresh from scratch at least once a week when I was a kid, and I still have great memories of family dinners and meatballs. πŸ˜€

  • Lesley
    October 22, 2010 at 3:44 am

    The one thing I miss now that I’m vegetarian: shepherd’s pie – i miss the minced beef the most. Why do I miss the worst cut of meat? Why don’t I miss organic roast chicken or ‘caught the same day’ salmon – why do i miss ground up bits of random cow parts?

    Odd.

  • Kate
    October 22, 2010 at 4:01 am

    Hands down my go-to comfort meal when I am needing some love is poached eggs with sticks:) Wednesday was egg day at my house growing up and my father used to make us poached eggs on toast (he cut the sticks around the eggs so that you were left with an egg sitting on a square of toast). There was no need for a for a fork, as the toast spears were used to puncture and sop up the yolk. The best part was the toast square at the end….a soggy, vinegary, yolky masterpiece. Yummmmmmmmmmmm.

  • Stephanie
    October 22, 2010 at 4:40 am

    so glad you posted this recipe – i have exact can of clams in my pantry that i’ve been looking for the perfect dish to make with – this is the one!

  • Therese
    October 22, 2010 at 4:47 am

    I always run for pasta when I’m in need of comfort food. Not because it has any nostalgia to it, it’s just what I crave!

  • Kristy
    October 22, 2010 at 5:00 am

    You may have convienced me to lose my clam virginity…soon.. πŸ™‚

  • Kelsi
    October 22, 2010 at 5:07 am

    i had no idea what my comfort food was until i started living overseas and started craving sandwhiches like a mad woman. with hearty, whole grain bread if possible. oh man, i want a sandwhich now.

  • Heather
    October 22, 2010 at 5:10 am

    My mom used to make this dish for a special meal. We used to add a ton of fresh chopped parsely. Even though the clams were canned the flavor always brought me back to summer time in Maine. I need to get me some!

  • Maura
    October 22, 2010 at 5:18 am

    Anything with mashed potatoes = heaven & totally my comfort food

  • Lindsay @ The Ketchup Diaries
    October 22, 2010 at 6:00 am

    My favorite comfort food in my adult life is probably sheperd’s pie, but the taste of my youth has to be my grandma’s American Chop Suey, which was nothing like the standard version with tomato sauce. Instead, she used a ton of garlic and American cheese. Sounds strange, but it’s amazing and makes me feel as though I’m five years old again.

  • Beth @ DiningAndDishing
    October 22, 2010 at 6:05 am

    probably gnocchi. my parents never made it for me growing up but i still consider it a very homey meal :).

  • Kelly
    October 22, 2010 at 6:15 am

    Comfort food for me would be a really good pressed panini!

  • jenna
    October 22, 2010 at 6:18 am

    homemade soup and crusty bread!! I could eat it everyday all day! It’s so nourishing and warm! mmm… perfection in everyway.

  • april
    October 22, 2010 at 6:25 am

    Make ahead mashed potatoes, gravey, and my mom’s meatballs. YUMO

  • Ella
    October 22, 2010 at 6:31 am

    my family ALWAYS has clam dip at parties, and clam chowder. so i’d have to say those and cheesy potatoes (potatoes with tons and tons of melted cheddar cheese). not exactly the healthiest, but always hits the spot.

  • anne
    October 22, 2010 at 6:45 am

    Grilled cheese with tomato soup. Or pizza with a thick chewy crust with lots of red sauce. Really anything doughy and cheesy.

  • Meaghen
    October 22, 2010 at 7:09 am

    After I left for university, when I came home for weekends, my mom would make chicken caesar salad just for me! She makes her caesar dressing from scratch and it is so good! I always loved that she made it just for me because I was home and she loved me.

  • Heather (Heather's Dish)
    October 22, 2010 at 7:39 am

    my mom’s sour cream and chicken enchiladas reminds me of the nights that i would help her put together each enchilada and how much fun i have in the kitchen with my incredible family πŸ™‚

  • Natalia - a side of simple
    October 22, 2010 at 7:48 am

    Waddle? That’s amazing πŸ™‚
    My favorite comfort food was my mom’s homemade calzones. So good. She make them for me gluten-free now…but it’s not the same πŸ™

  • salah@myhealthiestlifestyle
    October 22, 2010 at 8:23 am

    My favorite comfort food is pizza most definitely!!! Nothing better πŸ™‚

  • Lacey @ Lake Life
    October 22, 2010 at 8:40 am

    My favorite comfort food will always be tomato soup and grilled cheese πŸ™‚

    Confession: I’ve never had linguine with clams. You always see it served with clams in the shell and it seems like there’s only 3 or 4 in the dish. I am definitely going to try this at home!

  • Sharon
    October 22, 2010 at 9:06 am

    I’m with the tomato soup/grilled cheese crew. Macaroni and cheese is total comfort too…and i have to add my mom’s chicken noodle soup. I am going to try your angel hair pasta and clams though-looks fantastic!

  • tessa koch
    October 22, 2010 at 9:29 am

    I love linguini with clams!!! I make it just the same. My favorite comfort food(s) are enchilada casserole and chicken parmesan- I try to make them healthy though!

  • lcgrant03
    October 22, 2010 at 9:45 am

    I have never had pasta with clams – I’ll have to try it if it’s so easy. In my book, comfort foods are ones I don’t have to slave over, so that would be my mom’s beef vegetable soup, but if I’m looking for a quick, comfy meal, a baked sweet potato with sour cream does it all the time.

  • Kati
    October 22, 2010 at 9:50 am

    My comfort food is definitely breakfast. Anytime I’m feeling down or sick, my husband makes me breakfast – usually in the form of a sandwich. Mom used to make me eggs and cinnamon toast πŸ™‚

    Your clam recipe sounds wonderful! My mom makes something very similar (with bacon) and I LOVE it!

  • Helen
    October 22, 2010 at 11:42 am

    Like any Louisiana girl…Seafood Gumbo! There is nothing like a big bowl of gumbo!

  • kim
    October 22, 2010 at 12:01 pm

    Man, that looks and sounds so delicious. Think I’ll put it on the rotation of trying new things. Thank you.
    My fave comfort meal could be a few things: my granny’s chicken and rice, my Dad’s chicken and yellow rice, or white chicken chili with sour cream, cheese, and avocado on top. Good stuff.

  • Kristen
    October 22, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    My favorite is probably disney pasta. I was looking at a disney magazine and they had recipes of stuff they had in restaurants at disneyworld and this pasta sounded really good. My mom made it one day and it became my favorite thing ever. It is pasta, a few kinds of cheese, and a whole lot of different kinds of vegetables.

  • Katherine @ Left Coast Contessa
    October 22, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    mmm comfort food. Mac and cheese or grilled cheese for sure.

  • Kelsey
    October 23, 2010 at 8:07 am

    My mom’s concord grape pie. It’s so time and labor intensive but is completely worth it! -I feel the need to say it’s not a grape pie made with jello, because people always assume that’s what it is! Ew!
    If anyone wants the recipe, you will NOT be sorry!

  • brandi
    October 23, 2010 at 8:54 am

    My most recent favorite comfort food is Pho! However, I still love my mom’s marinara recipe and her chili and her tacos… Yumm… I better call her πŸ™‚

  • kim
    October 23, 2010 at 10:06 am

    I have to agree with all the comments for meatless or pot roast. I loooove meatloaf. I could eat half a pan in one sitting. I had a meatloaf party this summer, and it was amazing. I don’t make my own pot roast, but I’m pretty much guaranteed to order it if it’s on the menu. My fave place for it is Founding Farmers in DC. Totally worth the trip down there. Of course, it doesnt matter whether it’s meatloaf or mashed potatoes, it must include a HUGE side of potatoes.

  • LindseyAnn
    October 23, 2010 at 10:39 am

    Classic, blue box mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches are my comfort foods. These remind me of spending days with both my paternal grandparents (mac and cheese) and maternal grandma (grilled cheese) because these would be what I ate for lunch when I was there, every time, and it was stuff I rarely ate anywhere else until college.
    Also, gas station hot chocolate. I know, I was a barista at a high end coffee shop for 4 years, but there’s just something about the stuff from the machine. The gas station across from the high school where I student taught knew me well.

  • Kirsten @ Cooking in Japan
    October 23, 2010 at 8:53 pm

    Now that I’m an expat living in Asia anything I grew up eating that I can’t find here is comfort food. I carved my first pumpkin in eight years yesterday and roasted the seeds and that was comfort food. The top of my list for fall comfort food is home made crab apple sauce made with apples from my mom’s back yard.

  • Jess
    October 25, 2010 at 6:44 am

    Jenna! This looked too good to pass up! I immediately went to the grocery store and made it. Delicious! :o) Thanks for sharing it.

  • Sara
    October 25, 2010 at 1:10 pm

    Jenna! This is one of my favorites too and probably the first recipe of my mother’s that I “mastered” on my own. My favorite part is the leftovers when the Parmesan has blended with the clam juice and made a creamy clam sauce for the linguine. (we also use angel hair)

  • Caroline
    November 7, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    I just tried this and it was deeeelish! I added some fresh parsley, too, which was great!

  • Vanessa
    January 3, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    Oh my gosh. I love linguine and clams! Definitely was a meal that graced our table many a times growing up!! Everytime I make it now it just brings me back!! Yum.

  • Sarah
    January 3, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    Huge, fresh, doughy, untosted bagels and cream cheese. Hands down. The ultimate comfort food. (Oh, and my Grandmother’s pizza too πŸ˜‰ )

  • Diana
    January 3, 2012 at 5:51 pm

    Thanks for posting this. I guess I always thought a great clam dish had to be not of a can. I was relieved to find a can in this case πŸ˜‰ Thanks! Love your foodie combinations, well, and, those placemats… BEAUTIFUL!

  • Dominique
    January 3, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    I’m definitely going to try this recipe out soon. I thought I was allergic to all shellfish but it turns out that I’m only allergic to crustaceans and molluscs are a-okay! There’s nothing like comfort food from your parents. Even when I try to re-create them at my home, they’re just not the same.

  • Jen @ Life Starts
    January 3, 2012 at 10:32 pm

    Oh that does sound good! As for me, if I need a comfort meal to chow down on, I love Nachos with beef mince mixed in, works every time :-D.

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  • Christine
    February 18, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    Linguini with clams is also my favorite meal! It’s easy on the wallet but looks gourmet and it reminds me of home. My dad hand’s down makes the best linguini with clams and when I make it, I think of him πŸ™‚

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