18 Comfort Food Recipes You Can Make In 30 Minutes—Or Less Spend less time in the kitchen after a busy day. By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Senior Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on December 19, 2024 Close Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall When you're craving a comforting meal but don't have much time to spend in the kitchen, these 30-minute comfort food recipes will save the day. Whether you're feeling under the weather, need a pick-me-up after a long day, or need to deliver a meal to a friend in need, these quick and easy recipes will offer up some feel-good food in just half an hour. From classic recipes like homemade chicken noodle soup and mac and cheese, to new favorites like bourbon chicken, these comfort food recipes come together from start to finish in just 30 minutes or less. 61 Dinner Ideas Ready In 30 Minutes Or Less 01 of 18 Smothered Steaks With Mushroom Sauce Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely This delicious meal looks company-worthy, but it's super easy to pull off. Make things come together even more quickly by serving the meat and sauce with microwavable rice or store-bought mashed potatoes. Get The Recipe Save 02 of 18 Ham Carbonara With Peas Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley This pasta is a great reason to always keep a bag of peas in the freezer. To keep things interesting, we substituted ham for bacon, but it's delicious either way. Get The Recipe Save 03 of 18 Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup Thanks to rotisserie chicken, it's possible to enjoy a comforting bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup in just 30 minutes. Get The Recipe Save 04 of 18 Cajun Shrimp Stir-Fry Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Shrimp are one of the fastest-cooking proteins, and this 20-minute recipe will leave you with a complete meal. Prep the ingredients before you start cooking because the dish comes together in a flash. Get The Recipe Save 05 of 18 Stovetop Macaroni And Cheese Credit: MORGAN HUNT GLAZE; FOOD STYLIST: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINE KEELY This macaroni and cheese is way better than any boxed mix, and it doesn't even take much more time to prepare. Get The Recipe Save 06 of 18 Sheet Pan Fajitas Credit: Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin Chicken fajitas in 20 minutes? You bet, thanks to this clever sheet pan recipe. Get The Recipe Save 07 of 18 Smothered Pork Chops With Rice Credit: Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Food Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl This classic supper of pork chops that are served over a bed of rice and finished with a flavor-packed gravy is sure to deliver comfort in just one bite. Get The Recipe Save 08 of 18 Ravioli Lasagna Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Skip the time-consuming layering steps in a traditional lasagna recipe, but keep the gooey cheese, tangy sauce, and tender pasta. Get The Recipe Save 09 of 18 Pepperoni Pasta Salad Credit: Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Jasmine Smith; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Yes, this salad will be gobbled up at any party you bring it to, but it also makes a great weeknight meal. The recipe does make a large amount, so plan on leftovers or lunches. Get The Recipe Save 10 of 18 Instant Pot Chili Mac Credit: Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Enjoy two comfort foods in one bowl with this easy chili mac recipe made in the Instant Pot. Get The Recipe Save 11 of 18 Bourbon Chicken Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Pantry staples (and a bit of bourbon) come together to make the tangy sauce for this 25-minute chicken dish. Get The Recipe Save 12 of 18 Chicken Bog Credit: Greg DuPree Don't get misled by the name. This Lowcountry classic of shredded chicken, vegetables, and rice is as comforting as a one-pot meal can be. Get The Recipe Save 13 of 18 Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Rebecca Cummins Grilled cheeses are quick and easy to pull together as it is. The air fryer makes it even simpler, and all you need is a cup of soup or fruit on the side. Get The Recipe Save 14 of 18 Roasted Tomato Macaroni And Cheese Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Roasted tomatoes add an extra layer of flavor to a cheesy dish of homemade mac and cheese. Get The Recipe Save 15 of 18 Sloppy Joe Casserole With Dinner Rolls Credit: Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck A casserole that's topped with sweet Hawaiian rolls is guaranteed to deliver plenty of comfort to the whole family. Get The Recipe Save 16 of 18 Skillet BBQ Chicken Credit: Alison Miksch These chicken thighs are coated in a stir-together homemade barbecue sauce, but you can save even more time by using your favorite store-bought brand of sauce. Get The Recipe Save 17 of 18 Quick Turkey Chili Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall With this one-pot recipe, you can have a steaming bowl of chili on the table in under 30 minutes. Saute onion and peppers, throw in the remaining ingredients, then cook until the ground turkey is no longer pink. Get The Recipe Save 18 of 18 Chicken-And-Broccoli Skillet Pasta Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Use a rotisserie chicken to pull together this pasta dinner quickly. Plus, broccoli adds a nutritious vegetable to the mix. Get The Recipe Save Explore more: Food and Recipes Quick and Easy Dinners Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit