Most of us love going out for an elaborate dinner on a special occasion, but some days you just want something you can eat on the couch in your sweatpants. That's what comfort food is for. It's food that doesn't demand anything of you, but gives you the warm fuzzies. It's the culinary equivalent of a hug from your grandma. If you need that today, then look no further. We've got you covered with some authentic Canadian dishes that will leave you warm and cozy.
Comforting pies
What's more comforting than a warm, flavourful savoury pie, especially when the weather's chilly outside? One of Canada's signature pies, the Tourtière, heralds from Quebec. This French-Canadian meat pie is a traditional holiday season treat, especially around Christmas and the New Year.
Famous for its flaky pastry crust, the Tourtière pie comes filled with a delicious mixture of spices and ground meat. You'll usually find pork, beef, or veal in one of these pies, seasoned with flavours like cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Traditionally, you'll serve a Tourtière with condiments like ketchup, mustard, fruit chutney, or French's Tomato Ketchup. Fill it out with maybe a side salad or pickles for a glorious festive treat.
Tourtière isn't the only pie that Quebec is known for. Pâté chinois is more like shepherd's pie, with of layers of ground beef, canned corn, and the most comforting ingredient ever: mashed potatoes. This is a little more of a casserole-style dish, and it's not just for Christmas. French Canadians eat this all year round, with good reason. Our Pâté Chinois features thyme and nutmeg to boost its taste profile even further.
Canadian fries
Fries are another classic Canadian dish - at least when they're from Quebec. If you're noticing a French-Canadian trend here, you're right; when it comes to comfort food, the Quebecois excel. Their take on fries is poutine, which started in mid-century rural Quebec but which has spread to become a classic Canadian comfort food.
At its heart, poutine is simply fries with two other comforting foods; gravy and cheese curds. However, the great thing about this dish is that you can mix it up with all sorts of toppings and gravies to create a new meal every time. Our Ultimate Poutine Recipe uses our own Poutine Gravy Mix, and we also added Montreal Steak Spice Seasoning.
Bliss in a bowl
Where you eat comfort food is especially important. We like eating it on the most comforting place in the house: the couch. That's why comfort food is especially good in a bowl.
One of our favourite bowls of bliss is mac and cheese. This dish originally came from the states, but is now deeply ingrained in Canadian culture. That's due in part to its mix of flavours and textures. This creamy, rich cheese sauce and pasta mixture comforted the generation before us, and it'll comfort those after us. Celebrate it with our Easy Cheesy Mac & Cheese, which uses two other well-known ingredients: Classic Yellow Mustard and ketchup.
Calling all omnivores: If you want a bowlful of something a little more substantial, check out our French's Chili recipe. This hearty savory meal is stunningly easy to make thanks to French's Chili Seasoning Mix, which lends it just the right amount of heat to comfort you on a cold day. Top it off with a little melted cheese if you want to turn the comfort dial to 11.
Soups and sammies
There's another meal in a bowl that embodies comfort food: chicken noodle soup. If Canada had a constitution, we're confident that a chicken noodle soup recipe would have been written into it. This Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup has all the warming chicken and vegetable goodness you'd expect, along with oregano and bay leaves for extra flavor.
Soup and sandwiches are a Canadian lunch staple, so flesh out this soup dish with a Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich. Montreal is known for its amazing deli meat, which can brighten your smile on those days when you really need it.
More comfort food recipes
Need more comforting? We're sending you a virtual hug — and some more recipes to try.
