MomSkoop
Ever wonder what culinary masters eat when they’re not creating fancy dishes? Even the world’s top chefs crave simple foods that bring them comfort and joy. These kitchen virtuosos, who spend their days crafting complex gastronomic masterpieces, often turn to basic, soul-warming dishes when they’re off duty. Their comfort food choices reveal the human side of these culinary geniuses and remind us that sometimes the simplest dishes carry the most meaningful flavors.
1. Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash & Apple Soup
The beloved ‘Barefoot Contessa’ finds solace in a steaming bowl of butternut squash and apple soup when autumn leaves begin to fall. This velvety concoction marries the earthy sweetness of roasted squash with the bright tang of fresh apples.
Garten often reminisces about developing this recipe during chilly evenings in her East Hampton home, perfecting the balance of warmth and comfort. The soup represents her cooking philosophy perfectly – simple ingredients transformed through thoughtful preparation.
“Food doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious,” Garten often says, a sentiment embodied in this soothing soup that warms both body and spirit with each spoonful.
2. Bobby Flay’s Bacon-Egg-Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
Behind the competitive spirit and southwestern flair, Bobby Flay starts many mornings with the humble bacon-egg-cheese sandwich. The Iron Chef admits this deli classic trumps fancy brunch fare when he’s seeking genuine satisfaction.
Flay’s version elevates the bodega staple with perfectly scrambled eggs (never overcooked), crisp bacon, and sharp cheddar on a toasted roll. He’s been known to add a dash of hot sauce – a nod to his signature bold flavors.
For this chef who built an empire on sophisticated southwestern cuisine, there’s something grounding about this unpretentious handheld meal that connects him to his New York roots and simpler times.
3. Alex Guarnaschelli’s Spaghetti and Meatballs
The formidable Iron Chef and Chopped judge melts at the mention of classic spaghetti and meatballs. Guarnaschelli, trained in French cuisine at some of the world’s most demanding restaurants, retreats to this Italian-American standard when seeking culinary comfort.
Her version features tender beef and pork meatballs, gently simmered in a San Marzano tomato sauce that bubbles away for hours. The pasta must be perfectly al dente – a non-negotiable standard even in comfort food.
Guarnaschelli learned this dish from her food-editor mother, making it as much about memory as flavor. “Sometimes the most impressive food is the most honest,” she says about this generational recipe that continues to soothe her chef’s soul.
4. Giada De Laurentiis’s Macaroni & Cheese
The queen of Italian-American cuisine on television has a soft spot for creamy, cheesy macaroni. Despite her sophisticated palate and culinary pedigree, De Laurentiis returns to this childhood favorite when seeking comfort.
Her twist incorporates mascarpone for extra creaminess and a blend of Parmesan and pecorino to introduce the Italian flavors she’s known for. Giada often adds breadcrumbs tossed with herbs and olive oil for a Mediterranean-inspired crust.
Growing up between Rome and California, this dish represents the American side of her culinary identity. “Mac and cheese reminds me of discovering American food as a child,” she’s shared, explaining why this simple pasta continues to hold a special place in her heart.
5. Rachael Ray’s Cheese Steak Sandwich
The energetic cooking personality who taught America to embrace 30-minute meals finds her own comfort in a messy, indulgent cheese steak sandwich. Ray, known for practical home cooking, doesn’t complicate this Philadelphia classic.
Her version features thinly sliced ribeye, caramelized onions, and provolone cheese melted to perfection on a crusty roll. While staying true to the sandwich’s roots, she occasionally adds her signature twist – a handful of hot cherry pepper rings for extra zing.
For someone who has published countless cookbooks and hosted multiple shows, this unpretentious sandwich represents what Ray values most in food: accessibility, satisfaction, and the kind of messy deliciousness that makes you forget about being proper at the table.
6. Nigella Lawson’s Comfort Food Quartet
The British domestic goddess known for sensuous food writing admits to not one but four comfort foods she turns to repeatedly. Lawson’s quartet of culinary consolation includes hearty sausages with creamy mashed potatoes, classic macaroni and cheese, restorative chicken soup, and rich chocolate cake.
Her approach to these classics emphasizes quality ingredients treated simply. The chocolate cake must be squidgy in the center; the chicken soup needs proper homemade stock; the sausages should be the best butcher-made varieties.
“True comfort food isn’t just about the flavor but the feeling it evokes,” Lawson explains. These four dishes represent different emotional needs – from the warming embrace of soup to the celebratory indulgence of chocolate – covering all comfort bases in her culinary repertoire.
7. Gordon Ramsay’s In-N-Out Double Double Burger
The fiery chef with multiple Michelin stars and a reputation for perfectionism has a surprising fast-food weakness. Ramsay, who can often be scathing about subpar cuisine, makes exceptions for In-N-Out’s Double Double burger when visiting the American West Coast.
Despite building an empire on fine dining, Ramsay appreciates the burger chain’s commitment to fresh ingredients and consistent execution. He typically orders his Double Double “Animal Style” – with mustard-grilled patties, extra spread, and grilled onions.
For a chef who demands excellence in professional kitchens worldwide, this fast-food indulgence reveals his appreciation for well-executed simplicity. “It’s one of the best burgers I’ve ever had,” Ramsay has declared, showing that even culinary perfectionists have their accessible guilty pleasures.
8. René Redzepi’s Humble Potato Skins
The pioneer of New Nordic cuisine and mastermind behind Noma – repeatedly named the world’s best restaurant – finds comfort in the humblest of ingredients: potato skins. Redzepi, who forages for rare ingredients and creates avant-garde dishes, cherishes this zero-waste snack from his childhood.
His version elevates the humble peel by frying until perfectly crisp, then seasoning with salt harvested from Nordic waters. Sometimes he adds wild herbs or a fermented element – subtle nods to his innovative cooking style.
This preference speaks volumes about Redzepi’s philosophy of honoring ingredients others might discard. For a chef who transformed global gastronomy with his reverence for local ecosystems, finding pleasure in potato skins represents his commitment to seeing value and potential in the overlooked.
9. Ryan Rondeno’s Soul-Warming Gumbo
The private chef to Hollywood stars reconnects with his Louisiana roots through a steaming pot of gumbo. Rondeno, who crafts sophisticated meals for celebrities, returns to this Creole classic whenever he needs culinary grounding.
His version starts with a deeply browned roux, the critical foundation that provides gumbo’s characteristic richness. Andouille sausage, chicken, and fresh seafood mingle with the “holy trinity” of bell peppers, onions, and celery in a slow-simmered celebration of flavors.
For Rondeno, gumbo represents more than comfort – it’s cultural heritage in a bowl. Each spoonful connects him to generations of Louisiana cooks who perfected this dish long before celebrity chefs existed, reminding him of family gatherings where food was the centerpiece of connection.
10. Paul Liebrandt’s Chinese Food Escape
The British-born chef known for avant-garde techniques and artistic plating at Michelin-starred establishments has a secret comfort food indulgence: cheap Chinese takeout, particularly wonton soup.
Liebrandt, whose professional work features molecular gastronomy and precise compositions, embraces the opposite end of the spectrum when seeking comfort. After long restaurant shifts creating intricate dishes, he finds solace in the straightforward flavors of wonton soup with its clear broth and simple dumplings.
The unpretentious nature of neighborhood Chinese restaurants provides a counterbalance to the high-pressure culinary world he inhabits. This preference reveals the duality of many chefs’ palates – appreciating both gastronomic innovation and uncomplicated tradition.
For Liebrandt, wonton soup represents a mental break from the complexities of fine dining and a return to food’s fundamental purpose: satisfaction.
11. Umberto Bombana’s Classic Italian Pastas
The maestro behind the first Italian restaurant outside Italy to earn three Michelin stars returns to the pasta classics of his homeland when seeking comfort. Bombana, celebrated for sophisticated Italian cuisine at his Hong Kong restaurant Otto e Mezzo Bombana, craves the dishes his grandmother taught him to make.
Simple preparations like cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper pasta) or tagliatelle al ragù transport him instantly to childhood in Bergamo, northern Italy. He insists these dishes require only a handful of impeccable ingredients and perfect technique.
For Bombana, these pastas represent the essence of Italian cooking philosophy – allowing superb ingredients to shine through minimal intervention.
“The most difficult thing is to keep it simple,” he often says, a principle that guides both his award-winning restaurant dishes and his personal comfort food choices.
12. Emeril Lagasse’s Kicked-Up Chili
The chef who taught America to “BAM!” their cooking seeks comfort in a hearty pot of chili with his own New Orleans-inspired twist. Lagasse’s version combines ground turkey and spicy sausage for a lighter approach that doesn’t sacrifice flavor.
True to form, he amplifies traditional chili with his signature Creole seasoning blend and occasionally adds unexpected ingredients like dark chocolate or a splash of bourbon. The result is a cross-cultural comfort food that bridges his Portuguese-American upbringing with his adopted Louisiana home.
For the chef who pioneered food television entertainment, this dish represents the accessible, flavor-forward cooking that made him famous. When Lagasse makes chili at home, it’s a reminder that comfort food can be both familiar and exciting – just like his approachable yet innovative cooking style.