16 Best Vegetarian Comfort Food Recipes

Authentic Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiana Di Melanzane) — The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Sometimes, nothing but comfort food will do. Those nostalgic dishes such as lasagna, mac and cheese, and meatloaf are incredibly satisfying. These dishes are often family favorites—the kind of food that gathers everyone around the table or that you proudly pack up to take to a potluck. They are the definition of crowd-pleasers. They also happen to be vegetarian.

These comfort food recipes are meat free without losing any of the comforts. They're guaranteed to make everyone at the dinner table happy.

The Vegetarian Diet: What It Is and What You Can Eat

High-angle view of a vegetarian dinner table

01 of 16

Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese

The Spruce

There are few dishes more comforting than macaroni and cheese. This baked version comes out creamy and bubbly, and lightly crispy on top. Feel free to change up the cheese (any melty cheese will do) and even add diced jalapeños for heat.
02 of 16

30 Minute Mexican Enchiladas

The Spruce

Warm and filled with gooey cheese, enchiladas are as simple to make as they are enjoyable to eat. This recipe is easy to make yourself by adding your choice of fillings along with the cheese. Try sautéed mushrooms, peppers, or spinach.
03 of 16

Easy Vegetarian Meatloaf Loaf

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

With the help of vegetarian "beef," you can have a meat-free meatloaf that looks and tastes just like the real thing. Top the classic comfort food with ketchup and serve with a pile of mashed potatoes.
04 of 16

Cheesy Stuffed Potato Skins With Vegetarian Bacon Bits

The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

Crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle, these potato skins are an indulgent appetizer or a fun dinner side dish. Top with sour cream and chives or scallions, or serve alongside for dipping.

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05 of 16

Perfect Spinach Lasagna

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Lasagna, with its layers of melty cheese, tender pasta, and tomato sauce, is a crowd-pleasing dish. This version swaps the usual meat filling for spinach. Thanks to no-boil noodles, it comes together in no time.
06 of 16

Vegan Impossible Swedish 'Meatballs'

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Impossible Burger meat is so similar to the real thing that you can feed these Swedish "meatballs" to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Bathed in a creamy sauce, they're incredibly satisfying.
07 of 16

Mushroom Bolognese

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

This flavorful sauce has an almost meaty quality thanks to a variety of mushrooms. Slow cooked with red wine and aromatics, it's a rich, velvety Bolognese that's worth the effort. Serve tossed with linguine or tube-shaped pasta.
08 of 16

Vegetable Fried Rice With Cashews

The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Make takeout quality fried rice in less than 20 minutes for a comforting vegetarian meal. The key to great fried rice is using already cooked and cooled rice, making for a tasty way to use up leftovers.

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09 of 16

Kidney Bean Burger With Mushrooms

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Kidney beans and mushrooms give these veggie burgers a meaty texture and flavor. Top with your choice of toppings, such as melted cheese, grilled onions, and your choice of sauce. A homemade special sauce would make these burgers extra delicious.
10 of 16

Giant Grilled Cheese

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Bring your hunger to this ooey, gooey giant grilled cheese. Start with an unsliced loaf of white bread, slice it horizontally down the middle, and pack it with cheese. The broiler turns it into a melty treat. Use a mix of your favorite cheeses.
11 of 16

Neapolitan Pizza

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Pizza is pure comfort in food form. Homemade Neapolitan pizza is fun to make and shape, and everyone can pick their toppings. For a quick and easy dinner, use high-quality store-bought pizza dough. Some pizza places will let you buy uncooked balls of dough, too.
12 of 16

Vegetarian Classic Meatless Frito Pie

The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

Frito chips provide a crunchy, salty base for baked nachos. Topped with vegetarian chili and cheese, along with onions, tomatoes, and sour cream, it's a fun game-day dish. Offer hot sauce alongside the Frito pie for spice lovers.

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13 of 16

Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

The usual beef is swapped for mushrooms in this vegetarian stroganoff. It's still just as creamy, savory, and comforting as the original dish, and it only takes about half an hour to throw together. To keep this dish vegetarian, make sure your Worcestershire sauce is 100 percent meat free, or replace it with soy sauce.
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Authentic Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiana di Melanzane)

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

A big plate of hot eggplant Parmesan will fill you up and make you feel like a million bucks. The classic comfort food is satisfying enough for nonvegetarians and tastes great served with hot pasta or crusty bread. Or turn it into sub sandwiches.
15 of 16

Creamy Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

The Spruce / Andrea Livingston

Shepherd's pie is usually made with a meat filling but can easily be turned into a vegetarian dish. A mix of veggies is combined with savory gravy and topped with fluffy mashed potatoes before being baked.
16 of 16

Congee (Chinese Rice Porridge)

The Spruce

Congee is a creamy rice porridge that is incredibly comforting to eat on a cold day. It's easy to embellish—replace all or part of the water with vegetable broth and add toppings like wilted spinach or bok choy, a soft-boiled egg, and crushed peanuts.

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