The 7 Best Vegan Comfort Food Recipes and Products to Indulge In

The disruption that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has caused to our daily lives has been profound, and a recent Dispatch article shows that more people are turning to comfort foods to help them feel at home while navigating this unusual terrain. The article explains that, "For a lot of people, eating has become an escape from boredom and stress these days. Consumers are picking up items at the grocery store they had been shunning just a few months ago — packaged foods, in particular, have been given new life."

In an effort to bring some joy to your shelter-in-place situation, we're breaking down our top favorite comfort food recipes from The Beet as well as readily available products you can find in the freezer aisle of your local grocery store if you're looking for a low effort meal that's high on taste. From creamy mac n' cheese to pizza in minutes, these decadent dinners will have you forgetting about everything but what's on your plate.

Make-at-Home Comfort Food Recipes

The Top 7 Vegan Comfort Foods to Buy

1. Vegan Mac, Trader Joe's

Tender, creamy and tastes like the real thing, this container of TJ's mac n' 'cheese' is the perfect thing to eat when you want to experience the taste of home cooking with minimal effort. The shell shapes hold the rich sauce well and the flavor mimics cheese almost perfectly-- even non-vegans will love this. Crack a little black pepper over, heat it up, and dig in! Dinner rolls optional for dunking in the leftover 'cheese' sauce.

2. Vegan Margherita Pizza, Amy's Kitchen

Nothing beats a premade pizza on a lazy night, but it can be hard to come by a delicious vegan one. Amy's Kitchen continues to deliver yummy, premade meals that are dairy and meat-free. While they have a range of stellar vegan pizzas, with flavors including Roasted Vegetable and Vegan Supreme, loaded with meatless 'sausage', why not stick to a classic with their Vegan Margherita. Keep a few of these stocked in your freezer for whenever you may need a meal in a pinch.

3. Veggie Lo Mein, Sweet Earth

When you don't have time to order takeout, turn to Sweet Earth's Veggie Lo Mein. Unlike traditional Lo Mein, the noodles in this heat-and-eat dinner contain no egg, so it's totally vegan! With 21 grams of plant-based protein, you don't have to feel too bad about making this meal a regular thing.

4. Organic Medium Chili, Amy's Kitchen

Made from organic red beans and tofu, you can have all of the comforts of chili without any of the ground beef. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a wedge of lime or get creative and serve over vegan nachos or veggie dog for an impressive feast.

5. Cauliflower Gnocchi, Trader Joe's

This soft gnocchi may be made from cauliflower, but it has all of the rich pillowy texture of the traditional dish. It can easily be pan-fried and served under your favorite tomato sauce for an easy, home-cooked meal, or, air-fried for a crispy appetizer. This gnocchi is also available made from kale if you're trying to pack more greens into your comfort foods.

6. Skillet Meals, Gardein

Short on time but what a decadent pasta dish? Gardein's skillet meals will provide you with plant-based delights like 'Chick'n Florentina' from the bag to your plate in under 10 minutes. Other offerings in their skillet meals line include Chick'n Fried Rice, Rigatoni n' Saus'age and Lambless Vindaloo.

7. Vegan Buffalo Meatless Dippers, Quorn

If you've been meatless for a while, buffalo wings are probably just a distant, fond memory, but Quorn is helping to bring the taste back in a totally vegan way with these buffalo flavored dippers. Quorn uses mycoprotein to perfectly replicate the chewy texture of meat and deliver you a great source of plant-based protein. Pair with a vegan ranch or blue cheese sauce and enjoy!

Categories: Shopping Guides