Fans Told Mashed Their Favorite Comfort Food - Exclusive Survey
Comfort foods are tried and true classics. They're often your go-to when looking for a meal to cheer you up when you are down, perhaps after a bad day at work or a break-up. Sometimes they have sentimental value, reminding you of the dishes your grandma used to serve for Sunday dinner when you were a kid. They tend to contain lots of calories, carbs, and/or sugar, but hey, when you need the food equivalent of being wrapped in a warm blanket, health isn't at the forefront of your mind.
But what specific dishes do most people turn to in their time of need? Mashed asked 23,000 people about their favorite comfort food, and the winner was clear: A whopping 44% of those surveyed said they tend toward pizza and pasta when it comes time to sit down and enjoy a plate of something soothing.
Pizza and pasta might seem like an obvious choice when it comes to comfort food, as there are endless possible pizza toppings and cheese options, and countless types of pasta shapes and hearty sauces like vodka, Alfredo, and pesto. There really is something for everyone.
How did other comfort foods fare in the survey?
Second place in our favorite comfort foods survey went to fried chicken and mashed potatoes, which garnered 27% of the vote. The two are a natural pair; the creamy mashed potatoes easily complements the crunchy fried chicken. Next up came macaroni and cheese with 13% of the vote, which makes sense — we already know people love pasta, but adding gooey cheese just ups the ante. The penultimate choice was meatloaf with 10% of the vote, and grilled cheese came in last with just 6% of the vote.
Some of people polled took to the comments of the survey to more specifically share their favorite comfort foods. "Comfort food is buttermilk marinated skillet fried chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade biscuits," one person wrote, while another chimed in with, "I'm proud to be in the 10% of meatloaf voters, [it] can be made with a lot of different flavors/spices/meats and also put into an awesome sandwich."