Comfort Food Essentials: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for All-Time Favorite Feel-Good Foods (Fox Chapel Publishing) Cozy Cookbook - Banana Bread, Mac and Cheese, Chicken Noodle Soup, Pizza, and More

by Kim Wilcox

A delicious, down-home cookbook of all your favorite comfort foods! Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Macaroni and cheese. Nothing beats a warm, cozy meal that feels like a hug, and Comfort Food Essentials is here to provide you with endless ideas for everyone's favorite kind of food! From breakfast, lunch, and dinner to sides, breads, desserts, and even toppings, this comfort food cookbook features over 100 hearty recipes the whole family is sure to love. These are dishes from the author's own restaurant, as well as family recipes that she has tweaked over the years. She even features a chapter of the favorite comfort food recipes of her chef friends! Packed with recipes like beef stew, meatloaf, chicken salad, sausage gravy, stuffed French toast, beans and rice, and so much more, each all-time favorite, down-home recipe is sure to warm your heart and soul as you gather around the table and dig in! Here is just a small sampling of the many recipes included in this

Breakfast : Breads : Soups : Sandwiches : Childhood Comforts : Main Dishes : Deserts : Beverages : Special Chef Favorites : And much more! Also included is helpful information about the cooking utensils you will need to prepare the dishes, how to make ingredient substitutions, and time-honored cooking tips. Author Kim Wilcox is the owner of the popular family-owned restaurant It's All So Yummy in Knoxville, Tennessee. She is the author of The Great Book of Grilled Cheese and her recipes have also appeared in the wildly popular The Ultimate Spam (R) Cookbook . Make delicious, comforting, warm recipes the whole family will love, with Comfort Food Essentials !

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published October 23, 2023

Reviews

[Rachel Hanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING ⚠️ Do not read Comfort Food Essentials on an empty stomach!

Well, now that I am starving and want to try Every. Single. Item featured in this cookbook, I will say that this is my type of cookbook. What first grabbed my attention was the title. Did someone say comfort food? Yep, count me in! Secondly, this cookbook had simple recipes with ingredients that I have actually heard of and have most on hand (thank God I don’t have to go to France or specialty markets just to make a dinner). Also, each recipe had a mouth watering picture next to it so I could visualize my next meal. 🍽️

This cookbook started off with some awesome Time-Honored Cooking Tips. We then went to breakfast dishes, breads, soups, dinners, desserts, and recipes from friends. The author even shared her Christmas Eve Chili, which has been a family tradition for many years. I’m planning to start this tradition myself.

I really enjoyed this cookbook, and I am going to order myself a copy of this cookbook to have for my own personal use. I just wish this cookbook was a little bit lengthier, as I felt that while the recipes were exactly what I was looking for- I think more could have been provided.

All in all, this is a wonderful cookbook that I definitely recommend! 😋

Many thanks to NetGalley, Fox Chapel Publishing, and Kim Wilcox for an ARC of this cookbook which I had the pleasure of reviewing. All tastebuds are my own 😉
Publication date: January 17, 2024

[Bevany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of home easy home cooked recipes. The author shares a lot of tips and notes to make it easy for the reader. There are recipes included from several professional chefs as well. The pictures and imagery are wonderful, and the food consists of food you would actually cook for your busy family!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for access to this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Well, the book title says it all 😋😋.. The recipes in there look like my type of comfort food. Stay away if you're on diet or if you suffer from high cholesterol. They're not recipes I'd make everyday, but once in a while we all need a little "pick me up" and this recipe book will deliver.. plus all the photos look soo yummy.

[Poppy Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
A delicious, down-home cookbook for all your favourite comfort foods! Nothing beats a warm, cozy meal, and Comfort Food Essentials is here to provide you with endless ideas for everyone's favourite kind of food!

From breakfast, lunch, and dinner to sides, breads, desserts, and even toppings and condiments, this comfort food cookbook features over 100 hearty recipes the whole family is sure to love. Packed with recipes for chicken noodle soup, pizza, mac and cheese, meatloaf, chilli con carne (or chilli non carne), and so much more, each all-time favourite, down-home recipe is sure to warm your heart and soul as you gather around the table and dig in!

Author Kim Wilcox is the owner of the popular family-owned restaurant It's All So Yummy in Knoxville, Tennessee. She is the author of The Great Book of Grilled Cheese and her recipes have also appeared in the wildly popular The Ultimate Spam (R) Cookbook Make delicious, comforting, warm recipes the whole family will love, with Comfort Food Essentials!

Warm and cozy? It is 110 degrees and HUMID as I type this, but I have so many plans for this book come October when it comes out … in fact, I ordered a copy of it for my own personal use! (if I can jigger the recipes to make in my InstantPot which creates zero heat in the kitchen I will make them now … that is about the only appliance used from June through mid-September in this home!)

The foods presented in here are YUMMY looking and sounding and no recipe is beyond the skills of even the most basic of cooks. And, homemade means less UPF (ultra-processed foods) in your belly – I admit that due to budgetary restrictions, we eat a lot of boxed macaroni and cheese but I add in a tonne of veggies to it so it is mixed veggies with a little macaroni in it.) The perfect cool and cold weather cookbook, I will recommend this far and wide and share that I bought it for myself!
#shortbutsweetreviews

p.s. why do the English call is macaroni cheese ... do they like omitting "and"? And don't get me started with "in hospital" ... the distinct lack of THE annoys me too... #butIdigress

[Carole Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who like their comfort food with a Southern flair…or just plain delicious.

When I first scanned the list of recipes contained in this new cookbook, I didn’t need to read the introduction to realize that the author was Southern. With recipes such as Sausage Gravy, Black-Eyed Peas and Hummingbird Cake alongside more universal comfort foods like Chicken Noodle Soup, Meatloaf and Chili, I got the picture. When shortening as well as lots of butter popped up in the recipes themselves, that sealed the deal. That is by no means a complaint nor a criticism, I just want to explain what this cookbook is (and is not). If you’re looking for healthy, heart-friendly, low-calorie things, this is not the book for you (and since the title lets you know that this is full of recipes for comfort food, you shouldn’t be looking for those attributes here anyway, should you? Although the author does include some general tips on ways to tweak recipes to make them a bit healthier). There are no nutritional values listed (thank goodness!). What you will find are plenty of terrific, relatively easy to prepare recipes (some that even incorporate things like baking mix or canned soup) that will bring back memories of childhood days in your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. There are color photos to give you an idea of how the finished product turns out, and some hints on ways to personalize a recipe to your own taste. It didn’t take me long to start jotting down the recipes I most wanted to try.
I would recommend this cookbook to newer cooks who are looking for some easy to prepare, sure-to-be enjoyed recipes to make for family and/or friends, as well as those who have been searching for a few solid recipes not yet in their repertoire. Author Kim Wilcox owns a restaurant called It’s All So Yummy in Knoxville, TN, and I think its fair to say that should give you an idea of how good these recipes are going to taste. The recipes that called out to me included Momma’s Lemon Cake, Meatloaf Sliders, Ruth’s Cheeseburger Pies - Taco Style, and (oh my) Night at the Movies Ice Cream (trust me on that one!)….if you’re a fan of cooks like Paula Deen and Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman), pick up a copy of Comfort Food Essentials and choose your own must-tries. Bon appétit, y’all! Many thanks to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy in return for my honest review.

[Kelly Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfort Food Essentials by Kim Wilcox is an absolutely stunning cookbook, with such beautiful layout and photographs that it could easily find pride of place on someone's coffee table!
Add to that a large collection of recipes that has something to tempt everyone - even this picky eater - and you have a cookbook that will be sure to find its way into the libraries of many homes.
I also enjoyed the inclusion of fun facts and helpful hints throughout the book!
My admittedly limited cooking prowess is intrigued after reading the ARC of #ComfortFoodEssentials provided by #NetGalley.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gorgeous book is absolutely stuffed with yummy recipes that will leave you satisfied. Kim Wilcox knows food and food prep. Along with the recipes are tips about equipment and other hacks to help the recipes turn out better and make your life easier. One thing I learned is that you should store berries in jars to keep them fresh longer. I did not know that! To whet your appetite for some home-style comfort food, here is a list of the recipes I have decided I must try by category:

Breakfast Favorites
Sausage Gravy
Stuffed French Toast
Baked Eggs Napoleon 🐔

Sweet and Savory Breads
Beer Bread
Country Cornbread 🌽

Satisfying Soups
Roasted Carrot and Sweet Onion Soup
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Cheesy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
Mac and Cheese Soup
Down-Home Hearty Beef Stew 🐮

Hearty Sandwiches
Eggcellent Egg Salad
Meatloaf Sliders
Pickled Red Onions 🧅

Childhood Comforts
Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Taco Pizza 🌮

Memorable Main Dishes
Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake
Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Bowl
Oven-Roasted Vegetables
Down-Home Goulash
Beer Cheese Mac and Cheese
Pizza Mac and Cheese 🍕

Delectable Desserts
Momma Kim's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Whiskey Truffles
Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie
Grandma M's Quick Pie Crust
Fun Funfetti Cake with Homemade White Buttercream 🍰

Beloved Beverages
Heart-Warming Hot Cocoa
Hot Dr. Pepper 🥤

Favorites from My Chef Friends
Mo Mo's Grilled Sausage and Pepper Sandwich
Hot Pepper Fudge 🌶

Thank you to Fox Chapel Publishing and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbook seems to want to be a cookery magazine. It starts with a spread of things we might need, like a chalk board (?!), and after a page of tips shows its metier with a spread of baiting images and the "find on page…" directions of a magazine's wasteful preamble. And the layouts of the dishes seem to be that eye-grabbing, instant-gratification, dashing kind of style too. The creamy chicken noodle soup has the page in almost equal quarters of image, ingredient list, actual recipe, and notes as regards prepping and the contributor's brand choice. Before then we've had a few baked options and breakfasts, that only prove this has been aimed to eliminate any single ingredient or course anyone could take objection to. This is not insert high-end USA brand here, this is not centuries-old mom and pop stuff, this is pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap cooking, the Walmart-feels-posh cuisine.

Elsewhere, "there is simply no end" to what you can put in a sandwich – well, there clearly is, as you only let us have seven choices. And two of those are salads. Mac 'n' cheese becomes "pizza mac and cheese" when it gets pepperoni added.

Now before I get dissed for being so dismissive of this, I do well know there is a place for this. I don't care that it features zero nutritional data, and nothing in the way of proof to the author's pedigree until the very end. It's a welcome relief not to get yet another shakshuka recipe, fer cryin' out loud, and the lack of endives, escargots and edamame on these pages is not a problem. I'm not ornery about how ordinary this looks, but this is your bang average cookery, creating pleasant but bang average dishes. And, to coin an American phrase, that lasagne is hella burnt. A generous three stars.

[Once Upon A Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I would like to thank Netgalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for this opportunity to review this book.


"Comfort Food Essentials" is a delightful book that definitely lives up to its name, offering a collection of heartwarming reicpies that embrace the idea of comfort foods. Both the author and contributors are able to perfectly capture what comfort food means to a wide range of people.


The cookbook begins by painting a picture of how important comfort food is and the memories it holds. The author's own memories help readers connect on a personal level.


The wide range of recipies, from simple things such as sausage and gravy to more interesting things such as Kimchi "Big Mac", means readers can find things they never would have thought about trying. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, which means even new cooks can utilize it.


The mouthwatering photos of the finished products definitely make it hard to resist not making all the recipies in one day. The thoughtful notes on each recipe help elevate the comfort feeling, almost as if you are learning these recipes from a close friend.


Overall, "Comfort Food Essentials" is a heartfelt compilation of recipies that will make you feel like you're being hugged by your grandma. Whether you are trying to relearn a comfort recipe or broaden your culinary horizon, this cookbook is a kitchen shelf must-have. Be prepared to go on a trip of comforting memories, one recipe at a time.

[Karen Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfort food is an individual thing for most of us, and usually includes childhood favorites, and hearty warming foods that evoke good memories. That said, it is a difficult task to compile a cookbook that represents comfort food that everyone will relate to. Comfort Food Essentials: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for All-Time Favorite Feel-Good Foods (Fox Chapel Publishing) Cozy Cookbook - Banana Bread, Mac and Cheese, Chicken Noodle Soup, Pizza, and More, is a good attempt to present what means comfort to most of us. Wilcox has gathered recipes from many regions, i.e., Minnesota with a tater tot hot dish, American southwest with a taco pizza, southern black-eye peas and ham, etc. Many of the recipes won’t represent comfort to some of us, but are appealing anyway, and many of us will want to make them even though they might not particularly represent comfort.

The recipes are written in the traditional format, with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow for cooks at any level. Included are beautiful, professional photographs of every recipe, making each dish appear mouthwatering. The author has also added notes at the beginning of each recipe which are helpful and interesting.

All told, this cookbook most likely includes a recipe or two that most of us can relate to and consider comforting.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

[Reading Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always looking for a cookbook that can help make my busy days go better and still provide a great meal for my family. Comfort Food Essentials was perfect. Each recipe was broken down perfectly for us. It gave a great description along with an amazing picture of the finished product that made you want to dive into every recipe. I love the sectioned page with different colors for each section; instructions, ingredients and notes. It made following the great recipes so much easier for us. We have tried quite a few of them already but definitely have some favorites: Oh! Oreo malt, Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie, Cubed Steak with Mushroom Gravy and the Green Beans Alfredo. Throughout the book were pages that had delicious duo suggestions, pairing several recipes from the book together, and this was fun to try. Everything from breakfast to dinner and snacks in between you will love this collection of 100 recipes. The author is a fellow southerner with a restaurant in Knoxville, Tennessee that we can’t wait to see. I received this cookbook as an ARC but I will be buying it to add to our kitchen as well as other cookbooks from the same author. You want warm, cozy and a home cooked feel, just like my mama, this is the book you need. Our family highly recommends this one to every family we meet.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is chock full of delicious recipes that make for wonderful comfort food meals.
Starting with Breakfast - who wouldn't be interested in Upside-Down Pineapple pancakes, or Stuffed French toast? Who wouldn't like to wow their holiday guests with Baked Eggs Napoleon?

Most Americans might turn up their noses at Fruit Cake, but this book has a recipe for Spiced Rum Fruitcake with dried apricots, dried apples, dates, raisins, Craisins, and pecans, made like Monkey Bread. Who would turn that down? Or another variation, also using biscuit dough, Savory Pull-Apart Bread. And these are just found in the first 2 chapters!

Some recipes are from scratch. Some use other ingredients like a cake mix and then jazz it up with creative ingredients.

You'll also find soups and stews, hearty sandwiches, full meals and yummy desserts. and beverages.

A nice addition, and surprise, is a collection of recipes from the author's chef friends. These are out of the ordinary recipes that may have concepts that you've never thought of before.

Each recipe has a beautiful, full color photo. This is a great book for a cook who wants some delicious recipes, both traditional, and creative. Some recipes will remind you of your childhood. Some, you'd never think of on your own.

[Peta Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comfort Food Essentials has some very nice recipes and I did enjoy reading it, although there are some new modern recipes, I did find that many of these recipes seem to be very old-fashioned, even the pictures and background seem to be from the '80s.

Seasoned cooks would find some recipes interesting and for someone who is not an experienced cook this book would be very helpful with the attached notes. The instructions are well set out and the recipes easy to follow. I do like the "Ingredient boxes", and the set out of the pages is attractive, however this is not a book I myself would purchase, mainly because I am a seasoned cook but as I mentioned above, an inexperienced cook would find this book very helpful.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kim Wilcox for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Ashley Hite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kim Wilcox has compiled a collection of traditional comfort recipes in her new cookbook. The book covers the main food categories from breakfast through dessert; childhood comforts being a fun collection. Dishes range from Chocolate Chip Pancakes to Mac & Cheese to Meatloaf and Coconut Cream Pie. Each recipe offers an introduction, ingredient list, instructions and a photo. Some of the instructions are too wordy and the notes added to some selections didn't offer much information. The title is correct these are comfort favorites but they add little variety or updates from similar dishes seen many times over. This is a nice book for someone starting out making comfort foods but not that unique or inspiring.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new recipe book by Kim Wilcox does not disappoint. With kind and caring words and loving created chapters of both classic and more modern takes on comfort foods just wraps us up in a warm hug and reminds us to take care of ourselves. The recipes included will feed a gathering of people as well as a cozy night for 2. I like that several recipes are scaled down in portion sizes (such as meatloaf sliders) to accommodate those of us eating less these days. Leftovers are easily freezable to have on hand. I also enjoyed the tips given in the first part of the book and I am sure that many others will as well.

I would like to thank #FoxChapelPublishing and #Netgalley for a opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

[Romantic Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank author Kim Wilcox, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.

LOVED IT! super easy to understand and anyone can whip out a perfectly tasty dish

the cookbook also has a nice mix of veg and non-veg dishes so there's something for everyone. i made some of the comfort dishes and they turned out great. I'll definitely make making my way through the rest of the book

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[Macy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book for anyones kitchen library. Food is not just sustanance, it though it can be. For so many it is a way to show love, to celebrate and also to make ourselves and others feel better. If food is in essence a way to show love, comfort food is like the extra snuggly hug when we need it most. The recipes are easy to follow, lovely, delicious, creative and are accompanied by nice photos. The author gives us great kitchen staples to have on hand and ideas and license to be creative. Definitely going on my list of books to gift for the holiday season.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy cookbook that provides some nice color photos and easy to follow recipes. Love how it is divided up by sections and provides some alternative ingredients to make the recipe your own. These are true comfort foods from mac and cheese with candied jalapenos to the refreshing root beer float or warm Dr. Pepper. This is a cookbook that would be great to work with your children with and get the foundation down so they understand the flavors, ingredients and how it blends together.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfort food means a lot of things to a lot of people. I think one could be very unlucky not to find their favorite in this book, as well as finding food to make into future comfort food for the family. The recipes are divided into breakfast, Breads (sweet and savory) hearty sandwiches,childhood comfort food, mains, desserts, beverage and more. All are easy to follow with great photos and and how to make substitutions to familiar food your way. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

[Jennifer T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfort Food Essentials is a very well done cookbook. Comfort food is always welcome in my house. Clear recipe instructions with easy to find ingredients with recipes most families will enjoy. In also appreciated that every recipe has an accompanying photo included.

I for one can’t wait to try her recipe for Sunday Pot Roast, cube steaks with mushroom gravy, and pan seared hot honey balsamic chicken thighs.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comfort Food Essentials is a culinary treasure trove, delivering a delightful array of recipes that go beyond the usual comfort food suspects. Kim Wilcox's expertise shines through, offering a diverse collection that caters to every palate. The vivid photos not only inspire but also demystify the cooking process, making this cookbook a must-have for anyone seeking culinary comfort and variety. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.

[Lori Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Fox Chapel Publishing, NetGalley, and Kim Wilcox for the opportunity to look over this great cookbook. Comfort Food Essentials has all kinds of yummy recipes that make you feel good whenever you need it most. It is hard to actually just pick one recipe that I love more than another. This is a wonderful cookbook to give as a gift for graduation, birthdays, weddings and any other holiday. There are great recipes for everyone in this book.

[Bevany Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of home easy home cooked recipes. The author shares a lot of tips and notes to make it easy for the reader. There are recipes included from several professional chefs as well. The pictures and imagery are wonderful, and the food consists of food you would actually cook for your busy family!

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Releases 10/23/23, I read an advanced reader copy. Simple comfort foods presented with beautiful pictures but lackadaisical text, but really the text is filler for most cookbooks. I always wonder at the assumption of “comfort foods,” I mean isn’t that different for everyone? This was a good but not great resource for everyday cooking.

[Sylvia Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource of comfort food, especially for the novice cook. This book includes many photographs of recipes and techniques and the ingredients are common and simple - no trips to specialty stores in order to be successfully execute these dishes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Slavie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this mouthwatering ARC.

Things I enjoyed include a picture for each recipe as well as tips and notes. I like it when a book shows you how to pair the dishes with other recipes included in there.

The recipes themselves look delicious, nothing really crazy just good comfort food.

[Mj · Rating 5 out of 5]

IMHO this is the perfect cookbook for teenagers and young adults who want to move beyond grilled cheese and scrambled eggs. The recipes are easy to follow with familiar ingredients. The accompanying Photos are stunning. Beautiful book. IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE AN EBOOK. Thank you NatGalley for the ARC.

[Tiffany Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook is pretty for anyone who loves comfort foods or is looking for new ideas to add to their menu. There are so many amazing options and I love the simple, straight way everything is outlined. The instructions are easy to follow so you wouldn’t have to be an expert cook to be able to create these dishes.

[Lindsay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for giving me the opportunity of trusting my review. This book couldn't have came at a more perfect time. I am in such a cooking pause I don't know what to cook and nothing sounds good. I found many new recipes. Easy to follow, common ingredients, and most important great eating. My family now has some new favorites to try.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great cookbook! The top three recipes I'm really excited to try are the Chili Beans and Rice Recipe, Scalloped Potatoes and Ham and Grandma's Chocolate Cream Pie. The photos are great and the recipes seem easy to follow. Special Thank You to Kim Wilcox, Fox Chapel Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.