21 Dishes to Make for Someone Going Through a Hard Time

Divorce, death, a big move, illness: Food may not fix anything, but a lovingly prepared meal can bring some much-needed comfort and nourishment.

When your world feels like it’s falling to pieces — and just dragging yourself out of bed and into the kitchen to shove a few Oreos into your mouth can feel like a herculean task — shopping for and cooking something can feel downright impossible. If your friend or family member is going through a terrible ordeal, making something delicious and delivering it to their door with a sweet little note may not scare away the monsters, but it can provide sustenance for the hard (and hopefully healing) days ahead. These are the dishes New York Times Cooking editors, writers and more like to make for their loved ones.

1. Chicken Enchiladas

I crave casseroles blanketed with gooey cheese when I’m down, so when someone I love is struggling, I like to whip up these gorgeous enchiladas from Rick A. Martínez. They also happen to freeze like a dream, so you can divvy them up into serving-size containers that can be defrosted and heated as needed. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

2. Lentil and Orzo Stew With Roasted Eggplant

I am a soup person. There will, inevitably, be a quart or two of homemade soup pulled from my freezer for emergencies, because I love to nourish the people I love. If time permits, I’m making this lentil and orzo stew with roasted eggplant from Yewande Komolafe. Wholesome and flavorful, it revives the spirit. ALEXA WEIBEL

Recipe: Lentil and Orzo Stew With Roasted Eggplant

3. Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like to show up with bags of cookie dough for friends’ freezers so they can have a warm, freshly baked cookie whenever they want. You could make this lovely one from Millie Peartree, or the one of your choosing. That’s the nice thing about cookie dough: Most all recipes are highly freezable. KRYSTEN CHAMBROT

Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

4. Pulled Pork

Because grief can zap hunger or heighten it at unexpected times, I like to give food that freezes well and feels nourishing. I pack pulled pork and collard greens in half-pint containers, and seal biscuits in an airtight bag. Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies also go in a bag and don’t even have to be thawed if a sudden craving strikes hard, but reheating them in a toaster oven gives them a comforting warmth. GENEVIEVE KO

Recipe: Pulled Pork

5. Lasagna

When someone I care about is down or trying to navigate something difficult, I often make them lasagna. For meat eaters, I make a hybrid of this Regina Schrambling recipe and this one from Alison Roman; for veg, I like Martha Rose Shulman’s. Either way, it’s big enough to provide for numerous meals, or to feed a larger group, eliminating at least one thing for my friend to worry about. Plus, my eldest son, who is 8, likes to help assemble lasagna, making it a gesture from our family. BRETT ANDERSON

Recipe: Lasagna

6. Sancocho

Whenever a family member or friend doesn’t have time to be in the kitchen, I rummage through my fridge and pantry, and make sancocho, a huge stew of protein and root vegetables meant to warm the soul. Von Diaz’s recipe is a great base to work from. Use whatever you have on hand. Once done, the stew can be frozen and reheated on the stove. Be sure to remind your loved ones to add a few drops of hot sauce for an added kick. GINA FERNANDEZ

Recipe: Sancocho

7. Instant Pot Congee

Congee, or rice porridge, is the first thing I want when I feel unwell. There’s something about the thick, uniform flavor that settles the stomach and warms the soul. Ground white pepper and sesame oil, like Liyan Chen suggests here, are my favorite toppings. ALLISON JIANG

Recipe: Instant Pot Congee

8. Broccoli Salad

The last thing I want to do when I’m in a funk is clean and cut produce, so I like to show up with containers of Ali Slagle’s fruit salad and a hearty chopped salad like Hetty Lui McKinnon’s salty-sweet Southern-inspired broccoli salad that gets better as it sits. The mother in me loves knowing that I’ve helped them get something green and cruciferous into their bodies. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Broccoli Salad

9. Almond Cake With Peaches and Cream

There is such thing as comfort cake, and I think Lindsey Shere’s almond cake from “Chez Panisse Desserts” is a perfect example. Easy to make and easy to love, and maybe even better the next day? It’s also tender, but structurally sound enough for a subway ride in a tote bag, or a bumpy car ride on someone’s lap, and that means you can easily transport to the person you love without worrying it’ll fall apart. The fruit and cream topping in Melissa Clark’s adaptation will make it extra special, but the cake doesn’t have to be dressed up. It’s perfect just as it is. TEJAL RAO

Recipe: Almond Cake With Peaches and Cream

10. Best Black Bean Soup

There’s something inherently soothing about soup — and it’s a lot easier to reheat than a casserole. This one can be lunch or dinner, served plain or with rice, garnished or not, and served cold or hot. JULIA MOSKIN

Recipe: Best Black Bean Soup

11. Chicken Salad

I like protein-packed salads like Julia Moskin’s chicken salad (egg or tuna salad is great, too) that can be picked at all week. They can eat it straight from the container standing at the fridge or tuck it into a pita or a wrap with a handful of potato chips. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Chicken Salad

12. Mochi Brownies

When my buds need some boosting, it’s time for mochi brownies. Hetty Lui McKinnon’s recipe is soothing for both the giver (it’s six ingredients and comes together in the time it takes to heat the oven) and the receiver (the sweet rice flour gives the brownies a unique bounce and chew, plus, you know, chocolate). Add nuts if you have them, or don’t — they’re a perfect pick-me-up just as they are. MIA LEIMKUHLER

Recipe: Mochi Brownies

13. Toor Dal

It’s easy to make a few pint containers of Tejal Rao’s simple, cozy toor dal and pop them into the freezer — it’s even easier for your loved one to thaw one out and have a comforting meal. Bonus points if you bring them the elements of the tempering (ghee, curry leaves and other whole spices) that they can quickly fry and add to the dish. BECKY HUGHES

Recipe: Toor Dal

14. Microwave Sticky Toffee Pudding

You can’t always be there for someone when they’re feeling down, but you can give them this recipe for Ali Slagle’s microwave cake and a care package with some ingredients: brown sugar, some cream, a little bag of dates. And let them have a little treat on you, whenever they’re feeling especially low. KRYSTEN CHAMBROT

Recipe: Microwave Sticky Toffee Pudding

15. Loaded Baked Frittata

This is a gift that keeps on giving: There are up to six servings in this Genevieve Ko recipe, so it can be eaten throughout the week (for any meal, really) and can also be portioned out and frozen. And, for the person making it, it’s quick and easily customizable for whatever is hanging out in your crisper. MELISSA KNIFIC

Recipe: Loaded Baked Frittata

16. Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens

When cooking to bring comfort, I aim for something nourishing but not heavy, a dish that can be mindlessly heated (and reheated) or frozen without fuss. A good soup, like this one from Melissa Clark, usually fits the bill. Almost a cross between turkey chili and minestrone, this soup straddles the line between soup and stew and can easily be made vegetarian by swapping in mushrooms, as one reader suggests, for turkey. ADINA STEIMAN

Recipe: Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens

17. Chile Crisp

Tough times inevitably put dinner on the back burner — last-minute delivery from the only place that’s open, yesterday’s pizza cold from the fridge, one lone scrambled egg. Having a jar of Genevieve Ko’s chile crisp on hand means instant spice, brightness and texture for whatever meal might be cobbled together, which is why I’ll cook up a big batch at the first sign of distress. MIA LEIMKUHLER

Recipe: Chile Crisp

18. Chicken Noodle Soup

There’s a reason “Chicken Soup for the Soul” became a thing: A brothy bowl of noodles is the food equivalent of a big, warm hug. Plus, Ali Slagle’s recipe freezes up beautifully, so lucky recipients can stash it in the freezer for later in the week, or month, if they still don’t feel like cooking. MELISSA KNIFIC

Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

19. Amaro Sours

I make them a stiff cocktail. Does that count? I love Rebekah Peppler’s amaro sours. It’s a great drink for someone down in the dumps. TANYA SICHYNSKY

20. Corn and Miso Pasta Salad

This recipe from Ham El-Waylly comes together easily and tastes better over time, meaning it’ll taste good throughout an entire week. It’s easy to transport, so if you’re giving it to a friend, it won’t get messed up. It’s the one dish I can eat without getting sick of it after a few days. NATASHA JANARDAN

Recipe: Corn and Miso Pasta Salad

21. Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

I always like to show up at their door with chocolate-covered strawberries, a sweet little luxury they'd likely never make for themselves. This recipe from Eric Kim takes the guesswork out of tempering chocolate so it becomes glossy and resistant to melting. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.