Fried, mashed, or baked – potatoes are the ultimate comfort food, a simple ingredient to work with, and the perfect base to build from for any comfort dish.

This feeling of comfort has science behind it. Research has found that mashed potato, Yorkshire puddings and all of their beige counterparts are part of a carb-heavy food group that helps release serotonin.

Examples of 'mashed potatoes' in a sentence mashed potatoes

• And by the end of the day, the numbers on my computer screen seemed to melt together and resemble mashed potatoes.
• The previous evening had been fish fingers and mashed potatoes, and the landlord's wife hadn't even had the grace to look apologetic.
• Mr.

Potatoes are the ultimate comfort food – wildly versatile and perfectly matched with any of your favourite ingredients. Creamy, crispy, cheesy and salty, this gallery is your go-to for comfy nights at home.

Comfort food is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone, and may be characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation. The nostalgia may be specific to an individual, or it may apply to a specific culture.

Popular comfort foods include:

• Carb-loaded cuisine like bread, pasta, and pastries.
• Childhood favorites, including memorable family and holiday meals, feel-good after school treats, and beloved snacks and desserts.
• Fast food like burgers, French fries, and pizza.

The term comfort food refers to those foods whose consumption provides consolation or a feeling of well-being. Foods, in other words, that offer some sort of psychological, specifically emotional, comfort.

Comfort food is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone, and may be characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation. The nostalgia may be specific to an individual, or it may apply to a specific culture.

It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes. Every single diet I ever fell off of was because of potatoes and gravy of some sort. To fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy.

“A potato a day keeps the sadness away.” “If life gives you potatoes, make french fries.” “A potato is a humble vegetable, but it makes a mighty good meal.” “Potatoes are the ultimate comfort food.”

Our 20 all-time favorite comfort foods

• 1 of 20. Chicken noodle soup. Joshua Resnick / shutterstock.com.
• 2 of 20. Chicken pot pie. Charles Brutlag / shutterstock.com.
• 3 of 20. Chicken tenders.
• 4 of 20. Chili.
• 5 of 20. Chocolate chip cookies.
• 6 of 20. Cinnamon buns.
• 7 of 20. Cornbread.
• 8 of 20. Fries.

Comfort foods are your favorite foods. They are the foods that boost your mood, evoke nostalgic memories, taste really, really great - or all three! The effects of these foods include making you happy when you're sad or stressed, satisfying a craving, and sparking joy.