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Top down view of lettuce leaves full of a chicken vegetable mixture on a white plate.

30-Minute Meals
Three slices of bagel bread on wood cutting board.

Bread
Two watermelon sticks dipped in Greek yogurt creamy watermelon dip.

Snacks
Top down view of glass jar filled with chocolate granola, graham cracker pieces and mini marshmallows.

Breakfast

Tried-and-True Recipes From My Kitchen to Yours

Three halves of crispy chicken wraps stacked on wooden board with cherry tomatoes.

Main Dish
Half of a biscuit with butter and jam.

Sourdough
Half of chocolate cookie stacked on another cookie on white parchment paper.

Chocolate
Saucy Mexican beef enchiladas on white plate with sour cream and salsa.

Instant Pot
Half of a turkey avocado veggie wrap stacked on two other wraps on white plate.

Healthy
crunchy baked french toast sticks on white plate with powdered sugar and syrup

Breakfast
Salad greens, mandarin oranges, pomegranate arils, candied nuts and feta cheese on white plate.

Salad
square of peaches and cream dessert on metal spatula

No-Bake

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Latest Recipes

Savor the Season
Tomato

close up view of orzo, pine nuts, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and fresh mozzarella

Roasted Asparagus Lemon Orzo Salad with Fresh Mozzarella
Grilled chicken breasts topped with pico de gallo on a white plate with a bowl of chopped bacon and a half of a lime behind the chicken.

Monterey Chicken with Pico de Gallo {Chili’s Copycat}
Cowboy caviar dip in white bowl.

Easy Cowboy Caviar Dip {a.k.a. Shrapnel Dip}
White platter with iceberg wedges, blue cheese crumbles, blue cheese dressing, tomatoes, bacon, and sliced apples.

Crazy Good Loaded Wedge Salad
Tomato
Mel in pasture with two miniature donkeys

hello...and welcome!

I’m Mel! I live in Idaho with my husband, 5 kids, and selection of weird farm animals. Mostly, I love dark chocolate and joggers (not jogging).

More About Me
Mel's Kitchen Cafe cookbook cover mockup

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Mel’s Kitchen Cafe Cookbook

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Reader Favorites
Most Popular Recipes

Two enchiladas on white plate with bite of enchilada on fork.

Slow Cooker Mexican Beef {Instant Pot Directions Included}
4.76 stars (259 ratings)
square of peaches and cream dessert on metal spatula

No-Bake Peaches and Cream Sensation Dessert
4.81 stars (197 ratings)
Two half pieces of fluffy focaccia on white parchment paper.

Easy Ultra-Fluffy Focaccia Bread {No Knead, One Bowl}
5 stars (16 ratings)
sloppy joe on white plate

The Best Sloppy Joes
4.72 stars (221 ratings)

Chocolate

Two half slices of chocolate banana bread stacked on white parchment paper.

Chocolate Sour Cream Banana Bread
Two Oreo frosted brownies stacked on white parchment paper.

Cookies and Cream Brownies
Piece of chocolate olive oil cake topped with whipped cream and crispy chocolate pearls with bite of cake on fork on white plate.

Amazing Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Chocolate cookie with white frosting and Oreo cookie crumbs.

Chocolate Oreo Crumbl Cookies
Three half slices of zucchini bread stacked on piece of parchment paper.

Make this Now!
The Best Zucchini Bread

This moist and fluffy summer berry cake is loaded with fresh berries and finished with the most magical, crackly, sugar topping. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream for the best summer dessert!

Meatless

Saucy pasta with shredded zucchini piled high on plate with fork scooping bite.

Easy One-Pot Saucy Zucchini Pasta
Flatbread topped with creamy avocado sauce and roasted vegetables.

Creamy Avocado Roasted Veggie Flatbread
white bowl with handles filled with creamy tomato basil soup with Parmesan for topping

Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Landscape view Top down view of Buddha bowl recipe with peanut sauce.

Mel’s Buddha Bowls {With Super Tasty Peanut Sauce}

what to eat this week
Weekly Meal Plan

Top down view of a white platter with seasoned shredded chicken and chopped cilantro. A metal tong is getting a portion of the chicken.

Instant Pot Smoky Honey Cilantro Chicken
Fork piercing two stacked pieces of cooked pork tenderloin on wood cutting board.

Easy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
Top down view of Chicken banh mi flatbread with pickled cucumbers and carrots on white platter.

Chicken Banh Mi Flatbread with Incredible Sauces X 2 {Quick + Easy Dinner}
Two half beef and bean wraps on gray plate with salsa and sour cream.

Crispy Beef and Bean Wraps
Top down view of chicken and zucchini in cream sauce over white rice.

Coconut Lime Chicken and Zucchini
Scooping out spoonful of skillet chicken fajita pasta.

Skillet Chicken Fajita Pasta
More Weekly Meal Plans

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