Mel's Kitchen Cafe

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White bowl with rice, Korean beef, slaw, sauce, and lime wedges.

Healthy
Everything bagel topped baked sourdough bagel.

Breads
White bowl filled with taco soup, cheese, sour cream and tortilla strips.

The Best Soups
Four triangle slices cut out of stack of four pancakes on gray plate.

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
Appetizers!

Fingers grabbing tortilla chip and dipping in cheesy, warm bean dip.

Hot Bean Dip
Six cranberry brie bites on wood platter.

Cranberry Brie Bites
Creamy cheesy bacon dip on piece of celery.

Bacon Jalapeño Popper Dip
scoop taken out of 7-layer dip in white casserole dish

The Best 7-Layer Dip {New and Improved}
Appetizers!
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

Available Now!
Mel’s Kitchen Cafe Cookbook

Order Here

Reader Favorites
Most Popular Recipes

Square piece of banana oat snack cake on spatula.

Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
4.90 stars (69 ratings)
Spoon scooping up bite of soup with tomatoes, noodles, and ground beef.

Creamy Beef and Tomato Noodle Soup
4.96 stars (137 ratings)
naan bread in white bowl with rice, chicken, broccoli and brown sauce

Quick and Easy Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
4.89 stars (36 ratings)
applesauce oat muffin on wire rack

Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins
4.69 stars (521 ratings)

30-Minute Meals

White platter with lots of cooked meatballs in brown gravy and dried parsley on top.

Skillet Swedish Meatballs
White shallow bowl with rice, naan bread, ground turkey and green beans.

Thai-Style Ground Turkey and Green Beans {20-Minute Meal}
Two half beef and bean wraps on gray plate with salsa and sour cream.

Crispy Beef and Bean Wraps
Tongs grabbing scoop of ramen noodles with peas and green onions.

Easy Spicy Garlic Ramen Noodles
30-Minute Meals
Baked sweet and sour chicken over rice on white plate being drizzled with sweet and sour sauce.

Make this Now!
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Easily the most popular recipe on my blog, this baked sweet and sour chicken is a miracle of a dish. Baked, not fried, it has been a family favorite for over a decade!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Slow Cooker Recipes

Dipping beef and cheese taco with crispy outer shell in rich birria broth in glass bowl.

Slow Cooker Birria Tacos
slotted spoon in dish of saucy baked beans

The Best Homemade Baked Beans {Oven or Slow Cooker}
White plate with cilantro lime rice, black beans, sweet pork and toppings.

Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe {Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker}
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Chicken Taco Salad {InstantPot, Slow Cooker, or Stovetop}
Slow Cooker

what to eat this week
Weekly Meal Plan

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My Mom’s Classic Chili {Stovetop or Slow Cooker}
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Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Fork taking bite of macaroni and cheese on gray plate.

Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese {New and Improved}
spoon lifting up small scoop of lentil soup in stone bowl

Amazing Leftover Ham Bone Lentil Soup
skillet full of easy ham fried rice

My Go-To Fried Rice Recipe {Easy Ham Fried Rice}
More Weekly Meal Plans

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