MY Favorite Recipes From the Last 10 Years
As I celebrate TEN YEARS of blogging, of course I have to compile my favorite 25 recipes* from the last 10 years.
You know I hate picking favorites, and I suppose if you asked me next month, this list could be completely changed, but on this day in history, these are my favorite 25 recipes I’ve posted in the last ten years.
It’s been an incredibly yummy ten years!
*I lied, I actually included 26 recipes after I remembered how much I loved that spinach salad. 🙂
As always, always, always, THANKS FOR BEING HERE!
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I just keep coming back to this list for dinner ideas! I’ve made 5 of these meals in the past week and a half, and they’ve all been great!! If I hadn’t run out of chocolate chips, then both of the cookie recipes would be sitting in my belly. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you so much, Angela!
Hi, Mel – I see a Stacy B on the list but I didn’t get an email either. I’ve scoured my inbox. Could it be me or someone else? I hope it’s me! I never win anything!
The lime chicken with coconut rice is constantly made over here! Haven’t tried many of these. Excited!
I’m not very good at posting comments, but I have to say I have loved your recipes for about 2 years now, since my mom and a sister introduced me to the site. Now, though my mom and two sisters live many states apart, we often find ourselves making the same things to eat (from your site)! And whenever I make something she likes, my sister-in-law says, “Let me guess. Mel’s Kitchen again.” I love that most recipes don’t require crazy ingredients that I don’t usually have in my kitchen and also that they are kid-friendly. (I also have 4 boys – aged from 8 down to 2.) Thanks for the fun recipes. (The grilled lime coconut chicken is my favorite, too!)
I commented on your giveaway post that my fave recipe was your peppermint bark cheesecake. Then today when I saw one of your fave recipes was the spinach salad with toasted nuts, I had to tell you I have made this a lot this year for family & friends and special gatherings and EVERYONE comments on how amazing it is.
As a side note, my good friend Beth W won the knives and she is the person who told me about your blog 4 years ago. In my eyes she is your biggest fan and I am your second. Lol. Thanks for the wonderful no fail recipes time and time again.
This is amazing! I know I’ve made so many recipes from your site and I’ve never tried any from the top 25! They look awesome and I’m excited!
How fun it has been to see what some of your favorite recipes are! I have often wondered. Seeing other folks favorites has been great, too! I have been reminded of lots of recipes that I had forgotten about.
It was a great giveaway…so very generous of you. Congrats to all the winners. Congrats to you for 10 years. Thank you for all you do!!!
Just wanted to thank you for having your awesome blog & continuing to post!!! I’d be lost if your site wasn’t here, it has helped me become a better cook because of it! I’m always on it for ideas, reference, etc.
I started following you way back in Aug 2009 while on maternity leave with my first baby. I thought it was neat that you were in GB area, since I’m only about an hour from there. I have so many favorites – the Chicken Stir fry with mushrooms & zucchini, Cowboy Dinner, the Amazing Shrapnel Dip, Mexican Layered dip, alfredo sauce, so many of your one pot meals, 30 min or less meals, make ahead meals, I could go on.
Thanks again for all your hard work!
I am loving this favorite recipes list! So fun to see what you love the most! Congrats to all the winners! What an amazing place of wholesome goodness and generosity. I’m ready for the next 10 years! 😉 Love and hugs!
No Fresh Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing? I demand a recount! Seriously, this is one of my favorite sites. Great food, funny/touching/thought provoking writeups. You’re part of what’s good on the internet. Congrats on the past decade, and keep the good stuff coming.
Haha, thanks for the laugh, Dave. But actually as you say that, I realize the green bean salad SHOULD be in my top 25 and I’m sad I didn’t include it and basically I should never try to categorize my top 25 favorite recipes again because it is a losing battle. 🙂
I see my name on the list with the prize I wanted but did not get an email!!
I’m getting super scared here! I also didn’t receive this post via email!
I’m not getting e-mails either. I just find things when I’m on the site.
Check your e-mail again. I sent you another one this morning regarding your mailing address :).
It probably went to your Spam folder.
Nothing in my spam folder either. :/ unless you’re replying to Laurie L.
I don’t do social media so I didn’t enter your incredible giveaway. I started following your blog ten years ago and it is still my “go to” for a recipe. Thank you for sharing fantastic delectable meal plans and recipes with us throughout our trials and your own. Food is comfort, family, and tradition and many of your recipes have become that for us. Love many of your top 25 plus spinach, bacon pasta salad; grilled pork chops, all of your salmon recipes, quick pizza crust (weekly), stroganoff….. I could go on and on. In a busy day of caring for your family and critters, I appreciate that you continue to share your time and food wisdom with us.
Thank you so much, Sheila! I feel badly about the social media thing…I should have been more clear that you could still enter if you didn’t have social media (I’m the last person to want people to spend more time on the computer/social media, and I admire those who live without it!). I was just encouraging those that did have FB or Insta to make sure they were following along. Sorry about that! But thank you for your kindness!!
Mel!!! I’m just reading through and I totally thought I needed Facebook to enter too! So I’ll know for 2028 what to do! It’s all over now, but my fave is your slow cooker balsamic glazed pork. TDF!
Anyway, I just love your site and your humor and your sincerity and your dedication and of course, your food. My cousin introduced me to you back in 2010 and I’m just so glad she did. Cheers to 10 and hopefully 10 more!
Mel, congratulations on 10 years of the most fabulous food blogging anywhere. Sadly, I was a day too late to enter the giveaway as I was a bit busy to keep up with my emails. But that’s OK and I am excited for the winners of these amazing prizes (and thankful to you for your generosity to us). I have so many favorite recipes of yours, it’s really hard to just pick one. We love the chili mac, the garlic alfredo sauce, all of your muffins, the sugar cookie bars, the quick weeknight spaghetti sauce, so many of the soups, the french rolls and all of your breads, and the list goes on and on. Thank you for all you’ve done and for all your funny, sweet, cute, honest stories. Love you so much!!!
Thank you so much, Teresa – you’ve been such a bright spot in blogging for me over the years. Thank you for being here!
Brownie pudding??!! How could I have missed that in the past few years I have been reading and cooking from your blog? Thanks for your top 25 – I can’t wait to try some new to me recipes! You have made me a better cook for my family. One of my kids bugged me endlessly the last month to make your chicken puffs – they are a bit of work and planned but delish. Your crispy chicken wraps, on the other hand, are a quick no fuss weeknight hit. Love your salads and of course your aunt’s recipes are fabulous. Thanks for sharing your time, your life, and a ton of tried and true sure hit recipes with us!
I hope you love that brownie pudding. It’s something else!
This is so fun! I seriously cook from your site pretty much 4ish times a week and there are a few things on your list I haven’t tried yet so now I’ll add them to my menu:) Thanks for all the time and hard work you put into all this!
Thank YOU, Janell!
Question… there were only 9 winners. Is there a 10th for the pan set? Just curious:)
There were ten winners…they were chosen randomly so I didn’t worry too much about getting one of each prize, if that makes sense. 🙂
Katie W. – ICE CREAM COMPRESSOR
Deb H. – BLENDTEC
Stephanie W – FOOD PROCESSOR
Amber C. – INSTANT POT
Stacy B. – KITCHENAID
Christina W. – INSTANT POT
Kaylyn – FOOD PROCESSOR
Crista C. – WHEAT GRINDER
Jen M – BOSCH
Beth W. – KNIVES
YES!! Brownie pudding made the list 🙂 It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten!
Amen, sister.
Yeah!!! I have made lots of these and also love them–cashew lettuce wraps, sweet potato burrito, soft chocolate chip cookies, and double chocolate mousse torte! But you gave me some new ones to try and I am excited! Thanks for 10 amazing years! Here is to another 10!!!
Thanks, Jen!
I renamed your spinach salad Richard’s salad. With a few modifications, I make an entrée salad, adding rotisserie chicken. This is is my husband’s all time favorite Mel’s recipe, and there are plenty to choose from. Your blog is my go when planning the weekly menu.
That sounds divine, Katherine! Love the new name! 🙂
I love how everyone chose something different!!! For me it’s bread, bread, bread all the time! Even during our kitchen remodel I was using a bread machine for the kneading and then the propane grill for the cooking! I do love your bread recipes! Am here checking out the proportions for the 1 hour bread sticks because even being down 3 of my kitchen appliances and relying on a little toaster oven I’ve never worked before I won’t be without that mainstay!
Haha, I don’t blame you, Lisa!
I never win…anything. Call me a nerd but all weekend long I was wishing and praying (maybe I have issues). Good news is that I haven’t made many of your top 25, so I have that to look forward to. What would really heal my soul is the recipe for the granola that has a licorice flavor. You mentioned it in one of your posts and I CANNOT GET IT OUT OF MY MIND! For months I have been wondering about it, please ease a girl’s pain!
Aw darn it, Christin! And if it makes you feel better, I never win anything either (sad face). And here’s that recipe for the anise granola to make your heart happy again:
Cinnamon Anise Granola {Biscochito Granola}
{Makes 7-8 cups of granola}
Note: This granola is very adaptable when it comes to ingredients! Change out any of the nuts (pecans, pepitas, pine nuts) for whatever you have on hand or what you prefer. The main key is to keep the oats, cereal, powdered milk, cinnamon, anise, salt, oil and honey about the same.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups (7 ounces) old-fashioned oats
2 cups oatmeal square cereal, plain or cinnamon variety (I’ve used Quaker brand and Trader Joe’s version of this cereal with good results)
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground anise (I buy mine at Penzey’s spices)
1/4 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) chopped pecans
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) pepitas/pumpkin seeds (preferably raw, not salted)
1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) pine nuts
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) shredded, sweetened coconut
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Position a rack in the upper third and a rack in the lower third (if you have convection bake, preheat oven to 225 degrees F).
Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss together the old-fashioned oats, cereal, powdered milk, cinnamon, anise, salt, pecans, pepitas, pine nuts, and coconut.
Heat the oil and honey together until melted (but not boiling).
Pour the oil/honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated (sometimes it’s easiest to just get your hands in there and get messy).
Spread the granola into thin, even layers on the prepared pans.
Bake for 20 minutes. Stir/flip the granola and even it into a thin layer again on each baking sheet. Rotate the pans to bake on the opposite baking rack.
Bake for another 20 minutes. Don’t overbake. It may look slightly underdone but will harden as it cools.
Let the granola cool completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container for several days.
The Double Chocolate Mousse Torte and the Brownie Pudding are SO good! They have been my picks for my birthday treat over the past few years, and the pudding is making an appearance again this year. The countdown has already begun, and I am so excited!
Also, I just want to let you know that you are so awesome for doing such a big and fun giveaway! I love hearing about your favorite kitchen appliances/equipment. It gives me ideas for what to start saving up for to stock up my own kitchen.
Thank you, Nicole! Glad we share a love of those two amazingly chocolatey desserts. 🙂
Mel!! My response to your 10 year anniversary post wouldn’t behave/post on my phone that day/ so here it is again! CONGRATS on 10 amazing years – you have changed my life right from the beginning of those years! Your timeline was shocking – so sorry for the so sucky parts – you are vvvvv strong- you very much rock. Here are our favs we can’t live without after 10 years of cooking exclusively from your site: chicken gyros, pretzel bites, seven layer dip, sweet and sour chicken, chicken taquitos, garlic shrimp pasta, best chocolate cake, magical layered brownies, toffee cupcakes, browned butter rice crispie squares, Hulk muffins, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, German pancakes, monkey bread, whole wheat rolls, flat bread, bahn mi sandwiches, Greek meatball pitas, root beer ribs, jojo potatoes, ranch dip, marinara sauce, ground beef tacos, taco dippers, Greek feta dip, shrapnel dip, lemon chicken wrap with garlic sauce, orange Julius drink and best sugar cookies! Trying tonight- Big Fat Greek Tacos!
Thank you Rachel! I’ve loved having you around for SO MANY years! I hope you love the Big Fat Greek Tacos…I cannot believe how many recipes you’ve made from my site. I love it so much.
well….I didn’t win, but at least my “favorite recipe” is also one of your favorite recipes…so I won a favorite recipe! (a tasty consolation prize)
🙂 Now I’m curious – which one is your favorite, also?
I’m just super happy to see that you included both Brownie Pudding and the Molten Lava Cakes! Both of those have become favorite Sunday dessserts for my family, so so amazing! Why didn’t I say those were my favorite?! I just bought some heart shaped ramekins so I could make heart molten lava cakes for Valentine’s Day and I’m so excited! Thanks to your fun idea I started the “fancy” valentine dinner last year and my kids loved it so much I can’t wait to do it again this year! On Sunday of course because Wed. nights are too crazy for fancy dinners!
Haha. I had to laugh out loud at that. When I think of doing Valentine’s dinner on Wednesday night this year I’m all “ain’t nobody got time for that” so we are doing it Sunday, too. Wednesday nights are insane around here!
I have only made 8 of your top 25. Oh the shame! I was saving the cinnamon rolls for next conference but it looks like I have no choice but to make cookies and Greek tacos this weekend. Already looking forward to it.
Now THAT is going to be one yummy weekend. 🙂
My heart may have gone into slight cardiac arrest when I saw the name Katie W. listed as a winner, but alas: after frantically searching through my email folders, it appears another Katie W. is the winner of the ice cream compressor. Sigh… it’s a good thing I made Baked Ziti for dinner tonight to drown my sorrows. (I might be a little dramatic here. But I do love that Baked Ziti so.)
Also, my overly-obsessive brain has spent much of the last week remembering all of the recipes I love that I didn’t mention in my comment last week. So…many…
Ack! I’m sorry, Katie. Believe it or not, there were 3-4 of you Katie W.’s out there and the one living in Hawaii (lucky duck!) won the ice cream compressor. Wish I could have sent something to every single person! Drown those sorrows in baked ziti (wishing you were my neighbor so I could get a plate of that tonight – Brian’s traveling for work in France (!!) and I’m trying not to be ridiculously jealous of all the croissants he’s eating while the kids and I struggle through leftovers and mac and cheese this week – I’m not at my finest, cooking-wise, when he’s out of town).
Sorry I missed your anniversary post. I’ve been bogged down with caring for my parents and another emergency which I can’t talk about.
I do love food though and read you as much as I can. i don’t have an insta-pot and I don’t plan on getting one, but I do luv ya anyway, Mel!
All I can say is to keep doing what you’re doing! Food, glorious food!
So sorry life sounds to be really stressful for you right now, Becky! I hope it starts looking up soon!
Thanks for that list. I found some new recipes I want to try. More than that, thanks for faithfully blogging and sharing the best recipes with us for so long. I discovered your blog maybe 5 years ago and several of your recipes are now our family favorites. I love that coconut shrimp curry in your list of favorites and would also include Asian chicken lettuce wraps and your easy weeknight spaghetti sauce in my list of favorites. I just made your white chocolatr raspberry cheesecake over the weekend and my husband declared it the best cheesecake he’s ever had. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I would not be the cook I am today without your blog. Your recipes, tips and videos are exactly what I’ve needed to increase my skill in the kitchen.
Ok, now that you’ve listed those other recipes, I’m realizing I’ll never be able to truly narrow it down to a true top 25!! Love all of those ones, too. Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
I’m not very good about leaving comments, but such a huge fan of your site. Your recipes are so reliable and your honesty and humor so refreshing. Thank you for all that you’ve invested in your virtual friends over the years! 🙂
Thank you so much, Mary! So, so much. 🙂
That grilled coconut lime chicken is one of my absolute favorite meals! We make it a lot (too much? is that possible?) in the summer. In my comment on your 10 year post, I said your cornbread is one of my favorite recipes. Case in point: I made it last night. I have no idea how I found your site years and years ago (before Pinterest or Instagram, though!) and I am so glad I did. I’ve lived in both Kenya and the UAE (I’m in the less exciting Maine, now), and your recipes are great because they don’t involve a lot of impossible to find ingredients. Without you, I’m not sure what we would eat most days.
I’d definitely say Maine is still exciting! 🙂 I’m so happy you found your way here all those years ago, Jenna! We are soulmates in our love for that grilled coconut lime chicken. THE BEST!
I made your sweet balsamic pork on Sunday. It was yum yum yummy. My guest commented on it several times!. Win! Thanks again for making me look like a dinner rockstar!
That’s awesome, Lindsey! That recipe is such a winner.
Sad I didn’t win…but hey, maybe next time!?! Year 20 giveaway?? Congrats to the people who did win! I’m sure you made their month, or even year! If someone doesn’t respond, then I wouldn’t be offended if I was chosen for 2nd…….Anyway, I made your favorite bacon spinach salad last night for dinner and the new blueberry oat muffins for breakfast yesterday morning. Tonight I’m making the Indian Butter curry with potatoes that you just posted and I’m so excited because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand. Day made! Anyway, thanks for all your food and all the time you put into this blog!
Hmmm, I forgot about that spinach bacon salad and adding it to my top 25 favorites list. I think I’m going to have to add it now, even if it makes me a liar and pushes my list to 26 because it is SO good.
I’ve made about 75% of your favorites, so I see I have some I need to add to the meal plan STAT!
And then let me know what you think of them!
Mel, you are beyond generous. I thought you were going to give away ONE prize, which alone would have been generous coming out of your own pocket. Thank you for being you, and for sharing your life and kitchen with us. 🙂
Thanks, Emily. You are so sweet. 🙂
Congrats to all of the winners! Three of my favorite recipes from your site made it on this list! Oh, yeah!
Thanks for sticking with it for 10 years – you inspired me that I could do this crazy food blogging thing too and I’m now 2 years in! Thank you!
Yay! Now I’m curious which three of our favorites overlap!
I’ve tried so many of your recipes and yet I’ve only made three from your top 25 list…eek! But boy, for anybody who hasn’t made the Double Chocolate Mousse Torte, you are missing out!!
Amen to that, Sandra! That torte is AMAZING!
I have made 10 of your Top 26, but one of them is not the torte, though I have been meaning to try that one for ages. I guess I had better get on it! 🙂
No Vitamix winner, Mel? (I ask as I secretly hope my name was missing off the list ;))
Congrats to the winners and thanks so much for this!
Haha! I know! I was hoping one of the winners would have claimed a Vitamix. 🙂