Melissa Jo in her kitchen

Come hungry.

Italian-American comfort food from my kitchen to yours — tested on a very hungry family, and most of it hits the table in 30 minutes.

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Or start with the fan favorites →

Fan Favorites

  • Creamy Bolognese 🍝
  • A close-up of a ladle lifting a serving of creamy lasagna soup with lasagna noodles, cheese, and herbs from a pot filled with rich, tomato-based broth. Kitchen counters and cabinets appear in the blurred background.

    Sicilian Lasagna Soup
  • A hand lifts a serving of Cheez-It Chicken casserole, topped with a crunchy orange layer, from a rectangular baking dish in the kitchen.

    Cheez-It Chicken 🧀
  • A close-up of a pulled pork sandwich with barbecue sauce, sliced pickles, and shredded lettuce on a shiny, golden bun, served on a metal tray.

    Crockpot Hot Honey Sandwiches
Melissa Jo in her kitchen

Meet Melissa Jo

I’m Melissa Jo — the recipe creator behind the viral casseroles and cozy comfort food. It all started in my family kitchen, learning the timeless techniques my Italian grandmother and my mama passed down.

In 2020 a friend asked me to share a recipe on TikTok — I didn’t even know how to work the app, so I called in my son to point the camera. Five videos in, I posted my Stick of Butter Rice… and it’s been viral casseroles and Italian comfort food ever since.

Read My Story

The Cookbooks

Make It! cookbook

Make It!

$27.99

Get the Book
Make It Festive All Year Round cookbook

Make It Festive All Year Round

$29.99

Get the Book
Italian Recipes Family Style cookbook

Italian Recipes Family Style

$9.99

Get the Book

Over on Instagram

Trending Now

  • A close-up of cooked spaghetti mixed with ground beef, diced vegetables, and sauce being poured into a bowl from a pot. The background features a checkered vase and kitchen surfaces.

    TikTok Viral Dirty Spaghetti

  • Creamy Cheesy Chicken and Rice

  • Creamy Italian Pasta Salad 🥒

  • Melissa Jo’s Broccoli Salad 🥦
  • A close-up of a spoonful of Easy Chicken and Dumplings with shredded chicken, diced carrots, and celery in a thick broth, held above a full pot of the comforting dish.

    Easy Chicken and Dumplings 🥟
  • A piece of crispy Smothered Chicken sits atop mashed potatoes, topped with rich brown gravy and herbs, served on a white plate on a wooden table.

    Viral Smothered Chicken 🍗
  • A hand lifts a serving of Vintage Mexican Casserole with a golden cornbread topping, revealing a layer of ground beef and vegetables in a patterned baking dish on a woven mat.

    Vintage Mexican Casserole 👵🏼
  • A rectangular baking dish filled with cherry dessert topped with glossy red cherries; a section has been cut out, revealing a crumbly base and creamy middle layer.

    EASY Cherry Cheesecake

Back to School Recipes

  • A spatula lifts a cheesy, golden-brown casserole topped with crispy fried onions from a baking dish in a bright kitchen.

    Easy French Onion Chicken and Rice Casserole

  • Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Noodles

  • Crockpot Lemon Chicken and Potatoes 🍋

  • French Onion Crockpot Roast

Viral & TikTok Famous

  • A close-up of cooked spaghetti mixed with ground beef, diced vegetables, and sauce being poured into a bowl from a pot. The background features a checkered vase and kitchen surfaces.

    TikTok Viral Dirty Spaghetti
  • A close-up of creamy marry me baked spaghetti topped with herbs, served on a white plate with a red background. The pasta appears rich in sauce, with green garnish sprinkled on top.

    Marry Me Baked Spaghetti
  • A close-up of a cheesy, saucy casserole with a spoon lifting a gooey serving, showing melted cheese and shredded meat inside a white dish.

    TikTok Viral Queso Swim Chicken and Rice

  • Knorr Broccoli Rice & Chicken Bake 🥦
A smiling woman in a red top holds a fork with a meatball in a bright kitchen. On the counter are bowls of pasta, meatballs, fresh herbs, and jars of olive oil and tomatoes.

From My Italian Kitchen

New York Italian roots, real family recipes, and a whole lot of garlic. Buon appetito!

Browse Italian Recipes

Italian Recipes

  • A bowl of vibrant potato salad with sliced red onions, tomatoes, olives, chopped herbs, and red peppers, mixed with a fork and spoon, set on a kitchen counter.

    Sicilian Potato Salad
  • A close-up of a large bowl filled with orzo pasta salad mixed with cherry tomatoes, black olives, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a wooden spoon for stirring.

    One-Pan Sicilian Orzo
  • Tongs lifting One Pan Viral Spaghetti with meat sauce from a steaming pot. The sauce is thick and red with visible ground meat and tomatoes. White tiles, utensils, and orange pepper grinders are seen in the kitchen background.

    One Pan Screamin’ Spaghetti
  • A close-up of a skillet filled with rotini pasta, tomato sauce, eggplant, and fresh basil, with a wooden spoon lifting a serving.

    Sicilian Pasta alla Norma

Stick of Butter Series

  • Stick of Butter Rice (ORIGINAL VIRAL RECIPE)

  • Stick of Butter Beef & Rice

  • Stick of Butter Sauce 🧈
  • A hand with dark nail polish holds a serving spoon of Stick of Butter Chicken and Rice, featuring baked rice, mushrooms, and chicken from a casserole dish, with more of the savory dish visible underneath.

    Stick of Butter Chicken and Rice 🧈

Copycat Restaurant Faves

  • A bowl of creamy cheese soup topped with shredded cheddar, on a white saucer. A spoon lifts a thick, cheesy bite from the bowl, showing melted cheese and a rich, smooth texture. The background is a wooden surface.

    Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup 🧅
  • A close-up of cheesy baked chicken being lifted from a wire rack, showing melted cheddar cheese stretching, topped with chopped green onions. The background features a kitchen setting.

    Alice Springs Chicken Recipe

  • Longhorn Crusted Parmesan Chicken CopyCat
  • A close-up of Monterey Chicken Chili's Copycat, featuring barbecue chicken topped with melted cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions, and sauce in a skillet, with a spatula lifting one cheesy serving.

    Monterey Chicken Chili’s Copycat 💃🏼

Lunch

  • Italian Marinated Antipasto (Family Holiday Favorite)

  • Melissa Jo’s Chicken Salad 🍗🥗

  • Greek Tomato Table Salad 🥗
  • A person uses two utensils to serve a large portion of layered salad topped with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and creamy dressing from a glass dish. Fresh lettuce and other vegetables are visible underneath.

    Vintage 7 Layer Salad

Summer, Right Now

  • A wooden spoon lifts a serving of creamy pasta salad with rotini, red onions, green peppers, cilantro, crumbled cheese, and sprinkled spices from a large white dish. Two orange pepper mills are visible in the background.

    Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
  • A hand lifts a large, creamy slice of pie topped with crushed chocolate cookies from a pie tin. A fresh strawberry sits beside the pie, and the background shows a kitchen setting.

    Vintage Coffee Ice Cream Pie (No-Bake Retro Recipe)
  • A slice of strawberry shortcake with whipped topping and sliced strawberries is on a plate in front of a baking dish of the same dessert. A box of Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake bars is in the background on a checkered tray.

    Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar Poke Cake
  • A large white bowl filled with creamy rotini pasta salad mixed with mozzarella balls, tomatoes, herbs, salami, and sliced pepperoncini, sitting on a checkered cloth in a kitchen setting.

    Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Newest Recipes

  • A smiling woman in a kitchen lifts the lid off a slow cooker and ladles out thick stew. A vase of sunflowers and a drink pitcher are on the counter.

    12 Easy & Delicious Back-to-School Dinner Recipes for Busy Parents
  • A baked potato topped with shredded barbecue chicken, melted cheese, onions, sour cream, and pickle slices, served on a white plate.

    Sloppy Spuds (In The Crockpot)
  • Close-up of a plate with cheesy, baked casserole topped with crispy fried onions, melted cheese, and visible layers of sauce and vegetables. The dish is set on a wooden counter in a kitchen.

    Mississippi Mud Chicken Bake
  • A plate with baked chicken topped with herbs, roasted potato slices, and sautéed green beans with onions, on a checkered placemat.

    Italian Stuffed Roast Chicken and Potatoes (In The Oven)
  • A metal spatula lifts a cheesy, beef-filled casserole piece from a baking dish, showing melted cheese, ground beef, and green peppers. The casserole is cut into squares.

    Tamale Poke Cake
  • A spoon lifts a cheesy, golden-brown casserole topped with crushed crackers and green onions from a white baking dish.

    Easy Creamy Buffalo Chicken and Rice Casserole
  • A smiling woman in a red top holds a plate with broccoli, mashed potatoes, and casserole in a bright kitchen, with a casserole dish and sunflowers on the counter.

    Captain Rodney’s Chicken Bake
  • A bowl of pasta with a rich, reddish meat sauce, topped with grated cheese, with green beans on the side. A fork lifts a bite of pasta above the bowl. A kitchen counter and appliances are in the background.

    Crockpot Creamy Beef and Noodles
Melissa Jo

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