100 recipes · All the flavor, none of the chili heat

Settle in.
Eat something lovely.

Golden edges, buttery crumbs, bright herbs, creamy spoonfuls. A collection of generous everyday recipes for people who prefer their food without a spicy kick.

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The Mellow Table illustrated cookbook cover with lemon-thyme chicken, potatoes and creamy pasta

Something for every appetite

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100 complete recipes, each with its own original food illustration.

100 of 100 recipes

Mushroom soup with dark wild rice grains, browned mushroom slices, and parsley.

017 · Soups with Something to Say

Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Mushrooms and wild rice bring two different kinds of depth to this soup: browned savory flavor from the pan and a pleasantly firm bite from the grain.

About 8 cups soup · 1 hr 15 min

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Turkey meatball soup with tiny pasta, carrots, spinach, and parsley.

019 · Soups with Something to Say

Turkey and Tiny Pasta Soup

Tiny pasta and small turkey meatballs make a soup that feels generous without being complicated.

About 8 cups soup · 50 min

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Farro bowl with ruby beet wedges, fresh orange, spinach, and feta.

021 · Bright Bowls and Satisfying Salads

Roasted Beet and Orange Farro Bowls

Roasted beets and orange bring a striking pair of colors to a grain bowl: deep ruby wedges against bright citrus.

4 main-course bowls · 1 hr 5 min

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Tuna and white bean salad with celery, herbs, and romaine.

026 · Bright Bowls and Satisfying Salads

Herbed Tuna and White Bean Salad

Tuna and white beans make a useful salad from two pantry cans, but the finished plate should still taste fresh.

4 lunch portions · 20 min

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Orange pumpkin gnocchi with brown butter, sage leaves, and Parmesan.

032 · The Cozy Pasta Shelf

Brown-Butter Pumpkin Gnocchi

Pumpkin gives homemade gnocchi a warm color and a soft, gently sweet center.

4 modest main portions or 6 side portions · 1 hr 40 min

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Broccoli macaroni beneath crisp golden crumbs, with one serving lifted from a rust-colored baking dish.

036 · The Cozy Pasta Shelf

Broccoli Macaroni with Crisp Crumbs

Broccoli macaroni works best when the vegetables stay distinct and the sauce reaches every little curve of pasta.

6 generous side portions or 4 main-dish portions · 50 min

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Rigatoni and broad butterbeans mixed with burst cherry tomatoes and parsley on an oval platter.

038 · The Cozy Pasta Shelf

Roasted Tomato and Butterbean Pasta

Butterbeans bring a pleasing second shape to a bowl of pasta: broad, creamy beans among short tubes, with roasted cherry tomatoes collecting in the spaces between.

4 main-dish portions · 45 min

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Chicken thighs in amber cider sauce with apple wedges and soft shallots in a silver skillet.

042 · Chicken and Turkey, Gently Done

Apple-Cider Chicken with Shallots

Apple cider gives this skillet chicken a rounded fruit flavor that is different from the sharper taste of cider vinegar.

4 portions · 45 min

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Six golden drop biscuits over creamy chicken, leek, and carrot filling in an ivory casserole.

045 · Chicken and Turkey, Gently Done

Chicken and Leek Biscuit Pie

This chicken pie uses individual biscuit tops instead of a full pastry lid.

6 portions with 6 biscuit tops · 1 hr 20 min

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Sliced golden chicken breast with a visible creamy spinach filling on a pale green plate.

047 · Chicken and Turkey, Gently Done

Creamy Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

A pocket of spinach and cream cheese gives these chicken breasts a soft, savory center without needing a complicated sauce.

4 stuffed chicken breasts · 55 min

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Golden cornmeal cobbler mounds over creamy chicken and yellow corn in a blue casserole.

049 · Chicken and Turkey, Gently Done

Chicken and Sweet Corn Cobbler

Sweet corn appears twice in this savory cobbler: juicy kernels in the chicken filling and fine cornmeal in the tender topping.

6 portions · 1 hr 15 min

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Golden yogurt-baked chicken beside a small bowl of green-flecked cucumber herb sauce.

050 · Chicken and Turkey, Gently Done

Yogurt-Baked Chicken with Cucumber Herb Sauce

Plain yogurt makes an uncomplicated coating for baked chicken, giving the surface a gentle tang while protecting the meat during its time in the oven.

4 portions with cucumber sauce · 1 hr 20 min

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Amber orange-glazed salmon beside golden roasted fennel wedges on a cream platter.

052 · Fish, Pork, and Sunday Suppers

Orange-Glazed Salmon with Fennel

Roasted fennel loses much of its raw crispness and develops sweet, soft edges that sit comfortably beside salmon.

4 salmon portions with fennel · 55 min

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Golden-ridged cottage pie with beef, mushroom, and carrot filling visible at one corner.

057 · Fish, Pork, and Sunday Suppers

Beef and Mushroom Cottage Pie

Mushrooms make a beef cottage pie feel fuller and more savory without relying on a strong spice mix.

6 portions · 1 hr 25 min

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A golden pork chop with maple-glazed roasted pear wedges on a terracotta plate.

059 · Fish, Pork, and Sunday Suppers

Maple Pork Chops with Roasted Pears

Pears and maple syrup bring a gentle sweetness to pork chops, balanced here with thyme and a small splash of cider vinegar.

4 pork chops with pears · 50 min

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A golden puff pastry pot pie opened to show creamy mushrooms, chestnuts, and diced carrot.

064 · Vegetables Take the Lead

Mushroom and Chestnut Pot Pie

Mushrooms and chestnuts make a pot pie with two very different textures: tender, savory mushrooms and soft pieces of chestnut that almost crumble into the sauce.

6 portions · 1 hr 40 min

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Creamy Parmesan millet topped with finely chopped chives.

074 · Sides Worth Passing Around

Creamy Parmesan Millet

Millet becomes soft and spoonable when it is given more liquid than a fluffy grain pilaf.

4 side-dish portions · 45 min

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Creamy scalloped potatoes and leeks with a golden Parmesan crust.

076 · Sides Worth Passing Around

Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks

Thin potato slices and sweet leeks settle into a creamy bake with a lightly golden Parmesan top.

6 side-dish portions · 1 hr 45 min

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Golden mushroom bread pudding with crisp bread corners and a tender custard center.

077 · Sides Worth Passing Around

Savory Mushroom Bread Pudding

Bread pudding can be savory, and this mushroom version makes good use of bread that has lost its fresh softness.

6 side-dish portions · 1 hr 40 min

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Rosemary focaccia with a dimpled golden crust and airy cut pieces.

081 · Breads, Spreads, and Little Bites

Rosemary and Olive Oil Focaccia

A generous amount of water gives this focaccia an airy crumb, while olive oil makes the bottom crisp and the surface easy to dimple.

1 nine-by-thirteen-inch loaf, cut into 12 pieces · 3 hr 50 min

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Cheddar and chive drop biscuits with rough golden tops and a soft interior.

082 · Breads, Spreads, and Little Bites

Cheddar and Chive Drop Biscuits

Drop biscuits skip the rolling pin and give you rough, golden peaks that catch little pockets of melted cheddar.

12 drop biscuits · 40 min

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Warm artichoke and spinach spread with a lightly browned mozzarella top.

084 · Breads, Spreads, and Little Bites

Warm Artichoke and Spinach Spread

This warm spread is built around tender artichoke hearts and finely chopped spinach, held together by a smooth mixture of cream cheese and sour cream.

About 3 cups spread · 45 min

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Golden mini mushroom and Swiss tartlets in crisp puff-pastry cups.

088 · Breads, Spreads, and Little Bites

Mini Mushroom and Swiss Tartlets

A standard muffin tin turns puff pastry into small cups for browned mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and a spoonful of egg custard.

12 mini tartlets · 1 hr 5 min

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Whipped feta topped with warm roasted red grapes and thyme.

089 · Breads, Spreads, and Little Bites

Whipped Feta with Roasted Grapes

Roasted grapes provide warm, lightly collapsed pockets of sweetness over a cool, tangy feta cream.

About 1 1/2 cups whipped feta with roasted grapes · 45 min

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Puff-pastry squares topped with pear slices, melted Brie, and thyme.

090 · Breads, Spreads, and Little Bites

Pear and Brie Puff Pastry Squares

Thin pear slices and soft Brie turn a sheet of puff pastry into a small, elegant snack with very little assembly.

12 puff-pastry squares · 50 min

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Brown-butter apple crumble with a crisp oat topping and tender apple filling.

091 · Sweet and Unhurried

Brown-Butter Apple Crumble

Browned butter gives a familiar apple crumble a deeper, toasted aroma without adding more sweetness.

6 dessert portions · 1 hr 20 min

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Maple-pecan bread pudding with toasted nuts and golden bread cubes.

094 · Sweet and Unhurried

Maple-Pecan Bread Pudding

Maple syrup sweetens the custard in this bread pudding, while pecans give its soft center a toasted, crisp contrast.

6 dessert portions · 1 hr 50 min

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Strawberry buttermilk sheet cake with baked berry slices and a tender golden crumb.

095 · Sweet and Unhurried

Strawberry and Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Sliced strawberries sink just slightly into a soft buttermilk cake, leaving pockets of fruit and a pale golden surface.

1 nine-by-thirteen-inch cake, cut into 12 pieces · 1 hr 30 min

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Peach and oat cobbler with golden biscuit mounds and juicy peach filling.

098 · Sweet and Unhurried

Peach and Oat Cobbler

Juicy peaches bubble beneath small oat-studded biscuit mounds in this easy cobbler.

6 dessert portions · 1 hr 15 min

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Chilled coconut custard squares with a shortbread base and fine coconut texture.

099 · Sweet and Unhurried

Coconut Custard Squares

A short, buttery base supports a soft coconut custard in these small dessert squares.

16 small custard squares · 4 hr 15 min

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Baked apples filled with a softly set cinnamon cheesecake center.

100 · Sweet and Unhurried

Baked Cinnamon Cheesecake Apples

A hollowed apple becomes a small shell for vanilla cheesecake filling, with just enough cinnamon to warm its flavor.

4 filled baked apples · 1 hr 10 min

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