Chef Michelle Alfaro Takes An Unlikely Path to Culinary Success
Chef Michelle Alfaro is quickly being noticed as one of Omaha’s top private catering chefs. Her path to culinary success, however, has been…let’s say…nontraditional. In early 2018, Alfaro’s oldest son of three children was raising money to go on a mission trip to El Salvador. Like any mother, she brainstormed ways in which she could help him raise money. After some thought, she knew she could sell salsa to some of her friends and co-workers. Her salsa recipe is a beloved, family recipe, and was well received as she made $700.00 in one day to reach Tanner’s goal. It was a huge blessing.
Alfaro’s Salsa Success
Michelle Alfaro, an MPA graduate from Villanova University, was writing reports at work, and felt as though she should call Hy-Vee in Papillion and tell them about her salsa. She spoke to the Director and met with him two days later, and that was the start of My Chelle’s Salsa. Within six months she was in thirteen of fourteen Hy-Vee stores. God opened many doors in a short period of time. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” and He did.
Alfaro Resigns from City Job
Alfaro did what very few city employees have ever done. She resigned from her City job and made salsa full time for almost a year before making the decision to broaden her culinary horizons and expand into private catering. She has always had a passion for cooking. As a wife and mother, making homemade meals for her family was important, but the reality of three kiddos going here, there, and everywhere made it difficult to find the time to prepare homemade meals on weeknights. That’s when somewhere between too busy and super mom, Mama Chelle’s Kitchen was created to assist busy families by providing homemade meal options during the hectic work week. Chef Alfaro makes delicious homemade meals, on the go. Families order their favorite options, choose their pick-up time, and take home a freshly made meal and pop it in their oven, for a convenient, delicious alternative to fast food. Alfaro uses fresh, quality ingredients in all of their meals and uses as few canned goods as possible.
In addition to their Take and Bake options, Alfaro does private pop-ups and small caterings where they bring their take on local favorites. Her goal has always been to make options with which people are familiar and elevate them in ways they don’t expect. Her food has been well received and keeps people coming back for more, while allowing her to use her gift of culinary creativity.
As Mama Chelle’s grew, her husband, Jose, has joined her team and her son helps out when he is not in school. It truly is a family owned and operated business. Their mission has been and remains creating homemade meals and catering private home events, with high quality ingredients, for other families that are on the go, but they don’t stop there. Michelle and Jose believe that when you’re blessed, it’s important to bless others, and Mama Chelle’s Kitchen has supported many local organizations including contributions toward tuition of a local student to attend Bethel Christian University in Redding California, Moving Veteran’s Forward, Papillion La Vista Schools and Convoy of Hope for disaster relief when Nebraska was significantly impacted by the floods.
Alfaro’s ‘Mama Chelle’s Kitchen’, is not fast food. It’s homemade food, made by their family, for your family, on the go.
