Nutritious Meal Prep | Dream Chef Kitchen

Born and raised in Chicago, Chef Nichelle Benford brings passion, creativity, and a global perspective to everything she cooks. She began her career as a high fashion model, traveling the world and developing a love for diverse cuisines, cultures, and flavors. That love quickly turned into purpose.

After graduating from Washburne Culinary Institute in 2008, Nichelle launched Beautiful Foods Catering, followed by the trailblazing Model Chef Food Truck—one of the first 15 licensed food trucks in Chicago and the first Black woman–owned. It was named one of the city’s top 7 food trucks by Thrillist in 2014.

Her mission evolved into Dream Chef LLC, a brand that blends elevated cuisine with community connection. Through catering, personal chef services, and cooking classes, Dream Chef has served major clients like BMW, BET, Banana Republic, Red Bull, and Purdue University. In 2017, Nichelle was honored as BMW’s official Diversity Chef.

In 2018, she opened Dream Chef Kitchen, a casual eatery and art space featured in the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, WGN, CBS, and more. The brand expanded in 2019 as the exclusive in-house food provider for Atkore International, serving 500+ corporate employees daily.

Now in 2025, Chef Nichelle has relaunched Dream Chef Meal Prep—bringing restaurant-quality meals directly to homes across Chicagoland—and is preparing to debut her signature line of cookware, dressings, marinades, and spice blends.