Cooking Light - Cooking Light Make-Ahead Meals

CookingLight MAKE-AHEAD MEALS COOK ONCE >> EAT TWICE! FROM THE EDITOR CookingLight MAKE-AHEAD MEALS Theres a certain comfort in having dinner already done when you get home. You know your family will eat well during the week, regardless of hectic schedules, and any prep or cleanup will be minimal. Even if you arent a champion meal planner, having a couple of go-to meals stashed in the fridge or freezer can be a lifesaver. The recipes in this book make the most of your time so none of your effort goes to waste. Doubling a batch of roasted vegetables, for example, adds little prep or cook time yet yields enough for two more quick . In the same vein, we believe a frozen entre just isnt convenient if it requires an overnight thaw or a two-hour bake; our recipes go from freezer to table in less than an hour.

And when theres just no time to cook, refrigerated mains are delicious both cold and at room temperature. We begin with a chapter of freezer-ready dishes with tips on how best to freeze, thaw, and reheat in time for dinner. Next, Cook Once, Eat Three Times makes clever use of leftovers to avoid a dinner rut. Fridge-to-table dinners follow, and then slow cooker favorites that can simmer during the day so you can serve them up as soon as you walk in the door. A chapter of finish-and-serve mains lets you assemble ahead and add final touches whenever you plan to serveeveryone will think youve cooked all evening. This collection of make-ahead recipes helps you prep, plan, and cook on your schedule so you can enjoy truly great meals any night of the week.

CookingLight SPECIAL EDITION Contents Fix and Freeze These freezer-friendly mains taste just made, even after freezing, thawing, and reheating. Every recipe goes from freezer to table in under an hour. Cook Once, Eat Three Times Be a weekend warrior: Cook up an extra batch of grains, vegetables, or beans on Sunday, and transform the leftovers again and again for quick dinners during the week. Fridge to Table Skip the oven, and enjoy mains you can make ahead and serve straight from the fridge. Try whole-grain bowls, as well as bold salad and noodle dishes. Slow Cooker Favorites Get your slow cooker started the night before or in the morning, and come home to tender meats and rich, hearty soups.

Feed a crowd, or freeze for later. Finish and Serve Build a casserole, marinate meats, and get the soup simmering when you have time; then bake, grill, or reheat for impressive weeknight mains without the hassle. Etcetera CHAPTER 1 Fix and Freeze These freezer-friendly mains taste like they were just made, even after freezing, thawing, and reheating. Every recipe goes from freezer to table in under an hour. Individual White Chicken Pizzas Hands-on: 57 min. Total: 57 min.

Cook up as many pizzas as you want tonight, and freeze the rest. The key to the deliciousness (and believe us, these cheesy pizzas are amazing) is to make fresh ricotta cheese, which is more moist and creamy than store-bought. Its fast and easy to do in the microwave. 30 ounces refrigerated fresh pizza dough, divided cup olive oil cup chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 8 garlic cloves, crushed 4 thyme sprigs 4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt 4 teaspoons cider vinegar teaspoon kosher salt 12 ounces shredded cooked chicken breast 6.5 ounces preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Italian-blend cheese (about 1 cups) 3 ounces fresh part-skim mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper cup small fresh basil leaves Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 450 (keep pizza stone or baking sheet in oven as it preheats). Let pizza dough rest, covered, at room temperature as oven preheats.

Combine oil and next 4 ingredients (through thyme sprigs) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 4 minutes or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Strain garlic mixture through a fine sieve over a small bowl; discard solids. Combine milk, yogurt, and vinegar in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 6 minutes.

Gently stir to form small curds. Strain curds through a fine sieve; let stand 5 minutes. Discard liquid. Combine oil mixture, cheese curds, and salt, stirring gently. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface (keep dough covered with a damp towel to prevent drying).

Spread about 1 tablespoons oil mixture over each pizza, leaving a -inch border. Divide chicken, Italian-blend cheese, and mozzarella cheese evenly among pizzas; sprinkle evenly with thyme leaves and black pepper. Carefully remove pizza stone from oven. Arrange 3 to 4 pizzas on pizza stone. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes or until dough is golden and cheese browns. Repeat procedure with remaining pizzas, or follow freezing instructions.

Sprinkle pizzas evenly with fresh basil leaves. SERVES 12 (serving size: 1 pizza) CALORIES 410; FAT 16.7g (sat 4.9g, mono 8.1g, poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 23.4g; CARB 39.5g; FIBER 5.3g; SUGARS 5g (est. added sugars 0g); CHOL 37mg; IRON 1.2mg; SODIUM 646mg; CALC 282mg TO FREEZE Bake pizzas on preheated stone for only 5 minutes. Cool; wrap individually in heavy-duty foil, stack, and freeze up to 2 months. TO REHEAT No thawing: Place frozen pizzas on a baking sheet thats not preheated; bake at 450 for 13 minutes or until cheese browns. Spaghetti and Meatballs in Tomato-Basil Sauce Hands-on: 60 min.

Total: 1 hr. 15 min. Feed a crowd of 8 tonight, or cook 6 ounces pasta to serve 4 and freeze half the meatball mixture for later. SAUCE 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoons dried basil cup tomato paste cup dry red wine 2 (15-ounce) cans unsalted crushed tomatoes 2 (14.5-ounce) cans unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained 1 tablespoon sugar teaspoon kosher salt teaspoon black pepper MEATBALLS Cooking spray 2 (1-ounce) slices whole-grain bread cup finely chopped onion cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided teaspoon kosher salt teaspoon black pepper 1 pounds 90% lean ground sirloin 6 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 eggs, lightly beaten 12 ounces uncooked whole-grain spaghetti To prepare sauce, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add 1 cup chopped onion, 5 garlic cloves, and basil to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Preheat oven to 450.

To prepare meatballs, coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Place bread in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Place breadcrumbs, cup chopped onion, cup parsley, and next 6 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl; stir until combined. Shape into 40 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each); arrange meatballs on prepared pans. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Add meatballs to tomato sauce; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.