Better Homes and Gardens Books (Firme) - Better Homes and Gardens make-ahead meals: 150+ recipes to enjoy every day of the week

Recipes are identified with an arrow icon that tells how far ahead a recipe can be madefrom up to 1 day to months ahead.

Make ahead up to 24 hours

Make ahead 1 to 3 days

Make ahead weeks or months

1. Read the Recipe Even if a recipe isnt specifically make ahead, read through it carefully for steps that can be done ahead without compromising flavor, texture, or appearance. With the exception of fruits and vegetables that oxidize and turn brown when exposed to airsuch as potatoes, apples, pears, root vegetables, bananas and avocadosmost peeling, seeding, and chopping can be done ahead of time. Prepped produce can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, up to 1 day. Vegetables such as green beans and Brussels sprouts can be blanched and stored in the refrigerator.

2. Use Time Wisely Have a few spare minutes? Use even a small window of time to make a grocery list or a weekly meal plan. Cut up vegetables, saut mushrooms, or caramelize and refrigerate onions. Roast a whole chicken or a pork loin roast and store it to use in main-dish salads or casseroles.

3. Be Efficient When prepping for a recipe that calls for all the produce to be added at the same time, reduce the use of containers, consolidate prep and cooking steps, and cut cleanup by layering and storing all the produce in one container.

4. Prep Smart Know what you can and cant prep or cook ahead. Most vegetables that are going to be cooked can be chopped ahead of time, but if they are going to be served raw, they should be prepared as close to serving time as possible. Fresh herbs should be chopped right before using because cutting causes them to wilt and break down. Most salads can be made ahead and refrigeratedif the vegetables and greens are kept separate from the dressing. Dress the salad right before serving. Both pasta and rice can be cooked al dente, then cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a day or two. When they are reheated in a microwave with just a little water, they maintain most of the textural quality.

5. Create a Repertoire Hearty braises, soups, and stews improve with a little age. Grilled and pan-seared foods are best served right after cooking. Even when the main part of a recipe cant be made ahead, often the most time-consuming stepssauces, seasoning pastes, chutneys, relishes, dressings, and flavored butterscan be. Pie pastry, pizza dough, and cookie dough can all be made ahead and chilled or frozen.