Diane Phillips - Youve Got It Made: Deliciously Easy Meals to Make Now and Bake Later

The Harvard Common Press

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Boston, Massachusetts 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com

Copyright 2008 by Diane Phillips
Cover photographs copyright 2008 by Joyce Oudkerk Pool

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

Printed on acid-free paper

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Phillips, Diane.
You've got it made : deliciously easy meals to make now and bake later / Diane Phillips.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN: 978-1-55832-350-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN: 978-1-55832-351-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Cookery. 2. Entertaining. 3. Make-ahead cookery. I. Title.
TX714.P477 2008
641.5dc22
2007025798

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Book design by Ralph Fowler / rlf design
Cover photographs by Joyce Oudkerk Pool
Food styling by Dan Becker
Prop styling by Tabletop Props

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To the gang at Great News!, my home on the range:

Ron, Devora, Allison, Sara, Aissa, Yvonne, Dionne, Tiffany, Sherri, Erika, Kim, Nicole, Amanda, Deb, Pat, David, and the other staff members and volunteers who make my time in their San Diego kitchen way too much funthanks for making the Diva feel at home.

While writing this book many people added salt and spice to all that I did, and I would be remiss if I didn't thank them.

To my family members, who are extraordinary cheerleaders: Dr. Chuck, who survives weeks without a home-cooked meal even when I'm not on the road teaching but continues to exude good humor and encouragementthanks, honey, I couldn't do this without you.

Daughter Carrie, her boyfriend, Eric, and our son, Ryan, all make me feel supported, loved, and special every day. Thanks, kids, I think it's time to eat!

My agent, Susan Ginsburg at Writers House, happens to be a remarkable woman, an incredibly savvy agent, and a treasured friend. I've enjoyed so much about our relationship but most of all the sharing of our livesthanks for that, Susan. Her patient assistant, Emily Saladino, answers frantic e-mails and calls with grace and style; I'm grateful to have her there.

My buddy Lora Brody has been a mentor and role model to me since I met her, and she has generously led the way for me, with encouragement and laughter. We also share a passion for all things Red Sox!

Testing recipes for me in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, while juggling a full-time job and culinary school has been Robin Cox, an emerging star on the culinary horizonyou go, girl!

My work has been enriched by the relationships I've developed over the years, and I want to thank Lisa Callaghan and Patricia Claugh at All-Clad for their support, as well as Roy Johnson, the gang at Homewood Suites, Marissa Loper, and Spellbinders, who made my stays in Memphis so much fun.

I'd like to thank Sandra Maas and the crew at Inside San Diego on KUSI-TV for inviting me in and allowing me to have a great time. And I wouldn't be writing cookbooks without the support of cooking schools and students across the country and in France. Thanks and a toast to the staffs at Viking Culinary Arts Centers, Publix Supermarkets, Ramekins, Draeger's, Sur La Table, A Southern Season, Kitchen-Art, CooksWares, Great News!, The Kitchen Shoppe, and La Combe en Prigord.

Thanks to the dedicated and hardworking staff at The Harvard Common Press: publisher Bruce Shaw, executive editor Valerie Cimino, managing editor Jane Dornbusch and the production crew, publicist Howard Stelzer, the sales department (especially Betsy Young and Megan Weireter), and all the staff who have helped to make this book a reality. Thank you to my friend Ralph Fowler, of rlf design, for the terrific interior design, and to Andrea Chesman for her concise copyediting and great questions that kept the manuscript on target.

Lastly, thank you to you, dear reader, for taking the time to read and make use of this book. I hope you'll enjoy many nights of simple, do-ahead dinners in the years ahead with these easy and delicious ideas. Let me know how you do by visiting my Web site: www.dianephillips.com. Now, let's dig in!

When someone mentions home cooking, you might remember a particularly great casserole that your mother made or an especially comforting plate of macaroni and cheese and wish that you could put that kind of meal on the table for your family. Baked comfort foods not only tantalize us with their aromas, they also satisfy us with their flavor. The aroma of a delicious baked chicken-and-rice casserole bubbling in a creamy sauce with a cheesy, crunchy topping makes the stress of the day go away, and everything becomes right with the world.

But time and its demands always seem to get in the way, don't they? The question "What's for dinner?" can send shivers up your spine. Too tired, stressed, and out of breath to think about food, you wait until you get home to realize that there isn't anything even remotely resembling dinner to be had in the fridge or freezer.

Well, the days of home-cooked meals don't have to be over for any of us; comfort foods can be on your table whenever you like, with just a little bit of planning ahead. That's where I come in. My tried and tested make-it-now, bake-it-later strategy will help you to become the Diva of Do-Ahead in your family.

With a few simple steps and ingredients, and a little planning ahead, dinner can be waiting in your fridge or freezer most nights of the week. Defrosting in the microwave, or defrosting overnight in the refrigerator, then warming up in the oven is all that is needed to get you on your way to a hot, delicious, and simple home-cooked meal.

Teaching across the country as I do, I find that most home cooks are unsure of what will freeze well, how long different foods will keep in the freezer, and how long certain items will keep in the refrigerator. This makes storing your food seem complicated, but it doesn't have to be. My make-it-now, bake-it-later strategy works for many different types of meals. I think we all picture casseroles off the bat, but meats can be browned and additional ingredients added, and then the entire dish can be refrigerated or frozen. When the dish is baked, the meat can braise for a long period of time, developing rich flavor. Add fresh vegetables and you have a perfect, comforting dinner for your family or friends.

Planning is key here, and you will need to spend a few minutes, or maybe even an hour or two in some cases, planning how your meals will come together. Sauces, pastas, rice, and vegetables can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen, and other components can be waiting to be added to the dish when you are ready. Then refrigerate or freeze them and you've got it made with terrific meals featuring terrific flavors any night of the week. The added benefit of the make-it-now, bake-it-later strategy is that you can usually freeze several meals at once with a few make-ahead sauces and different meat, chicken, or seafood combinations. Many people who work during the week take part of their Sundays to plan out their weeknight meals; with this strategy, you can even plan more than a week's worth of menus at once and have them ready to go in a relatively short period of time.