To me, the key to a delicious make-ahead meal is its reheatability. Whether you’re putting a dish under the broiler for a few minutes to heat it up, in the oven to finish cooking, or dishing it out into individual serves before a quick spin in the microwave, I’ve found that some dishes hold up to this treatment better than others.
Sometimes it helps to serve a loaf of crusty bread alongside a quick make-ahead meal, or a big salad. This helps to provide more textural variety and adds interest to make-ahead dinners, something that I love to do because, let’s face it, reheated dishes tend to be closer to the mushy end of the texture spectrum.
Adding texture to a make-ahead meal with some quick side dishes or add-ins doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s as simple as grabbing a large salad on the way home from the deli, breaking open a bag of nuts and seeds, or toasting up a quick batch of crunchy croutons.
To save you even more time, I’ve put together the following list of 6 Simple Make-Ahead Meal Suggestions to get you in the mood.
This pasta casserole recipe from Betty Crocker offers the tasty flavors of your favorite pizza – tomatoes, onions, olives, sausage, and gooey melted mozzarella cheese. Serve it in moderately sized portions with a fresh tossed salad.
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Soup serves as the centerpiece of a fantastic make-ahead meal, and most soups freeze exceptionally well. Serve with fresh, crusty bread on a chilly evening.
This recipe from Eating Well is jam-packed with vegetables, so it’s a great source of nutrients. Feel free to include different types of produce to suit your tastes, or blend veggies that picky eaters don’t like, into the broth.
Just throw a few ingredients into your Crock-Pot and this recipe from The Kitchn basically cooks itself. Serve this flavorful chili with crunchy tortilla chips, a sprinkling of fresh cilantro for brightness, and some melted cheddar cheese on top.
Another hearty option, this recipe is from Trisha Yearwood at the Food Network. The potatoes can be pre-cooked in a pressure cooker to save time, and you can hold off on the last phase of baking until you’re ready for dinner.
Just assemble the casserole and freeze or refrigerate until about 30 minutes before it’s time to eat – the oven will do the rest.
Looking for something a little lighter? This flavorful and omega-3 rich dish from Claire Robinson at the Food Network is just the thing. Serve this salmon with a salad on the side and you’re ready to go.
This dish has always been one of my favorites (even though I seem to eat it so rarely!) and topping the "pie" with drop biscuits makes it easy to make ahead. This recipe from Rachael Ray is a little bit complicated, but that can be solved with a few simple adaptations.
To save time, cook your chicken in the slow cooker until it’s easy to shred (instead of poaching) and prepare a few servings of filling ahead of time to store until you’re ready to pull one of these out of the freezer for dinner. You can buy carrots, onions, celery and mushrooms that are already prepped, too – just dump them into the pan!
Whipping up a batch of Bisquick or Jiffy drop biscuits can be done in mere minutes, giving you time to attend to other things at work or around the house while your dinner bakes.
Dinner is served! Well, almost…
Just the thought of all of these delicious dishes is making my mouth water. But I’m not going to make any of these recipes for dinner tonight, and neither should you.
Instead, set aside some time to make these meals ahead of time, pop one or two in the freezer and the rest in the fridge, and you’ll be set for the week!
Just remember – texture is key. A sprinkling of nuts or a side of slaw may be exactly what you need to take a quick make-ahead weeknight meal to the next level.
For more make-ahead meal inspiration, search for recipes on rememberstuff.me here!
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