Make-Ahead Meals

Bryan Roof is relying more than ever on make-ahead meals. [Log In]( [America's Test Kitchen]( [find recipes]( [start free web trial]( Notes from Our Home Kitchens Dispatches from our cooks while we’re in our home kitchens instead of the Test Kitchen [Make-Ahead Meals. 4-10-2020]( From Bryan Roof, Executive Food Editor While some of us are fortunate enough to have the option of working from home during this uncertain time, it can also be a struggle to find the right balance of spending time with family, whom you’re now surrounded by constantly, and fulfilling work obligations. Add more consistent cooking and meal-planning than ever before to the mix and you’re bound to get a little frayed at the edges. So, even though I’m home 24-7 these days, I’m relying more than ever on make-ahead meals. A little extra kitchen work on a lazy Sunday afternoon can ease the dining pressure during the week. After all, just because you’re home doesn’t mean you need to spend all your time cooking. Perfect for making the night before and popping into the oven the next morning, this [Breakfast Strata with Spinach and Gruyère]( is a tasty breakfast that makes enough for a crowd or for plenty of leftovers. This [hearty pasta and bean soup]( is Italian American comfort food at its best. To make it ahead, we refrigerate or freeze it right before adding the pasta, then bring it to a boil and add the pasta just before serving. For a [Shepherd’s Pie]( that holds up in the freezer, we use extra chicken broth and strategically layer our ingredients so that when it heats up, it’s as good as if it had been made that day. FREE FOR TWO DAYS Breakfast Strata with Spinach and Gruyère Buttering the whole dried bread slices gives the dish good texture and richness. Carefully selecting and then sautéing just a few complementary ingredients for the filling removes excess moisture and prevents the casserole from becoming waterlogged. Weighing the strata down overnight in the refrigerator before baking improves the strata’s texture and makes it the perfect make-ahead breakfast dish. [view recipe]( FREE FOR TWO DAYS Pasta e Fagioli Starting with a base of pancetta, finely chopped vegetables, plenty of garlic, and a small but powerful punch from tomato paste, we build a rich and flavorful broth as a backdrop for our soup. To thicken it, we puree half the cannellini beans that we use in the soup. For ease, rather than boiling the pasta in a separate pot, we add little ditalini right into the simmering soup to cook in the last minutes before serving. [view recipe]( FREE FOR TWO DAYS Make-Ahead Shepherd’s Pie The freezer dehydrates food, so we add extra chicken broth to keep our Make-Ahead Shepherd’s Pie moist. We strategically layer our ingredients so that the potato topping doesn’t soak up too much of the liquid from the beef mixture when we reheat the pie. To prevent the topping from turning grainy, we turn to waxy red potatoes. [view recipe]( Special Offer [Keep Calm and Cook Sale. Prices slashed! Every book $19.99 or less, even new books. SHOP NOW. We’re ready to ship!]( Recommended Equipment for These Recipes winner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro 12” Open Frypan [buy now]( Capacity: ★★★   Ease of Use: ★★★   Durability: ★★½   Nonstick Ability: ★★★   There’s nothing like a good nonstick skillet. This one is slick, both when it arrives and after plenty of use. It’s one of the lightest models we tested, so it’s easy to lift and maneuver, but it’s also sturdy and resists denting. [Learn More →]( winner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED All-Clad Stainless 4-Qt Sauce Pan [buy now]( Cleanup: ★★★   Durability: ★★★   Ease of Use: ★★★   Performance: ★★★   This saucepan is large enough to hold our pasta e fagioli, and its steady heating ability means food cooks evenly and thoroughly. The cup-shaped stay-cool handle is easy to grip, and a helper handle provides another grabbing point for when the pan is full. [Learn More →]( winner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Pyrex Easy Grab 3-Quart Oblong Baking Dish [buy now]( Weight: ★★½   Handle: ★★★   Glass baking dishes are ideal for bringing lasagnas, casseroles, cobblers, and crumbles straight from the oven to the table. This relatively lightweight baking dish has large handles that make it easy to grip and maneuver. [Learn More →]( From Our Online Cooking School 11 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze Leftover ingredients? You might be able to freeze them. [VIEW COURSE]( Stay Connected with the Test Kitchen [2019 WEBBY People’s Voice Award WINNER]( Proof is a podcast that solves food mysteries, one story at a time. LISTEN FOR FREE: [APPLE PODCASTS]( [GOOGLE PODCASTS]( [STITCHER]( [SPOTIFY]( [OVERCAST]( [America’s Test Kitchen on The Splendid Table]( Tune in to your local public radio station or listen at [splendidtable.org](. 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