This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Ashlyn, winner of The Make Ahead Cook
I got some mail from America’s Test Kitchen recently: an advance copy of The Make Ahead Cook.
America’s Test Kitchen wants to help people get dinner on the table at night, so they’ve already put out several books with quick-cooking recipes.
However, this book takes a different approach to time-crunched cooking by helping you get your food prepped or cooked ahead of time.
This approach is very appealing to me because I’m not really at my best with a flurry of cooking right at dinnertime.
(said flurry usually results in an incredibly messy kitchen with zero clear counter space.)
For a variety of reasons, I function better when I’ve done at least something to prepare for dinner earlier in the day, even if it’s something as simple as putting a rub on some meat or salting a chicken.
Cook’s Illustrated, a sister of ATK, has a make-ahead cookbook out as well, and since I wondered about the differences between the two, I checked a copy out from the library.
As I see it, the differences are mainly that the CI book covers more than just main dishes, is larger, and has no color photos.
The ATK book contains nothing but main dishes, is a smaller size, and there are color photos of nearly every recipe.
At least, there will be in your book! My advance copy just had black and white photos. 
But judging by the photos on the cover, I’m positive the color version is beautiful!
Many make ahead cookbooks are comprised strictly of freezer recipes (and lots of casseroles!), but this book has much more.
There’s some freezer cooking, of course, but there are also slow-cooker recipes, partial-prep recipes (marinading, salting, rubbing), braises, ready-to-cook meals, and more.
So far I’ve made Chicken Cacciatore (which you fully prep ahead of time and then reheat at dinner),
pulled pork (also fully made ahead of time, with an easy-peasy homemade sauce),
and spice-rubbed flank steak (you do the rub up to 24 hours ahead of time and then cook the steak quickly at dinnertime.)
Though I chose three meaty dishes, never fear, vegetarians! There are meatless options in each section of the book.
I think the pulled pork was our favorite of the three we’ve tried so far, and I was going to put the recipe in this post. But then I thought it could be sort of hard to find in the future if it was buried in a giveaway post.
So how about I give the recipe its own post tomorrow?
If you struggle to get dinner on the table due to a short window of evening time, cooking ahead of time could be a real lifesaver for you. By doing some cooking on the weekend or before bed, or early in the morning, you could save yourself a lot of 5 PM stress. And of course, having dinner already prepped means that you won’t be tempted to eat out.
Win a copy!
The Make Ahead Cook is $17.97 on Amazon, which is totally worth the price even if it just saves you from eating out once or twice.
However, one of you won’t need to buy a copy because America’s Test Kitchen is providing a full-color copy for me to give away!
To enter, just leave a comment sharing your best tip for make-ahead dinners.
(If you haven’t got a tip, it’s totally ok to say you just want the book.)
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Fine Print:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. One entry per person. Giveaway limited to addresses within the continental U.S. Edit: U.S. residents AND Canadians can enter!
Winner will be chosen at random. The giveaway will close on Wednesday, September 10th at 11:59 PM EST.
America’s Test Kitchen provided me with a cookbook but this post was not sponsored.
I try to cook 1-2 big batch recipes per week and freeze leftovers. I freeze some single servings for lunches as well as some family sized servings.
Some dishes I will make a double batch, so I can freeze one and enjoy the other for dinner.
I like to do as much of my chopping and such ahead of time. It makes assembling dinner so much easier and less messy!
Not terribly original, but my crockpot is my best friend on nights when extracurricular activities preempt the usual dinner hour…
Make enough for two meals and freeze half!
Prep veggies but dicing etc… Also marinating meat, making sure meat is thawed before prep time…
Planning…I make my game plan before going to the store on Saturday. Then there is no doubt what we’re going to eat, as its all planned out and purchased.
My favorite cook ahead tip is having meat already prepared…….so I can quickly add to casseroles, soups or stir fry. I am also a huge fan of menu planning so there is no question as to what is for dinner
Both look like great books! I love C.I. and ATK!!
Lately I’ve been doubling or tripling each thing I cook or bake so I can freeze the extras. I’ve quickly filled an extra freezer with all the extra spaghetti sauce, taco meat, bread, cookies, etc. with hardly any extra work
I would love to win this book! I use my crock pot a lot, but feel like all I make are chili’s and stews. I can use some new ideas. My make ahead tip is I will buy a large package of ground beef and usually make a meatloaf for dinner that day, prepare some for meatballs to freeze and fry up the rest with onion and freeze that to use for Shepherd’s pie, chili or tacos another day.
Our Sunday fun day is spent with the hubby and kids throwing out dinner menu ideas. My guys all drive so everyone takes an idea , picks a day and goes for it! I am so grateful I spent time in the kitchen with my boys when they were little, now they teach me a thing or two in return. So glad they love to be in the kitchen as much as me!
Remember to take the meat out of the freezer in time for it to defrost!
Do all your prep on the weekends, so it’s easy to pull together a meal on a busy weeknight. (I also love having a freezer cooking session on the weekend.)
I don’t have a tip. But I am due with baby #3 in a few months, and I would love this cookbook.
I do a bit of prep, but the thing that has helped me the most is keeping the dishes clean and emptying the dishwasher right away so that a. there is always a place to put the dirty dishes right away without making a huge mess and b. all tools (pots, cutting board, etc) are available and ready. Oh, also transferring the cooked stuff to storage containers right away (so the pots can be cleaned, and the cycle continues). Thanks for the giveaway.
my mom tried so hard to force this idea into me and I always rebelled. now I’m slowly but surely figuring out it DOES help. a clean sink and a plastic grocery bag or big bowl for stuff that needs to go in the trash helps too (my trash can is too big to lug around and I dont’ like stepping around it) I think my cousin bought her daughtes a rachel ray bowl one year for Christmas that serves this purpose – it was a splurge gift since she said it was’just a bowl’ but they all liked her shows and loved the bowl
I am
While it’s not make ahead, my grill is my go to for quick cooking. It’s fast, easy, and doesn’t result in a messy kitchen!
I like to make double batches of a recipe and then either freeze the second one or share with my parents when I go visit. They are older and hard for them to cook anything very complicated.
I would love, love to win the cookbook.
Here’s 2! Prep what you can in the morning before work and when ground beef goes on sale for dirt cheap, buy in bulk and fry it up and package in 1 – 2 lb portions and freeze.
I like to make extra and freeze.
I am most successful at dinner time with a menu planned in advance, combined with prep work in the afternoon- chopping, marinating, etc.
Menu planning. If you know what you are going to make beforehand, you know what you need to do, so if you are having rice in two dishes, Make it once and save the extra, etc.
I cook a whole chicken, shred it, and freeze it in portions for recipes
I love crock pot meals, they save me tons of time with little hands on effort.
I get together with a few friends on a Sunday night in our church kitchen and we chop, chop, chop. We also get to share recipes that way. It’s so nice to have fresh veggies on hand to throw together a salad for lunch without having to take the time to cut everything up!
I need this book! Prepping dinner ahead of time is not my string suit. And now that I am going back to work after an extended maternity leave, dinners are becoming more difficult.
Love the tips…for me planning my menu and shopping are most important. Sounds too simple but if I don’t do it everyday becomes last minute.
Just moved to the US and finding it tricky to cook. No tips nut the book would be a great help!
My best make ahead – salsa chicken. Frozen chx breasts out of the freezer and into a ziploc bag with a jar of salsa, zip, and let thaw. Throw it on the grill at dinnertime and its the best!
My make-ahead secret weapon is my mother-in-law. I can stop in to say hi with the kids for a moment, mention that I have no idea what’s for supper, and voilà! I go home with half a meatloaf or my husband’s favorite casserole or two watermelons and five canteloupe, and there’s my jumping-off point.
(I’m only half kidding.)
I think, hands down the best tip for a make-ahead dinner is the slow cooker when you have the time. I would love to make the make-ahead test kitchen chicken cacciatore!
I’ve tried freezer cooking but it doesn’t work for me except in small batches. For example, when I double a recipe & put half in the freezer. My crockpot is my best make ahead tool but I’m struggling for recipes.
My crockpot! I will put everything in it the night before and stick it in the fridge. Then in the morning take it out and plug it in! The smell when you are walking through the door when you come home after a long day! YUM!
On Sunday nights in the winter I make up a big vat of soup and have it for the week for lunch. I buy online the dried ingredients and herbs and you add chicken broth and chicken. It is pretty easy and saves me from buy lunch out every day especially when it snows and is freezing out. I’d like to try doing something for dinner.
I try to cook large batches of a meal several times a week. We eat some for dinner but then i freeze the other portions so that I have a freezer stocked with a variety of homemade dinners at any given time!
I want the book.
I’ve been a make-ahead cook for years, going back to when my kids were little and I used nap time to prep for dinner! Sometimes I made the whole meal then, and just reheated it at dinnertime.( I also had school-age kids so evenings were busy!) Nowadays I do a lot of prep in advance, such as chopping, peeling, etc., the night before when I know I’ll be pressed for time the next day. I always get a crock pot meal ready the night before, such as making a sauce, going ahead and unwrapping meat and seasoning it, etc., then refrigerating, so I can get it in the crock quickly in the morning before work.
I am half Indian and I cook a lot of Indian recipes. Most are perfect make ahead dishes. Especially the lentil (Daal) dishes. I also soak rice an hour or so ahead of dinner and then it cooks up amazingly well in the microwave. But I would love a copy of this ATK book. My family loves all different types of food.
Thanks!
Anna
I love it when I have something all ready to go that I can take out of the freezer, and I’m also a slow-cooker fan. Would love the cookbook, to add to my repetoire.
I have absolutely no advice/tips for making cooking easier, except let someone else do it. I would love the book though.
The best thing I do for our very busy Sundays is to make enough food for our Friday and Saturday night dinners to have leftovers enough for Sunday.
I have come to rely on menu planning – I plan dinners for 2 weeks at a time. Then when I can, I will either make a double batch of a meal to use at a future time, or will cook part of a meal ahead of time to use when I need it. Also, when I buy meat I try to make it into what it’s going to be (ie, hamburgers or meatballs, or put a marinade on chicken) and freeze it right away so I don’t forget it’s there (*food waste*). I am always very glad to be able to pull out a meal from the freezer that’s already been started. Thanks for the giveaway!
I try to have ingredients on hand that can do double-duty for several meal ideas. Tortillas can be used for wraps, pizzas, etc. Having food options that are interchangeable is a great help at meal times.
If I have a few recipes for the week that all need precooked chicken, I will cook all the chicken early in thee week, shred it and then freeze it in premeasured containers.
I don’t have a tip, but we love the quick family cookbook so much that I figure we’d enjoy this one, too.
I like to buy my chicken breasts from Zaycon Foods so when I get my bulk box I divide it in meal size portions. Some I will marinade before freezing, some I cook and shred, and some I slice or dice for stir fry. I also love to make double and freeze a recipe. This is also very nice for taking a meal to someon with a new baby or that is sick. I’ve been taking meals to a friend who just had triplets. This method has worked great. I’d love this book for some new ideas.
I like to use my crockpot when appropriate or prep several meals at once and freeze the ones I’m not cooking that night.
The best thing I do to prep ahead is to at least take meat out of the freezer and thawing in the fridge the night before! It saves me from scrambling when I get home from work at 5:pm.
My best tip is definitely using the crockpot!
I try to make double batches so I have a few meals in the freezer. And I love to have crock pot meals on hand that I can use on busy days.
Make sure you have all your ingredients on hand. Nothing slows dinner down more than having to wait on hubby to bring home a crucial ingredient!
I prep veggies after I buy them and freeze them
My tip – Eat leftovers!
Okay, so maybe you can’t do that every night, but I love leftover night!
Pretty much the only time I make anything ahead of time is if I’m using my crock pot. I would love to prep ahead more often but I need some new recipes that cater to that.
I’ve been trying to make extra of things we like that freeze well. These include items that take a bit more time and are a mess to make, so why not make more when the mess is already out. One favorite currently is tamales and I just froze a batch of sweet potato corn cakes. We are trying to figure out make ahead meals for those nights when there is soccer practice or when everyone comes home from work or school exhausted.
My tip: cook meat in the slow cooker that you can use in a few different ways later. Beef roast, enchiladas, etcetera.
Good morning!
I chop and dice ahead of time, as well as marinate meat in the fridge. I also set the table ~ something about knowing the table is all set and pretty makes me want to get dinner started!
I often double up when making a recipe for dinner. Thanks
Also I make chia pudding for breakfast because it’s ready to eat when I am and when the baby will let me!
I prepare my chopped veggies in advance. It saves so much time and helps me get dinner on the table!
We just eat things raw and then if there isn’t anything ready, we just fast. Just kidding!
We do what a lot of other people have mentioned by cooking a LOT on weekends and happily chowing down on leftovers for the next 5 days. :-b Some people would rather fast than eat leftovers, but leftovers have become this working woman’s best friend!
Many of my tips have been written (pre-cook extra meat and freeze, pre-chop ingredients, use the grill), but for me it really comes down to strategy. Even as empty nesters, no longer doing what so many of you moms do (running home to get food on the table before a Scouts meeting or church function — those were the days!), I still seem to have a lot to do at night. So thinking it through for the week really does save time and money, and mostly, stress!
I portion control out when I freeze meals so that I don’t need to eat the same thing for lunch and dinner multiple nights in a row!
I need all the advance meal prep help I can get. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
On Sunday morning during breakfast I throw a roaster chicken in the oven which is then portioned out for my husband and I to use throughout the week in our lunches.
Foodsaver….cook in bulk, freeze.
Sometimes I repurpose leftover meat or plain veggies into the next meal, or freeze them for future use. Less waste!
I love cutting the veggies for dinner ahead of time and stashing them in the fridge!
I live and breathe by Cook’s recipes and recommendations, and I have an on-line subscription to Cooks Illustrated, so it really frustrates me to be denied opportunity to enter a contest to win a book because I live in Canada.
I’m so sorry. I can double check with ATK to see if they are willing to ship to Canada.
Kristen, will you post the recipe for the flank steak as well? That looks mouthwatering!
Yup, I can do that!
I want the book! Thank you!
I like doing crock pot meals for busy nights. Since I usually work an afternoon/evening shift I often prepare food in advance-whether that means chopping and prepping to cook as soon as I get home (or having hubby start it if it is easy) or cooking the whole meal to reheat later. I am then not too overwhelmed when I get home!
I struggle with preparing food for one (me
and would love some ideas to make it easier. For now, my best prepare ahead meal is crockpot chicken. Thanks, Kristen and ATK!
I also cook for just myself! I find I eat the same meal several times in a row then freeze! what kind of chicken do you make? I’ve done salsa chicken with black beans in the crockpot- like it because the breast can be frozen and cooks while I’m sleeping after night shift
I’ve been enjoying the ATK cooking for two cookbook. I don’t do super-well with tons of leftovers, so making two servings works pretty well for me rather than making 4 of the same thing. Or 6, which for me, is guaranteed food waste. The big winner for me lately was a maple-mustard glazed pork tenderloin (YUMMY!). 3 servings out of a tiny tenderloin, plus mashed potatoes and veggies. Helps to have a friendly butcher who has ideas for tiny cuts of meat.
thanks!
I like to have the salad ready before actual dinner prep. A plate of veggie sticks out before dinner is almost always eaten prior to dinner by the kids, too. My kind of snack.
I really don’t like the taste of thawed meals so the crock pot has been wonderful for busy nights.
I’m notorious for forgetting side dishes, so it’s super helpful for me to have rolls in the freezer and precut vegetables to saute or steam. And of course my slow cooker is a wonderful tool!
Rotate through the leftovers: start with simple vegetable side dishes like steamed carrots or peas, and by the end of the rotation (a few days) you have bits and bobs for a casserole or soup dish.
I try to make double batches of things that we can freeze or eat as leftovers and as school/work lunches. The crockpot is also a lifesaver on busy nights in our house.
I would LOVE to have this book
Ditto lots of strategies already mentioned (make a double batch, chop veggies ahead of time, crockpot). I also like making use of our rice cooker. Paired with something quick like fish, it can get dinner on the table within 20 min of walking in the door!
Just want the book! And thank you!
Cook extra beans and rice and freeze serving-sized portions. Dice the whole onion and freeze what is not needed.
I do casseroles the day before, then clean up. On the day of the company I do the sides in a relaxed way, anticipating the joy of friends coming over. Since I have become more senior (old), I say yes when guests ask to bring something. Usually I say a salad or dessert. If they drink wine, they bring that since we do not.
The best I usually can do ahead is get my produce washed when I get home from the market and sometimes chopped. However, that alone is very helpful.
I often double recipes (such as for meatloaf, meatballs, taco meat, stuffed potatoes, etc.) and freeze the second portion. I’ll then defrost the item the morning I need it, and then pop it in the oven to cook for an easy week day meal for my family.
As a busy household with two kids in school and a newborn, getting dinner on the table is a huge challenge. I would love to have this book!
My tip is to trim wash dry and store (and perhaps blanche) veggies when you get home from the store. Makes veggie prep so much easier.
I would LOVE the book! My favorite “plan ahead” is to make “Friday Night Chili” on the weekend. I am not sure where the recipe originated as I got it from my sister. It is also pretty healthy for you and could be made vegetarian without a problem. It makes a crazy amount of portions, freezes easily, and tastes just as well reheated. (Plus, it’s yummy). Here’s the recipe – I highly suggest it. I do tend to add more tomatoes, and you could certainly add more veggies
Thank you for your great blog!
Friday Night Chili
1 lb turkey or bison
1 large onion peeled and chopped fine
1 large carrot peeled and grated
1 large celery stalk chopped
3 cloves garlic pass through a garlic press
2 tbsp unsulfured molasses
1 can ( 15 oz) navy bean or pinto drain and rinse
1 can (19 oz) low sodium plum tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans drain and rinse
3/4 c chicken stock
1 med sweet potato peeled cooked and mashed
2 tbsp chili powder
Put 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet over med-high heat and cook meat until brown. Heat remaining oil in large pan and add garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook until veggies are tender about 5 mins. Add drained meat, chili powder, molasses, tomatoes and beans. Add chicken stock and mashed sweet potato. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 mins stirring occasionally.
Serving 1 cup Calories 196 Fat 6.5 Protein 13 g Fiber 5.5 g Serve with 1/2 c. of brown rice or quinoa.
thank you for sharing the recipe Laura!
I try to make some components and freeze for easy put together (brown the meat, etc…)
I like to cook extra ground beef or turkey when making taking tacos. You can use the extra in casseroles or pasta.
I like to make big batches and freeze some, so I have an easy meal for later. The Indian Curry Sauce recipe in the CI Make-Ahead cookbook is one of my favorites to do this with!
I buy chicken and ground beef in large quantities. Then I prepare/freeze it all RIGHT AWAY! That way, when I need to fix something quickly, the meat (which is often the most time consuming prep step) is all ready to go!
I like to buy chicken breasts on sale in bulk then cook them in the crockpot. I shred up the meat and bag it up in individual bags. It’s great to have shredded chicken ready to go! We use them for tacos, BBQ sandwiches, chicken and noodles, poppyseed chicken, and on and on!
Ooo I want it!! LOVE Americas Test Kitchen! My fav way to make easy dinners is the slow cooker!!!
Short grain brown rice in the fridge & freezer.
Half way there
I’d like one to prepare food ahead to avoid the rush at dinenr time.
Unfortunately, I have no great tips, which is why I could really use the book!
My best tip would be to defrost the night before!
I love making dishes ahead of time, particularly soups since making it ahead gives the flavors time to marry.
My best make-ahead recipe is French Onion Soup in the slow cooker – I cook up the onions the night before and add them with the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker in the morning!
After our toddler goes to bed I work on the next night’s dinner. I also use my pressure cooker to cut down on time.
I sometimes make double portions of a meal, so that I can freeze one to eat at a later time.
I try to make double batches of things I know will freeze well…ie. chili, spaghetti, etc. in order to get a leg up on dinners.
Going out to eat which is why I need this cookbook!
As a busy, 2 job working mother – I adore prepping meals! Meal planning is KEY for our family — I plan out each week and on Sundays, spend a few hours getting everything as prepared as possible. Cutting, chopping, freezing, thawing if possible!
Just taking the time to plan a menu for a week or even the entire month saves me loads of time and keeps me from wondering what I am going to make for dinner each night.
On the weekends I like to brown 5 pounds of ground beef and then split into 1/2-1 pound bags. Then during the week I can pull out the meat and it cooks quickly with some store bought tomato sauce for spaghetti or a can of beans and taco seasoning for tacos. I also will buy bone in chicken on sale and then boil it. Pull the meat off and shred in the Ninja blender and freeze in 1-2 cup portions for soups, stews, enchiladas, quesadillas, etc. I use the bones and skin to make a large batch of chicken broth for the freezer.
When cooking dinner, I try make sure there’s a couple extra servings: if we have unexpected company over they get to enjoy it, if not, I put the leftovers in small Pyrex containers – they are just right for “lunch for one”. We can then take them to work the next day, or freeze them for later. I could use more tips and strategies though, thank you for the giveaway!
I don’t have any good make ahead recipes, sadly; but I would love a book!
Like to chop ahead and double up on freezer meals
Two rotisserie chickens deboned over the weekend turn into quick meals through the week. The bones make a great stock to freeze in containers that can thaw quick in the microwave.
Can’t say I have a tip but I’m thrilled about the timing of your post! I was just talking about putting together freezer meals and making dinner easier in preparation for my son’s birth next month! I remember how easy it was to forget to feed myself when the new baby came along and I want to make sure I’m feeding myself and my family properly!
I make extra french bread, one for dinner and the other for french bread pizza the next night! (both your recipes of course!)
My crock pot is my best make ahead weapon.
I have not done much to prepare meals ahead of time. I have recently been thinking of doing this now that my son is in school and I find that I don’t have the free time I use too.
When my hubs pulls out our charcoal grill on the few weekends he is home, I pull out as much meat as I can from the freezer and have him cook it on the grill. Then I refreeze the cooked meat and pull out what I need for dinners. That way we can get that yummy grilled flavor all week long! I totally love ATK and CI and I think I could really utilize this book!
I like to make a double batch of pizza dough & freeze it so that I can have an easy dinner the following week with no extra work.
It helps to have meat cooked ahead such as chicken or browned ground beef. I find this saves time when making casseroles or any recipe calling for browned ground meat.
I try to always have pre-cooked bags of hamburger and diced chicken in the freezer. Such a time saver!!
LOL – I have no make ahead tips which is why I need this book! Thanks for the chance at winning.
I mostly just want the book! I do chop up veggies in advance, usually during afternoon play time for the kids, and I love my crockpot.
When cooking meat or other time-consuming portions of a meal, I almost always cook a double batch. If I know I can use it in a similar dish that same week, I put a portion in the fridge. If we’re going to wait to eat it, I throw it in the freezer.
The crockpot is also my best friend! I work a normal 8-5, but my husband’s schedule is such that he is home sporadically during the day. If I chop up veggies ahead of time, I can tell him what to throw into the crockpot around noon so that it’s perfectly cooked by the time I get home! A win-win for everybody!
This is especially helpful when we have friends over for dinner on weeknights! Total lifesaver!
Since I live alone it is very easy to just stop for take-out on the way home. Once or twice a month I do take a Sunday and make up chili and burritos that I can freeze in single serving containers to try and contain my take-out tendencies. If I had something already started it would motivate me to go home and finish up the meal. Looks like a great cookbook!
I season 5 lbs of lean ground meat, (beef, chicken, pork, lamb), whatever I have in the freezer or find on sale. I then portion out the meat to make meatballs and meatloaf. I usually bake the meatballs and freeze in meal size portions to use for subs, pasta dishes or swedish meatballs. I bake the meatloaf with sauce and freeze. This way I just have a salad, veggie, pasta or potato dish to make while the meat warms to finish the whole meal. The salad and veggies can be prepped earlier in the day and potatoes can be peeled and kept in water until it’s time to cook them.
Our home canned foods are really helpful to us in making quick meals. In addition to things like grean beans and beets that make quick side dishes, we hydrate and can dried beans, and preserve homemade soup and seasoned meat.
I thought when I was done home-schooling that I would have more time – guess what, grandmas need to plan ahead for supper too!
I’ll use it to batch cook on Saturdays for the week.
I sometimes freeze dishes (like etouffee) without the meat added so they can be eaten with leftover meat to use it up or we can add fish/shrimp to eat it on a meatless day.
Clean out your freezer! Seriously, every time I want to make a couple batches of stews or soups I need to clean up the freezer to make room. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!
My favorite is to use my crockpot for those hectic nights! That’s of course after I’ve made my menu up and gotten all of the groceries needed for that week. Doing that has saved me more time and money ( and WAY less stress to boot!)than I could’ve ever imagined!
My favorite tip is to make a double batch of things that are easy to freeze… chili, lasagna, meatballs, soups, etc. I usually wait a month or so and then use the batch.
My best make ahead too is to chop all vegetables in advance and in bulk if possible. Then they are easy to throw in to future meals too. This book looks great!!
Crockpot! Or since it’s just me and my husband, I will halve a casserole and freeze one half to have later. I also am LOVING meal planning. It makes life so much easier!
I like to cook my dried beans in my slow cooker (Tex-Mex pinto beans being a favorite), which usually makes enough for several meals (beans and rice, burritos, etc.). I use one serving for that night’s dinner and then freeze the others in containers or freezer bags. Then I’ll have two other meals that are partway finished.
When my life was especially hectic, I would pre-cook hamburger with some onion, then freeze it in 1-pound or 1/2-pound packages. When it came time to make dinner, it could easily be turned into Italian (spaghetti) or Mexican (tacos, burritos, etc.) or any other flavor family with the addition of a few more spices.
I really need to learn how to save time in the kitchen, so I just want the book!
I try to menu plan for the week, shop on the weekend before and cook up 1-2 dishes on the weekend. Then during the week, we have 2-3 meals ready and I only need to add the sides. Thank you for your encouragement and tips also!
I’m terrible at prepping beforehand! There are lots of good tips in these comments though. I really need to start meal planning every week, and I think that would be a good start ha.
I make monthly meal plans, then I can prep or cook my meats ahead of time, as well as some of the veggies.
I like to get the crock pot all ready to go the night before, then I can just pop it in and turn it on in the morning without a lot of effort.
I would love a copy of the ATK Make Ahead Cookbook. I really like both ATK and Cooks Illustrated. Christopher Kimball reads to me every night (catching up on the podcasts). LOL! Tips? Chop your veggies! I hate the washing and chopping part of cooking, so I will chop the more sturdy ones and maybe even partially steam them so that assembly is much faster and easier. I generally do 80% of my cooking on the weekend, yet manage to pack a good lunch every day using “leftovers.”
Linda
PS: Love your blog.
I like to pre-chop a lot of vegetables for 2-3 days worth of meals and make rice in a big batch ahead of time.
I would love the book. I am usually not super prepared for dinners but I am trying to fix that!
Cook large batches…pulled pork, spaghetti, tortillas, special sauces…then freeze half and dinner next time is easy!
for those crockpot lovers who can’t be home to turn off the corckpot (myself included), my tip is to get a mechanical timer. They sell for under $10 at the hardware store. It’s the same timer you would use to make your lights turn on and off while on vacation. I use that with my crockpot to make sure I follow the cooking time given in the recipe. While some dishes can go on simmering on low for a little longer, many dry out and you end up with such a terrible time cleaning up.
I want to win the cookbook.
I love crockpot cooking. Easy prep in the morning. Dinner on the table quickly in the evening.
My make ahead tip is to remember to take the meat out of the freezer!
I am the WORST about that, and most afternoons, around 3pm, am remembering that I forgot and am scrambling to figure something out.
I would love this book to help me combat that phenomenon in my kitchen : )
I hate it when I do that! So stressful to try and figure out dinner at the last minute.
I love crockpot dinners. Also when I can stretch 1 ingredient through three meals. Example: Baked chicken on night 1, Leftover chicken in lettuce wraps for night 2 and soup made from the bones and leftover meat and veggies for night three. When I plan that well, I feel like I’ve won something. When we grill chicken, we grill more than what we need for that night. We cut up the leftovers and freeze them for buffalo chicken pizza, fajitas, cheesy chicken and rice, or to toss into salads.
I cook a whole package of chicken. Shred it and freeze it. Easy quesadillas, chicken soup, etc.
I’m not very good with ‘make ahead’ stuff. This would be a great book for me!
that looks like a great book. when it was just my husband and I, I would make 4 ‘pans’ of lasagna in a bread loaf pan which was just the perfect serving for one dinner so we never got completely sick of having it.
I like to prep my salad ingredients and make a large batch of salad dressing on Sunday to prepare for the busy week ahead. This is a great way to make sure we include lots of veggies in our diet! Meal planning and then pantry inventory before grocery shopping has made me so much more organized!
I love cookbooks!:)
Plan ahead for leftovers. I can get several meals out of one roasted chicken, and I save the bones/skin in the freezer for making bone broth later. Easy!
Making ahead isn’t my strong suit (which is why this book would be so helpful!) but sometimes I’ll make double batches when cooking dinner – one for that night and one for the freezer
Prep double batches and freeze half.
I like to cook 2 whole chickens in the crockpot and shred them both and freeze half. I can always pull the meat out of the freezer and use for quesadillas, chicken pot pie, chicken salad, etc… Saves me a ton of time to not have to cook the chicken!
I love making pulled pork ahead of time in the crockpot. Would love this book! Our days are very hectic and I need to be better prepared!
I don’t have any tips which is why I need the book! Thank you!
I would really like this book!
I would love to win this book!
I cook almost daily, so prepping is a must. My family loves country potatoes so I like to cut them up in bite sizes and I boiled them aldente. I cut up onions, celery, cilantro, and garlic and freeze them and package them in a large freezer bag. When I am ready to use them I just add salt and pepper with olive oil and wala breakfast is ready.
For me, pre-planning the menu for the week and I always try to pre-chop the vegetables before which helps a lot. I would really love to win a copy of this cookbook.
I like to have bags of chopped onions and self-shredded cheese in my freezer – easy to pull out and use and no waste!
On Sunday, I have a few go-to veggie recipes that I can cook quickly and simultaneously (Cook’s pan-roasted broccoli, oven roasted carrots & cauliflower, and braised Brussels sprouts among them). I spend an hour or so cooking up a bunch of those, pop them in containers, and into the fridge they go. They are awesome as reheats or even finger snacks to-go for several days afterwards, and I’m now getting my regular servings of veggies to boot!
Some things I do at the beginning of the week are make homemade salad dressing, cook a pot of brown rice or quinoa, and hard boil some eggs. This helps save time and money!
As a rule, I search out recipes that can be either partly or entirely made ahead of time; it’s what saves our dinner meal every day.
I’d have to say the best tip I have would be to cook a double batch of a few meals on the weekend and freeze them.
My next best tip is to pre cook ground beef and freeze it in meal sized portions. It saves me a lot of time during the dreaded dinner crunch!
We try to get as much prep/cooking done on the weekends as we can! It makes a huge difference to double recipes and freeze… it’s such a relief when you’re short on time and suddenly remember you have an entire meal just waiting in the freezer.
My secret to make ahead meals revolve around batch cooking meats like chicken and hamburger in advance. It’s amazing what you can do if you have some staples cooked and frozen.
Although I already use the “make ahead” principle, I would love some new ideas and recipes!
Not really a “make ahead” tip, but sometimes I bring my laptop in the kitchen and watch a show while I chop the vegetables.
If I’m going to serve the same “staple” more than once in a week (salad, rice, mashed potatoes, etc), I’ll make a big batch the first time and reheat for later times. Saves a little time cooking and in dishes, but so much sanity
Get up early and get it in the crock pot. So far, that’s all I’ve been able to do.
Dare I say it… practice, practice, practice!
I love making a few freezer meals in double batches on a weekend. It’s a nice way to get into that world without feeling overwhelmed.
Just having a plan, so I can look over the whole week to see who will be home when and make pizza crusts or whatever, so we have something easy ready to go. Better to have a plan that goes awry than no plan at all and eat out.
I like to chop large amounts of onions, bell pepper and celery and mix them all at once. I then portion it into typical amount used in many recipes that we like and freeze them. When it’s time to cook, the chopping part is done and ready to go.
Cooking up a big batch of hamburger meat or chicken to be used later in soups, beans, casseroles, etc.
Defrost meat and if I have time, cooking the ground beef or chicken ahead is a great time saver.
I like to make a big batch of hummus and vegetable (cukes, carrots, celery, jicama, broccoli) sticks for the week. I think I eat more veggies this way!
The crockpot is king for making things ahead of time. You can make literally anything with one and it doesn’t make the kitchen hot in the summertime.
I also like to zest the citrus that I juiced and freeze it so I don’t have to go out and buy that one lemon a recipe calls for later.
I LIVE by my crock-pot . I would so love new ideas -I am a test kitchen fanatic !
I like to freeze pizza dough and sauce, so we can just add toppings for a quick, but fresh meal!
I need this book!! I, like you, am a huge fan of ATK. I work outside the home even though I am now just cooking for my husband and myself, I still feel the need to prepare healthy, nutritious and cost effective meals in a timely manner. Going out is such a temptation especially when I find myself unprepared.
I also love your blog as I too, look for opportunities to “live cheerfully with less”. Thank you for your inspiring words.
Anne Bond
I usually cook enough for a second meal to just reheat in a day or two. I don’t have any leftover aversion, but I know many people do.
My favorite make-head recipe is Chicken Mirabella. You start marinating it in the morning and then cook it for an hour at dinner time.
Wash veggies when you buy them and make enough meat to go to a second meal
Crockpot! Gimme book
I would love to have this!
On Sunday’s, I cook 4 – 5 large bone in chicken breasts and a roast. The chicken is used through out the week for lunches and 1 dinner (something like chicken broccoli alfredo which we had last night) and the leftover roast is usually used for a quick beef stew or beef with gravy over potatoes. I would LOVE LOVE this book!!!!
I’m not great at planning and often think about what to have for dinner an hour before its time to eat. Since I’m cooking only for my husband, this has generally worked for me. A copy of the book might be the inspiration I need to plan ahead more often.
I’m not very good at make ahead meals, but it always seems a little easier if I prep the vegetables and/or meat before dinner time. If most of the prep is done, dinner takes a lot less time and there might be less dishes to do after I’m done.
I’m not very good at prepping ahead of time, but I would like to get better at it!
We use Alton Brown’s baked rice recipe and make it the day before. Then we can do a quick sautee and dinner is ready. Plus the rice is not mushy!
In the fall I like to can large amounts of marinara sauce and freeze tons of homemade side dishes and hearty soups for use later on.
Just knowing I have this stuff on hand is helpful.
I bake the biggest whole chicken I can find. Then I freeze portions to have for meals later. I also make chili and freeze half. I need more ideas and hope to win this book. Thank you.
I don’t really do much partial preparation, but I do like cooking a big batch of something, dish it up into freezer-safe containers and freeze enough for a meal for our family. I love days where I don’t have to cook and I can just pull a meal from the freezer!
I freeze my fruits and veggies for quick smoothies and sides…
I have no strategy! I need help from this book.
This would be the perfect cookbook for me right now, just in time for preparing for the new baby. I wonder if my library had a copy I could check out. I have never seen anything atk or ci at my library.
My best tip is to cook a lot of chicken breast or thighs all at once and freeze in ziplock bags or Pyrex dishes. They make for simple meals later on if the chicken is already prepped (chicken pot pie, gumbo, soups, chciken salad, etc.). You can also freeze the chicken stock you cooked them in for even more goodness.
I meal plan every week (dinner only) and my make ahead plan is always using leftovers for lunch or making extra sides for use later in the week… if that counts.
Beans in the slow cooker. Then I can make any dish calling for them much faster.
Like bean patties. Which also happen to freeze and reheat well.
My best make ahead tip is…planning! At least knowing a day or so ahead what to make helps!
Would love to have this cookbook. I need some inspiration for new supper-time recipes and some time-saving ideas.
Would love to have this book! I’m always looking for ways to get dinner on the table quickly and with the least amount of clean up after working all day. I like using my crockpot for some meals (especially pot roast or pulled pork). Mostly I just have several meals that only take about 30 minutes to get on the table and use these over and over again. My kids don’t seem to mind eating the same meals freqently, but I would love to add some more quick meals into the mix.
I cook ground beef , some plain and some with onions, and freeze in portion size containers for my recipes. Takes up less room, defrosts more quickly and speeds up getting dinner on the table.
I try to prep as much as I can – chopping, shredding, peeling, etc. – ahead of time and then when it’s time to cook it’s more of assembly.
I don’t have any tips but I would LOVE to have the book!
I think my favorite make ahead recipes are for the slow cooker. I am away from the house for 12 hours on work days so I am somewhat limited on what I can make, but it is so great to come home to a nice warm dinner. I do have a slow cooker that has a timer and switches to warm at the end of the programmed time, but I still find that drier dishes tend to burn if left in there too long.
Cut whole onion, box of mushrooms, pepper, etc. and save what I don’t need in the fridge for the next recipe, which is sure to need it once I have those cut veggies in advance.
I don’t have any tips – that’s why I really need this book
I totally want this book! This is the only way I know of to beat the stress of coming home hungry and wanting to eat something healthy and delish! I often double up recipes for later.
LOVE make ahead stuff! It makes it sooo much easier to eat better as a family. Prepping veggies, cooking and freezing meat, crock-pots… It’s all fabulous.
I don’t make too much stuff ahead of time, but if I have my menu done, dinner is so much less stressful for me.
I would so love to win this book! I struggle with the 5 PM panic of figuring out what we are going to eat almost every night. Thank yo so much for this giveaway and your blog! It’s the first thing I read every morning, after my Bible Study lesson.
That book sounds a lot better then other ones I’ve read. the Chicken Cacciatore looks great. I might have to try it.
Ha, for me, I guess it would be taking something out of the freezer to thaw.
Best tip (besides meal planning which I don’t ever manage to do…) I get my husband to grill a whole chicken on the weekends. I can debone it and have cooked chicken for recipes for the middle of the week! Then, if I am at a loss for dinner, I can make cous cous or quineoa, a veggie, and chicken and I have dinner in about 10 minutes flat.
Planning ahead for the week is the only way I can stay on top of dinner. We plan a couple of meals with at least one day of leftovers like chicken pot pie or crock pot burrito filling. In between, we’ll do single serving meals that are quick to throw together, like turkey burgers or fish tacos with asparagus or green beans. ATK’s Make Ahead Recipes and Slow Cooker Revolution are excellent for this.
Getting my kids involved in prep work before they go out in play helps dinnertime cooking go much faster!
Would love to win this book! Thanks for the chance
I need to be better about make ahead cooking – I would love this book!
I don’t always have the time for freezer meal sessions, so my best make-ahead tip is to have meal components ready in the freezer. For example, I will shred several cooked chicken breasts and freeze in meal size portions. I also cook hamburger ahead, which can be used to tacos, chili, etc. You can also have cooked brown rice, cooked beans, chopped onions, etc. This saves a lot of time when you want to throw a meal together quickly.
The usual type tips… Like I prep dinner before I leave for school pickups, by chopping veggies, marinating meat; sometimes I even fill the cooking pot with water so that I can turn it on to boil as soon as I walk in the door.. I would love to win the cookbook to try some new ideas; thanks for the giveaway!
Make enough to freeze some for another day.
My best tip is to plan 7 days worth of dinners, some quick and some more time consuming. Then during the week I pick one of the ideas based on what sounds good that day and how much time I have to cook. It works great for me, and keeps us from ordering in.
Two things come to mind for make ahead tips-
1. plan a menu and shop accordingly
2. Anything crock pot worthy!
I cook a large batch of ground beef ahead of time and freeze it into meal-sized portions. Then I can just pull it out of the freezer and add it to spaghetti sauce, chili, or season it for Tacos.
I just want (and need) the book!
I would love this book. I pre-make my dinners while my kids are at school. This way, I can put more focus on my kids when they are home from school.
My schedule is busy with my job and my grandchildren, so the crockpot is my best friend in the kitchen. This cooking book will help me find my make ahead needs for some really tasty recipes, just what a frugal girl like me could use! Thanks for the opportunity Frugal Girl!
I use my crockpot a lot. We also create new meals with leftovers.
Not really a tip, but I always make something on Sunday for lunch for the week. Giving myself more variety than sandwiches makes me less likely to go out to lunch.
Prepping the veggies and measuring out spices in advance.
There are three of us for dinner. When I cook meat, I make at least twice the amount needed for one meal so I have leftover protein for burritos, salads, etc.
The Crock Pot is my best friend on days when I know I don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen!!
I will often have my husband grill extra portions of meat to eat later in the week, or cook up some hamburger and put it in the freezer for tacos or spaghetti… This could be a real help since with the start of school I really need to be doing more prep in the morning so I can be more free in the afternoon for homework, play, etc.
I don’t have any tips making ahead, which I think is the point of this book! Would love to try a copy- thank you!
My best make-ahead tip is to freeze meat in marinade. I use thin cuts so they cook faster, too. I also find that things thaw way slower in the refrigerator than instructions usually suggest, so I try to account for that.
It’s not rocket science, and I don’t do it well myself but batching meal preparation for advance cooking makes all kinds of sense. So far I’ve only gotten to the point of saving any extra chopped onion I end up with, but I’m aiming to do multiple meals with similar ingredients! I’d love to have this as a resource.
Wash, slice, dice, chop and bag the veggies when you bring them home.
on sundays i like to chop and prep all my veggies for the week, and pack lunches up into bento boxes for the kids.
My crockpot is the only real “make ahead” method I have. And as much as I love it, I could really use some new ideas!
I don’t really have a great tip, all I really try to do is chop anything ahead of time that needs chopping. And any other prep work that I can do.
I like to do all my prep ahead on the weekend (browning or grilling meat, chopping vegetables while watching a movie, etc), so that it’s faster and easier to pull everything together during the week.
I love to make large-batch recipes and then portion out and freeze in meal-sized aliquots. Planning ahead and careful shopping/prep are also key.
I love making a crockpot pot roast. It’s so easy and the leftovers can be made into sandwiches or stroganoff. The uses of leftover beef that can be shredded is endless!
I would love to win the book
I don’t work 9-5 so I’m usually trying to cook for a meal and leftovers for other meals or to freeze. I’ve been trying to come up with ways to make meals go together quicker so I’ll be more likely to cook at home instead of settling for fast food or too much convenience cooking with processed stuff.
so far I’ve found that cooking meat ahead of time helps – yesterday I wanted to make a wrap with cooked chicken and veggies so I went ahead and cooked 2 other chicken breasts with just salt and pepper to use in salads, egg, and if any is left I will freeze (though not looking like much will be left!) another thing I’ve done is pay the price for precut veggies – I’ve found I”m more likely to eat them or cook with them if they’re ready to go – so unless I know I will have time to do this chore (and I don’t mind it when I have the time and space which isn’t often) I will look for some already done or at least on part of them. when I cook onion I usually use the frozen diced onion – a little more expensive than chopping my own but it doesn’t go bad unless it gets really bad freezer burn so none goes to waste if I get too busy to make the dish I planned with a fresh onion.
out of all the cookbooks you’ve shown on here this one I think interests me the most!
meant I don’t work a normal workshift – 12 hours and rotate – soI’m tired a lot and sometimes don’t get all mydays/nights off so I try to cook when I have 2 in a row off and eat for the week/freeze.
Would love to have something to help me with meal prep. Having meals ready on time is not my strong suit.
I totally thought Rachael Ray’s ‘garbage bowl’ was a waste of time, but I’ve started using one now (just throw in your trash and scraps in the bowl instead of going to the kitchen garbage each time) and it saves a bunch of time! Just use a bowl you already have on hand, no need to spend $30 for an ‘official’ garbage bowl.
I started this too but mine is often one of those plastic grocery bags.
Typically I try to cook up enough meat at one time to use in various other recipes.
Roast! Dark beer, beef, and veggies in the morning and I can walk in the door and have dinner ready!
I freeze large batches of rice flat in gallon ziplock bags. When I need quick rice for a stirfry, I just snap off the amount I need and either microwave or put directly into pan to thaw.
This cookbook looks awesome. My only make ahead tip is buying frozen meals…so I guess I could really use it
Nap time!!!!
I check to be sure I have the ingredients I will need already on hand.
Prepworks onion chopper … By closing the lid, onions are pressed onto the stainless steel slicing grid to instantly dice … fruit and vegetable chopperPrepworks. This is supper fast I use it for carrots onions celery mushrooms it is a great tool for the prep day for freezer cooking!
Repurposing leftovers! We had leftover grilled Veggies and chicken from the other day and I turned them into a super fast pasta dinner. Delicious, healthy and easy.
I will cook on the weekends so I am good to go on the days when I do not have as much time. I also freeze meals frequently, as it’s only my husband and myself.
Do all the chopping and prep ahead of time. For example do all the chopping for the week on one day. Also if you are making a slow cooker meal prep enough for two meals through half in the cooker and the other half in the freezer. Make a double batch of soul and freeze half for an easy dinner.
I would love to win this cookbook. thank you
If often make double recipes and freeze half for later!
I would just love to have the book:)
Not only do I want this book, I think I NEED it. If I don’t win it, I’ll probably buy it. I have two boys under five and another (yes, boy) due in December. Prepping during naptime is pretty much esseential if any kind of balanced meal is going to come out of my kitchen. Early evening is Crazy Central with little kids, as I’m sure you remember.
Tip: When I want to make a soup with a lot of vegetables, which means a lot of chopping, I saute the onions, garlic, and tomatoes during naptime in the middle of the day, then add the chopped carrots, greens, whatever else that can be added early and then let it sit in the pot (off heat) until closer to dinner when I add things like potatoes or green beans or whatever that doesn’t cook as long. I think that didn’t make sense written out, but it makes sense in my kitchen.
Would love to win this cookbook! Thanks for the opportunity!
I know no tips, so I definitely need this book!
I love America’s Test Kitchen and make-ahead dinners would be fabulous for me! I’m taking care of my parents now that they’re getting older, and it would be SUCH a help!
I love to cook salsa chicken in the crockpot at the beginning of the week and use it for quinoa bakes, salads, tacos all week.
Plan. Make sure you have what you need.
Meal planning is a big time saver for me.
I do all my vegetable prep work in the am (peeling, chopping, etc.) as mornings tend to be when I am more alert and less frazzled and so many dishes come together quickly when that work is already taken care of.
I hate cooking rice so I cook a large batch and freeze it in zip loc bags with maybe 2-3 cups in each bag. The same goes for hamburger meat which I use for spaghetti etc. I would love to have the book. Thanks.
My best tip (at least for me, anyway!) is to realize which conveniences I am willing to pay for and which ones I am not. I despise cleaning and drying lettuce, so I always buy the pre-washed lettuce blends. This way I always have lettuce at hand ready for a quick salad with veggies and prepared-ahead chicken. Many times I have bought just a regular head of lettuce only to let it go to waste because I haven’t bothered to do the prep work. On the other hand, I will always grate my own cheese. I do so in big batches on the weekend and have a large container ready to go in the fridge. I have realized its OK to not be perfect with everything.
And I always get our lunches for work ready the night before – does that count for make ahead meals LOL?
I don’t have any tips – so I’d really like the book!
I used to brown 5 pound packages of ground beef and divide and freeze the cooked meat. So easy to add to dishes!
Planning ahead helps me the most, and using whatever free time I have to prep as much as possible for the coming week, so when I come home late from work, I barely have to do anything to get dinner together.
I cook my hamburger ahead of time if I am making something like chili or tacos.
My biggest time saver, is just to plan ahead. If I know what I have planned for the week, I can shop once and be ready to go to work preparing dinner so that everything is ready on time! ( It also helps to have everyone’s schedule posted so that you know when to have dinner ready)
I love getting chili all prepped in the slow-cooker the night before (or even a couple of days before). I just pull it out of the fridge in the morning and let it cook all day. This is great for days when I leave at 6 am and don’t get home until dinner time.
I LOVE Cook’s Illustrated and ATK!
Most of my make-ahead is getting the chopping out of the way. Of course, there are those cook-ahead dishes like pulled pork. And I always make two lasagnas – serve one, freeze one. Also in the summer, I make several soups and freeze for winter meals.
Reduce sauce at the last minute to allow for evaporation while dish cools after cooking reheat and reduce if necessary at the moment of service
I love to double a recipe. We eat one and freeze one.
Many times I already have the chicken cooked or the ground beef cooked with onion and green pepper. Makes life easier for sure.
I typically do slow-cooker recipes in the morning, then boyfriend and I have a delicious dinner that night. Then, we freeze the leftovers in single-serving sized portions, and I label the bags with our names since he eats more than I do – and also so that he can’t steal my leftovers!
I enjoy watching ATK on Saturdays. Would love to win the cookbook!
Whoa…this cookbook sounds right up my alley. I love to keep frozen cooked pureed vegetables (aka Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious) to throw into soups, stew, sauce, chili etc. Would sooo love this book if I could have it delivered to a hotel in the US where my husband travels to frequently. Otherwise, I live in Dubai so a bit far. Thanks for the great posts xx
If I am making a meal that is freezable, I will try to remember to double the recipe and put the extra in the freezer.
I buy a large package of ground beef and brown it all at once and then freeze it in smaller sizes so when I make tacos, spaghetti, etc., I can save time by just defrosting the ground beef and adding the rest of the ingredients.
My best tip is to plan ahead! I like to plan a week’s worth of meals at a time, with some wiggle room for leftovers. That way I know when I need to take certain things out of the freezer and put in the fridge to thaw.
My best make ahead tip is to marinate and chop for tomorrow’s dinner after tonight’s dinner.
I like to roast a piece of meat in the crock pot, eat it that night, then use the leftovers for the beginnings of another meal or two later in the week.
I try to either make casseroles or large batches of things like chili or spaghetti. Prepping the night before for stir fryis also a huge time saver.
I don’t think it constitutes a tip, but I do try to prep-ahead. Sometimes that means cutting all the veggies during naptime, and sometimes that means making taco meat x 3 and putting the extra meat in the freezer.
I plan out freezer meals, casseroles, and crockpot meals in advance, and make meals on the weekends for the weeks ahead.
I’m not very successful with main dishes but I do freeze muffins , cookies, and breads. It helps but I need help with main dishes so this book would be great! Thanks for the giveaway!
Can’t leave a tip, I’m not a good cook. Sad to say but true. That’s why I would like the cook book. Especially with the busy schedule I’m about to have. Besides keeping the grandchildren in the evenings. Plus helping with homework now that school is back in. I’m about to start working in the mornings while they are at school. Going to be very busy around here. Need all the shortcuts I can get.
I like to make things like chili, tomato sauce, days ahead of time, put them in freezer safe containers and freeze. Then when I need them, I pull it out and put it in a sauce pan, turn the heat on medium low and slowly warm it up.
I don’t really have a tip… which is why I’d like to win the cookbook! Thank you for the opportunity
We’re “Empty Nesters”, so I usually cook something that serves 4 and either freeze half for another meal or put it in a Food Saver canister for another meal later that week. I’d LOVE to win this cookbook…my library NEVER has interesting cookbooks like this to borrow!
These days I cook for fewer people, empty nest mainly and all that, but I still prep food when I get it home whenever I can. I also cannot express in word how much the slow cooker is my friend. Recently made pulled pork sandwiches. Pork and seasonings and sauce in the crockpot in the morning, dinner at night. Add to that precut celery and carrots and the like and there you are.’
Also I use other meal times as needed. If I do something during breakfast cleanup to get ready for dinner (like load the slow cooker) and them something else after lunch (like cut veggies and put them into cold water), dinner time chaos is not chaos.
I don’t have anything new to offer in the make-ahead tips arena…crockpot, chop ahead, extra servings. Working all day plus a long commute mean $5 pizzas come through our door far too often. The ATK book would probably eliminate much of that!
Make extra sauces-spaghetti, Thai peanut, BBQ, etc. and stash them in the freezer to pull out for crazy days ahead.
On weekdays I like to cut up anything, rub, season, etc anytime during the day. I might put spices into cups too so its all set up to go. By 4:00 its bus stop time and baby nap is over so its a rush to bedtime. If things are orderly its easier to make dinner with little kids under foot. I rise bread at naptime and bake it just before dinner. Fresher for next day and warm at dinner:)
We cook large batches, enough for a couple of dinners and a lunch or two.
i would love the book. we love to watch cc to glean from their great ideas and delicious looking food. as far as ideas to make life in the kitchen easier, the rule in our house is NEVER make just a single batch of any dessert….
My best tip (which I don’t always follow) is to be organized by having a weekly menu plan and only one trip to the grocery store each week and a clean fridge to store the groceries in. Once those items are in place, everything else seems to fall into place. The book sounds wonderful. Like I said I’m not always organized and the book sounds like it would be a big help!
For nights I know will be crazy, I like to make a large enough meal for dinner the day before so we can eat leftovers!
Last time I made my “Easy Lasagna” recipe, I froze half the cooked hamburger for later. I also cooked and entire package of egg noodles and froze half tossed with a little bit of olive oil. The noodles thawed perfectly!
Made it easy to make another pan of food the following week. Just had to
assemble everything and bake.
Using the dehydrator to make dried soup mixes is great. You can add ingredients, throw it all in a slow cooker and forget about it!
My best tip is to make four of the same meals at once — the other three go in the freezer for future dinners!
It’s not totally original but I love having burgers made up in the freezer. So easy to throw on the grill, you don’t even need to defrost them.
I like to make a double batch of one-two dinner item a week and freeze the second one for later, then once I have a good stash going it is easier to defrost and bake/crock pot a meal on a busy weeknight. I would love to see what this cook book has to offer for getting prepped for meals. This has been my interest lately! (:
Having a written meal plan calendar…..and I want the book
My tip: make a big batch of beans and freeze them to use instead of canned. Just put the cooled beans in a ziploc.
I would love to win this cookbook, then I would have some make-ahead tips for dinners!! Thanks for all your great tips and give aways, Kristin. You Rock!
I always make a double batch of side dishes that re-heat well as well as having salad greens prepped at all times so that dinner somes together easily once the main dish is completed.
Cook once, Eat twice.
Cook extra meat that you can use in different ways later!
Love all the tips. I mostly do them all. Menu planning, I bundle pantry items together so the day of nothing is missing last minute. Thanks for the give away.
I try to cut up and prep my ingredients in the morning. I’d really love to win this book. Baby #2 is coming soon!!!
I could really use some help with this and would love to have the book.
When chopping vegetables chop extra to put in freezer. I store mine in plastic bags inside old plastic Shaklee shake mix container.
Have a plan! Also my biggest weakness…
I don’t have a tip which is why I would totally love this book! Purty please!
and Thank you much!
Mise in Place!
When I buy hamburger I brown it and freeze it in quantities for specific recipes. Thanks for the chance to win a book!
I’m currently depending on make-ahead salads: Tabbouleh, Grain Salads, Kale Salads to get me through workdays. I need to up my game on dinners at home, though.
I would like the book. My best tip is to freeze muffin batter in aluminum foil liners and then when you want fresh hot muffins just bake but add about 10 mins
The best tip I have is to think ahead so you can make ahead. Meat needs thawing, beans need soaking, those sort of things. I do want to win this book. Thank you for the opportunity.
Sorry no tip, my husband is the main cook. But we LOVE ATK and this one would be especially helpful since we will have a 3 year old and a newborn in the house in a couple of months.
Keep a list of freezer meals that you have in the freezer and cross off when used so you know what’s onhand:)
I like to put steel cut oats (1/4 c. oats, 1/2 c. milk, 1 c.water, pinch of salt) in pint jar (inside of which has been sprayed with no stick cooking spray) in crock pot with 3-4 inches of water overnight. This amount makes three servings for me. It’s so nice to wake up to and have for the next couple of days.
I like to think ahead to what I’m making later in the week. If we are having breakfast for summer (a family favorite) on Monday, I make a few extra slices of bacon that is ready for Bacon Bowtie Pasta on Wednesday. It saves me timely steps and extra dirty dishes later in the week.
I find the most important thing is to have an assortment of frozen veggies that I can put in things quickly if I don’t have time to prep fresh ones.
Bulk meal preparation and freezing in portion sized quantities works for my single lifestyle.
I always have cooked ground beef and chicken in small bags in my freezer. They thaw quickly and can be easily be added to a large number of dishes to make a quick dinner.
I do not have a tip right now… I have been learning how to cook though. I have an almost 13 month old and I have been looking up recipes and dinner options that are cheap and easy.! This book would be great to have.!
I like to make a bunch of meat or prep/ chop veggies ahead of time so I can just pop them in the oven and freeze my extra left over meat in small bags so I can defrost just enough for a few servings.
I also double big recipes and freeze leftovers to use later. Thanks!
My main cook ahead meal is spaghetti sauce. I make a giant pot and then freeze most of it in small containers. I also make my own frozen lunch portion of ziti for my hubby to enjoy between classes.
I love to make large recipes for our small family and freeze two or three (or sometimes more!) family-sized portions for other nights.
I think my best tip for making dinner ahead is making extra of what I am already cooking. Thanks for the chance to win this book! It looks like one I would use often.
Ooooh, this cookbook looks great!
My best tip is to have a weekly menu plan that centers around what our afternoon and evening family schedule is and to have all the ingredients on hand. This requires thinking and planning time, which I try to do once a week (at a time my children are at school). I might still be cooking during the crazy 5:00 hour, but I’m not having to do any thinking. I’m just executing what I already have planned. Sometimes, based on our schedules, that plan is a crock pot meal. Sometimes, like today, I’m prepping beef enchiladas midday that I will pop in the oven when we get home from piano lessons at 5:30. And sometimes the whole meal gets cooked at 5:30. But, again, NO THINKING during that time…I reserve my brain for checking homework and helping kiddos to study.
My biggest help is to meal plan. If I know what I am going to have for supper, then I can always get my meals started the night before. I can either throw everything thing in the slow cooker the next day, or just be prepared when I get home by prepping ahead of time.
Make a double or triple batch of a versatile spaghetti sauce to use in a variety of recipes.
I try to have a can of tomato soup, cheese slices and bread on hand in a pinch when I haven’t done any of the above ideas. We all love grilled cheese!
For me my best tip is just to have my shopping done and some sort of a plan. That way I don’t end up opting for take out.
I keep a supply of the 3 main veggies I use in cooking diced and in the freezer, cut ginger root into 1 inch pieces and freeze for easy grating, have meats recipe ready in the freezer and when I use my crock pot I always cook enough to make two meals. One to eat and one to freeze.
When I make waffles, I individually freeze the left overs. When I want one I put it back in the waffle iron for a few minutes to reheat. They turn out almost as good as fresh made.
Honestly, just planning ahead & thinking of meals helps. It avoids the evening craziness of trying to figure out what to cook.
If I cook some chicken, I’ll set some aside for a different meal or two later in the week. I’ll add this leftover chicken to some quesadillas, a stir-fry, or make a bbq chicken pizza. This saves me loads of time.
My best tip is to eat leftovers!! I love leftover days.
I love my crockpot and I will double batch and freeze sometimes. It saves me so much time some nights I love it!
I’m from Canada, so I can’t win. But my make ahead tip:
I buy a large pack of chicken thighs from Costco and split the pack into about 3 or four portions depending on your family’s needs. Then I make my Teriyaki marinade in a big batch. Pour into each freezer bag and then freeze the bags for another night.
I make batch of spaghetti sauce in advance and freeze it in a Ziploc enough for 4 -5 time use for a family of 6.
For breakfasts, I love baked oatmeal’s that you prep the night before and throw in the oven in the morning.
For dinners, cooked ahead and frozen bags of beans (we try to avoid canned beans), quinoa, and meat save us a ton of time.
I don’t have a tip that hasn’t already been mentioned, but I would love to peruse the book!
I am really bad about not preparing ahead of time, so if I don’t win this, I should probably buy it!
Having a plan.
Menu planning for the week ahead and buying accordingly are my best tips. Prep work done ahead helps with clean-up and having meals on time.
My trick is to make a big batch of something like beans or rice on sunday that I can use in many different dishes throughout the week. I love cooking ahead of time, because the last thing I want to do after work is spend awhile in the kitchen
Wow! Lots of comments here. My tip is for vegetarians. I’ve been one for 25+ years, but my family eats meat, so I do dishes where the meat is on the side. I do tacos every Tuesdays. I make black beans from scratch in the crock pot and taco meat as well, portioning and freezing a month’s worth at a time. I use cabbage instead of lettuce because it keeps longer. I use Boca Crumbles for me. The next day I make Fumi salad (shredded cabbage, broken up ramen noodles, mandarins, toasted almonds and sesame seeds) and serve chicken on the side. The chicken comes from when I cook what I need for DH’s lunches weekly. I simmer it in leftover white wine, stock and shallots. I slice it and store it in the broth in the fridge. The next day could be burritos if there’s anything left from Taco Tuesday, and so on…
My favorite make ahead meal is enchiladas. I make a huge batch 2 or 3 times a year and store them in my freezer. I usually give some away as gifts too. Teachers love them during report card season (-:
In the summer, I make fresh tossed salad a lot because there is just SO much fresh produce available between the garden and the farmers market. I always make the salad at lunch time. AND, I cut up extra veggies for pasta salad for the next day. Pasta salad is one of those things that really needs to be made ahead of time but I like doing it at the same time as I am already cutting veggies
When we grill chicken we cook extra and use it in salad for a second meal.
I cook large quantities of meat and then freeze it so I always have it available for making meals. I do this with ground turkey and beef, turkey sausage, and chicken breasts,
I could really use some help in this department! The only good tip I have it to make a huge pot of something during the weekend and put it in portion-sized containers for the week.
Frozen meals works is all I ever came up with to help speed up the dinner process. Meal planning so I know what I have to cook helps alot too.
Make 2 casseroles and freeze one for a later date.
No tips but am reading the comments for some and would love to win the book!
I would love to win this cookbook! I’m kinda in a rut, and could use some new ideas.
My best tip that I seem to consistently execute is to do as much of the prep work ahead of time, (duh, I know), even if that means a day or two ahead. That could entail marinating meat, cutting veggies, making a dough that can hang out in the fridge until I’m ready for it. I once thawed a very thick frozen steak in the fridge for a few days. Put it in when the family was about to leave on a getaway weekend, and it was ready for the grill upon our return. I’m not one to make double batches of something so I don’t utilize that technique often. Thanks for giveaway!
I would love to have a copy of this book!!
This summer we picked as many berries as we could to freeze and use throughout the year. Saves time when needing a quick dessert or topping for yogurt.
I like to precook ground beef and chicken, portion it and freeze. It makes cooking quicker and cleaner and I use these in many dishes. I’d love to win the cookbook.
I like to chop up my veggies or make a salad a few hours ahead of time so that is one less thing I have to worry about at dinnertime (which always seems to be a crazy time at our house).
I cook a main dish or two on the weekends in a big batch and then use them for leftovers on busy nights or lunches during the week.
I really want and need this book.
I often make double batches. The trick is to remove the half I want to save for later before we start eating. Otherwise there may not be enough left over for a full meal. If they are really still hungry, my family can have extra veggies or side dish instead of eating up the main dish.
I make extra muffins and pancakes and such and freeze them. Freeze fruits and vegetables that are on sale. I’ve made extra and frozen the extra. I also like to cook chicken, and hamburger, even ham to freeze in portions. I’ve made my own frozen pizzas to bake later.
My husband works 4pm to midnight shift so our main meal of the day is our lunch, so if i have a meal that has a rather lengthy process to it I will cook it around 11pm the night before and just pop it in the fridge overnight and just have to reheat it at noon. Took me a few years to figure that one out but it’s made it so much easier on me. It was getting a bit difficult to read recipes and measuring cup lines with one eye open while still trying to wake up
We usually watch episodes of ATK after my husband gets out of work so it would be nice to have one of their books
I wish I had a make ahead cook tip, but I generally don’t make dishes that I can cook ahead of time…
I just want the book.
My best tip is to buy good quality meat and make a marinade you like… lemon juice and herbs, soy sauce based ones, etc. Now freeze in ziplocs. To enjoy your homemade meal, thaw overnight and then grill or roast or otherwise cook your supper. Serve over your favorite starch – rice, baked potato, noodles, etc. Toss a salad and you’re done!
Marinate some meat, hand it to my husband to grill, and presto, dinner!
I don’t have an actual food prep tip or recipe. However, I find that a meal plan helps eliminate the “what’s for dinner panic” that can result in many little trips to the store or take out!
I always keep a couple batches of refrigerator dough in the fridge for making super fast pizza and peasant bread. I got the idea from a recipe on the Pioneer Woman’s site.
The dough can sit in the fridge for a week.
A well stocked pantry would be my tip. I keep things on hand that I can throw together in 15 minutes or less with no cooking ahead & I save those things for my busy or stressful days. Things like canned tuna/salmon/mackeral to top a dinner salad or to make sandwiches, can or frozen soups (store bought or homemade), frozen fish – it thaws in about 30 minutes & cooks even faster, frozen precooked meats (some I buy precooked & some I precook myself)
I’d love to win the book for more ideas!
I use the crock pot for busy days. I’m always looking for easy prep meals or make ahead meals!
My slow cooker!
We do a lot of crock pot meals. Pot roast, tenderloin, etc. I can get it ready to go whenever I have time and then store it in the fridge until I’m ready to cook it. Another plus, I don’t have to stand around waiting for it to cook. I turn the crock pot on before I leave for work and when I get home it’s done!
Best make ahead is anything in the crockpot. Lately it’s been pulled pork.
Reinvent beans and rice. They are inexpensive and easy to make. I normally make a big batch of homemade black beans and then have back beans tacos, followed by beans and rice (with cheese and salsa) then even tacos salads the next day. Cook once eat several times.
My helps are to plan ahead — cook extra rice for the chicken and rice, and make stir fry a night or two later — and for big meals, such as holiday dinners, write the dishes all down with cooking times and temps and any steps that take a long time (the cake I make at Christmas has a filling that needs to set up overnight), then start as much as possible a day or two before. I make yeast rolls a day before and refrigerate them, then bake the day of, for example. Listing the cooking times makes sure I don’t have the ham waiting on veggies to finish, or a meat cooking at 350 at the same time I need rolls to cook at 400. I would love to win the book.
Not sure if this is a tip, but try to keep a list of things that don’t freeze well. Potatoes, for example. Raw potatoes turn purple-black and squishy. Cooked potatoes fall apart when thawed. Also on my no-freeze list are cheese and fresh basil.
After reading the comments, I really don’t have anything new to add. I try to grill lots of meat on the weekend , and try to cook a different veggie each night to add to the other veggie leftovers. I would love the book!
I like to chop up most of my veggies on the weekend, so dinner prep goes much faster.
Hi! My favorite make ahead recipe is my homemade marinara sauce. It makes a ton, and freezes well. (And, as my son says “We Love Red Sauce!)
chopping up veggies ahead of time for sure!
I try to cook ahead certain dishes like spaghetti sauce, chili and even mini meatloaves and then freeze them so they are ready to reheat for dinner on busy days.
I just want the book (so that next time I will have some tips!)
I like to make Sunday Gravy (spaghetti sauce) in big batches and then freeze some or refrigerate it (we love spaghetti here!) and then for dinner, toss a salad, shred some parmesan, and toast some bread!
It’s pretty easy, just roast some tomatoes low and slow, for a couple hours. Combine with some canned diced tomatoes and, if it’s too thick, just puree some of it in the vitamin. (I often roast some onion and garlic too).
I have been known to sautee some mushroom and onions and peppers to add to the mix if I have some. It’s a pretty free form dish.
I’m a leftover addict! Cook once, eat twice. Sometimes I present it differently to make it look like a new meal.
I like to do the chopping, slicing and dicing earlier in the day, and do a little extra to keep in the fridge for later in the week. I also chop ingredients like jalapeños, cilantro, basil and garlic before they spoil and freeze in small portions so I can just take out the pre-measured portions and toss them in the soup/stew or whatever. Saves a one of last-minute time.
on sundays i often cook ahead for the week so i can just reheat when it’s time to eat. dinner on sunday is often a roasted chicken, and i always buy the biggest one i can find so there are leftovers to use for chicken salad, tacos, etc. throughout the week.
My best tip to relieve dinner time stress: have my husband fix dinner BEFORE I get home from work so he could really use this book.
My best tip for make ahead cooking is to meal plan. I also keep a calendar on my refrigerator that shows me what needs to come out of the freezer and what to prepare ahead of time.
I don’t know if this is make ahead but I love using my crock pot in the morning and having a nice dinner in the evening ready to go. I like making a crock pot lasagna.
My current favorite: put a 3 lb beef roast in the crock pot. Sprinkle on a packet of dried onion soup mix. Top with a can of cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low for 4 hours or until desired internal temperature is reached. Remove meat and stir juices together to make gravy.
As chaotic as dinnertime is for us as well, mornings are even worse. We have 2 parents to get out to work and a child to get to school. My most relaxing, stress-free mornings are those where I prepare oatmeal in the slow cooker the night before. This book would be a huge life-saver for me, so I’m hoping I win!
I’d love a copy!
Would love a copy of the book!
I prep ingredients on the weekend – chopping, mixing sauces and marinades, measuring out the larger quantity ingredients, etc. – and store them in tupperware. It somehow saves more time than seems possible!
My tip: plan and do as much as possible the night before. Use a crock pot on busy days.
My favorite make ahead tip is to actually cook enough meat for more than one meal. For example, make a roast one night when you have time, eat it as is for the first meal. Turn the rest into soup or stew immediately or for the next day’s meals. Plus I would love that book!
My life has changed dramatically lately and I can’t seem to cook for myself.
Ami
p.s. Love your blog
My tip for make-ahead dinner is to always have ground beef, or chicken in the freezer. In the morning, I leave it in the fridge to thaw out and by the time I get home, I usually have an idea of what I’m doing with the beef or chicken. It helps save time and energy since I don’t have to defrost it in the microwave.
Good luck everyone! The book looks great!
Making certain parts of a recipe ahead of time in bulk is helpful. For example, I made a big batch of salsa verde and froze it in portions, which then can be used for the next time I want to make enchiladas. The sauce then is as easy as a store-bought one, but much tastier and healthier.
When grilling chicken we always put several extra breasts on the grill. I let the cool and slice them up and put them in freezer bags for later. It is great for soups, chicken salad, quesadeas etc.
My best tip for make ahead is the crockpot!
I really want the book. My brain is fried right now (just got home from work). I think I’ll have my husband make dinner tonight…..sounds good!
We love giant salads with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, and yummy toppings around these parts, but nothing bursts my dinner-making bubble more than rinsing, chopping, and drying lettuce at dinner time. When I think of it, I’ll take care of the lettuce as soon as I get it home from the grocery store, along with any other veggies I plan on using in salads throughout the week. My husband will throw a value pack of chicken breasts on the grill and (since it’s just the two of us), it will last us several days. Then it’s as simple as reheating the chicken, slapping some pre-chopped salad on a plate, and adding some toppings. Voila! Easy dinner
As often as possible I try to make a double-batch of dinner and freeze the extra… unfortunately this doesn’t happen nearly as often as it should!
Please enter me!! :p
I think my tip would be to prep several dishes that use similar ingredients. My family does well with chicken dishes. So cooking and shredding chicken that becomes enchiladas and BBQ chicken sandwich filling. Or preparing extra with the purpose to freeze a 2nd or 3rd batch for the future. (We don’t do well at eating left overs for several days, so we freeze and redo it later in the month).
One tip that I have is simply to just gather all the supplies/ingredients for the meal you want to prepare the night before (to make sure you have everything you need). Put this either on the kitchen counter and/or gathered together in the refrigerator (or pull out of the freezer and place to thaw overnight/next day in the refrigerator) so that when you arrive home, everything is out and ready to grab and make or warm up for dinner.
It’s just a little work of prep the night before so that when you arrive home from work the next day and are in a hurry to get dinner on the table, its all there, including all of the ingredients you need to prepare the meal. This way, you don’t have those unexpected “don’t have it, but need it” moments.
I am in love with my pressure cooker. I tend to cook rice or beans during the kids nap or afternoon hours to get a head start on the dinner:)
I have been obsessing over CI magazines from 2004 to 2010 as of late.
Best time saving tip and money saving tip? Buy a whole chicken each week. Spend twenty minutes cutting it up, and you have meals for at least one to three days of the week.
I like to prep and chop all the veggies for the upcoming week on Sundays. I’ll also cook a big batch of rice or quinoa or pasta and use it in meals throughout the week. Would soooo love a copy!
No tips yet, but hoping to get better at making things ahead of time! Thanks for the giveaway!
Taco meat in crockpot then just throw together toppings at dinner time!
My husband moved two hours away for a job. This book would be a God send as I have to prepare his upcoming week meals on Sunday for him.
Thanks for including your Canadian friends!
My tip: Cook once, eat twice!
After getting my veggies and fruit I cut and prep everything for the week. I also grill ahead of time and crockpot meats.
I pick my chickens and freeze meat in measured amounts. Also freeze rice for fried rice.
Whoah, you’ve got a lot of entries, but I’ll throw my name into the hat, too!
I try to keep diced, cooked chicken, browned burger, and browned sausage (Jimmy Dean) in the freezer. This makes it super easy to start something in the crockpot in the morning, or even just have breakfast burritos (with the sausage) for dinner.
Looks like other commenters have covered my favorite tips (chop everything in advance!), so I’d love to learn some new ones from ATK!
I often buy ground beef in bulk when it’s on sale. Then I brown it all, and divide it up into individual one pound containers. On a busy night, it’s so easy to grab a pound out of the freezer and use it in a recipe. It can be dumped into spaghetti sauce, casseroles, or soup while still frozen, or warmed in a pan with taco seasoning in a matter of minutes. Plus, you only have to do the clean up and grease disposal at the time of browning, making much easier clean up each use after.
On Sundays I make a really big meal–often chicken with something else–that can be baked, then have my dinners and/or lunches for the week, plus some to share with friends. Chicken baked with onions, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, and peas is a favorite. Another, middle eastern spices, chicken, basmati rice, broccoli, onions, peas. Yum! While I’m sad to see summer on its way out, these lovely colder weather meals help me stay alive to see another.
I would like to win a copy of this book – in part because I am very uncreative in the kitchen (so there is no my best prepared ahead tip, sorry), in part because of being a single parent and there is just not a lot of time in the evenings and in part because my daughter did not like to try anything new for many years, but thankfully this seems to have changed in just the last few months and she is now even trying new things at the school cafeteria, so I think we have entered a new era and I desperately need to get up to speed!
I have started using the pioneer woman’s freezer recipes as a way to save time in the kitchen. If I have cooked chicken in the freezer, I can pull some out in the morning and make great fajitas/salads and other meals that night.
I sometimes make double portions to have lots of leftovers or freeze them for later meals.
I so need this book. I make a lot of quick meals instead–sandwiches, eggs, popcorn.
I like to cook and season 5 lbs of ground beef at a time to freeze and store for quick weeknight taco dinners. Thanks for the giveaway! Looks like a great cookbook!
Sorry I don’t have a ticket but would like to win the book.
I like to cook and season 5lbs of ground beef to freeze and store for quick weeknight taco dinners. Thanks for the giveaway! Looks like a great cookbook!
I would love to learn some great ideas
I want to learn how to do make ahead meals and learn some great ideas
Having food in bulk. It helps that my parents own a dairy farm and my husband hunts so we always have a supply of beef and venison in our freezer, as well as milk, and vegetable either frozen or fresh and anything else we can produce ourselves
Meal planning on the weekends…..and washing lettuce over the weekend so that it is totally ready to go during the week.
I try to cut up veggies and make meals ahead of time on Sun after the grocery run.
I tend to do veggie chopping earlier in the day so that it can be pulled out of the fridge and added to the meal as needed.
Menu plan and double the recipe! Ok, that’s two but they work for me.
I gravitate toward the Crock-Pot for make-ahead meals; that said, we’ve also got some chili AND stuffed bell peppers in the freezer just waiting to be heated up on a hectic night.
Some stuff I make ahead and freeze, meatloaf, hamburgs etc that way it just has to be pulled out and cooked. We also do a lot of throw it all on the grill dishes, keeps the house cooler in summer too.
Don’t have a lot of great advice other than to plan early in the day and prep as much as you can ahead of time. As you can see, this book would really help me! Thanks.
I cook rice in bulk and freeze in 1/2 cup portions. I also make smoothies in bulk and freeze them, which makes lunch at work a breeze.
I love to prep meals slowly over several days–like one big vegetable lasagna where I just prep the butternut squash and zucchini one day, the sauce the next, and assemble and bake the last.
Lately I’ve been lucky if I even make a meal plan for the week! Otherwise, I like to grill a bunch of meat to eat all week!
I go to the farmer’s market every weekend and immediately cut, wash, and prep all the veggies and fruit when I get home. That way even if I haven’t prepped the rest of dinner I have some of meal ready to go!
I always make more then one batch, and freeze for later. BUT, I also write down a list of what I have available so I can plan for dinner each night.
I like to make spreads (such has hummus) on Sundays for lunches and snacks during the week. If I were really together I’d also make soups and casseroles.
I’m eager to see the suggestions in the book! Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
I make multiples of certain meals and freeze the extras: chicken and dressing, stuffed peppers, spaghetti sauce, spinach and chicken pizzas… I always have something ready to go no matter the time crunch I’m faced with.
Excellent! Will have to check this out. We use cook ahead meals almost everyday
Nothing new from me, but I try to cook double recipes and freeze one. I also try to do dinner prep as part of my morning routine, so that if I am cooking at the end of the day, it is just assembly of the already prepped ingredients.
I will throw in baked potatoes or sweet potatoes in the crock pot in the early afternoon for that night. It saves time and then I only have to cook a chicken breast and a veggie and then I have a meal that’s good for everyone is ready in a short time!
I have several recipes that are easily doubled. I freeze half of it and pul it out on a night I didn’t have time to cook. Love doing this!
I could really use this book to get back into making healthy meals. Our house is probably as crazy as anyone else’s, but my elderly father has been taking up almost all of the limited “extra” time I have to do things over the last couple of years. When it was just the two of us, my favorite “make ahead” strategy was to cook a LOT of something on Sunday for dinner, enjoy it, and then freeze the leftovers into single portion freezer bags. You don’t have to do that for very long before you have a variety of single serving portions of a main course.
As my family isn’t fond of frozen casseroles, I usually prep components of meals. From your review, I think I might like this new ATK book, and hope my library will have it soon.
I prepare my ingredients the day I buy them, such as chopping onions and peppers and shredding cheese. If appropriate, I freeze the ingredients in the sizes I usually use (1/2 cup, 1 on, etc). This allows me to just pull the ingredients out and throw them in my recipe.
I am sure that I am not alone in prepping as much as I can for the week and batch cooking/freezing. Would love some new recipes!
I like to use the leftovers of one meal to make another different meal later in the week, like roast chicken one night turns into chicken salad another night.
I’m really awful at cooking ahead – I don’t even SHOP ahead (we go almost daily), much less cook ahead – so I’d love this book to try to change that.
I really love teaming up with a good friend to do a bunch of freezer cooking all at once for both households.
Seeing as I don’t have any make-ahead tips, I would love this book!
Thanks for the chance to enter!
Plan meals in advance. Do prep work the night before (chopping, marinating, etc.) and refrigerate. Use your leftovers!
My favorite make-ahead meal is sloppy joes. I make a giant batch, as big as my biggest pan can hold, and freeze it in several smaller containers so I can pull one out, defrost, and go. It takes two minutes to defrost, it’s a complete enough meal that I don’t have to come up with anything to add except rolls, and it’s delicious! Everybody wins.
Since there’s just two of us, we usually make one to two main dishes per week and alternate eating them for lunches and dinners. I supposes it’s good we’re not finicky about leftovers!
Honestly I struggle to think ahead when it comes to planning for dinner! That’s why I would love this cookbook! I need help!
Crockpot and freezer meals! Lifesavers on busy week nights.
make ahead rocks, do partial prep every sunday and call my mom — make mom happy, and three or four dinners quick in the week. all fresh and good too, used to OAMC freezer stuff but we eat so much more fresh fruit/veg now.
I count on lots of presliced veggies! Great for fast prep of so many dishes.
I would just like to win! Dinner is getting tougher..
Would love this cookbook!! When making a dish it is always easy to make two while prepping and freeze one for later.
I would love this cook book and one of my favorite tips is to cut or chop things up in the morning so it is ready and can make things go a lot quicker at dinner time!
I have no make- ahead tips which is why I think I need this cookbook! Also, my husband and I are moving this weekend to a house closer to his aging parents and this is causing us to have a long commute to and from work. This cookbook seems like a great solution!
I do not have any genius cook ahead ideas to share. But I do have a huge heart to cook and serve my family. when I cook ahead MAN my house is so much happier, I am a more loving and fun mom to our 3 kids, stress levels are lower and it allows me to stay committed to cooking for my family and saving money ! I could use this book for many reasons…. I would love more ideas & things I could actually do….
I am limited in what I can cook
& I lack creativity in the kitchen. I get intimidated by cook books as I feel “I cannot make that” or thoughts of how long it could take to prepare the meal??!! We are a family that works on a budget & me cooking gives me satisfaction that I provide a tasty meal & honor my husband by spending less money by us all eating at home, not a restaurant. I would love this book
I would like to be entered for the giveaway please.
I do have some great ideas, and I do these all the time ! I gather all vegetables that need cut, boards knives, and small glasses Pyrex storage bowls. Then cut, cover, and store all in refrigerator . You would be surprised the amount of stress it takes off the cook to have all the prep work finished early !
My best tip for make ahead meals is to make extras of meals I am already making and freeze them for nights when I am too tired to cook.
Plus, I would love to win a copy of this book.
lol
My best tip is to have premeasured ingredients in your freezer for meals you make frequently.
I need all the help I can get. I have no tips!
I don’t have a tip – but am always looking for quick meals!
We love LOVE love ATK here. Even my hubby watches the show.
I also recently subscribed to Cook’s Illustrated on a special offer – looking forward to seeing what I can create with their help!
Great giveaway!
Since my children are still young, I use nap time to prepare for and even make dinner. It is so much easier do work during their quiet time than trying to cook when everyone is hungry and tired in the late afternoon and early evening.
I triple casserole recipes, and freeze two meal portions for two no-fuss meals later. Yay! I’ve also prepared 3 pound of chicken cutlets, and marinate with teriyaki sauce and freeze in 1 pound portions. My kids really like that, also!
I love using the crockpot and making big batches in it so I can freeze leftovers.
I like marinades and using my slow cooker
I like to fry my hamburger & sausage & freeze in 1 lb bags also grate cheese & freeze for quick use!
Cook in double or triple batches.
no make ahead prep tips, ;-0
need the book to help out with that lol
Just having a plan is my best tip (and having the ingredients to fulfill the plan)!
I make double of many dishes and freeze one.
If I’m going to freeze a meal, I try to leave any particularly tender ingredients out of the sauce/broth until I remove it from the stove or oven pre-freeze. They’ll cool the rest down (making it ready to freeze sooner) and not get overcooked. That bag of peas can get added to the pot pie right before I add the topping, for example.
Whenever I cook a meal for dinner (for two of us) I always make enough for four servings. This way we either have lunch for the next day, or dinner. Or one of us has lunch and one has dinner. Since I am already running the stove/oven/BBQ I may as well make a couple extra meals. I also love making soup in my crockpot. I would love to win this giveaway as I’m not usually able to enter, living in Canada and all! Thanks
I need this book BIG TIME! I don’t realy make a lot of dinners ahead of time, except for lasagna (I always make two and freeze one). I will chop peppers, onions and celery ahead of time for a couple of recipes and freeze them (mostly that’s to prevent food waste).
Thinking about supper at breakfast helps me – knowing what we’ll have means I can start defrosting, or mix up marinade, or whatever needs to be done earlier in the day.
I often double recipes and freeze half to eat a week or two later. Cook once eat twice is a winning recipe at our house!
I love ATK. I watch the shows on my local PBS affiliate. I would love a copy of this cookbook. I tend to use my crockpot only during the winter, but could be using it for so much more!
Saute up a bunch of cut onions on the weekend, and chop up veggies you need for the week. I find that’s the biggest time-saver for me during the week. Then you can just toss whatever veggies in while you are cooking – in eggs for breakfast, in stir-fries, in grilled veggie packets. Insta-sides!
I am definitely a big-batch type of person. It’s just my husband and my infant son and me, so I still continue to make recipes that feed 4-6 people, then freeze the leftovers for an instant meal somewhere down the road.
I’ll totally admit I “borrowed” this one from Katy at the Non-Consumer Advocate. I wash and tear up my head of lettuce when I get home from the grocery store. Then when I want a salad or need to pack lunch in a hurry, I just throw in some lettuce and toss a handful of things on top.
I’m having my first baby this coming December and want to be sure I plan ahead to have plenty of meals in the freezer for once she is here! I have started doubling up on all of my dinners and just putting half in the freezer. One of my favorites is chicken enchiladas….so easy and delicious!!
I really want to learn about making food ahead of time. I typically don’t get home from work until around 6 pm, so anything I can do ahead of time makes us that much earlier to eat dinner.
My favorite thing to do is use my crockpot. I need to be better about putting it to good use.
My tip: Use Ziploc bags – not the ones with the slider-zip, the regular ziploc. It’s much easier to get the all the extra air out of a regular ziploc than a slider-zip.
I’m another crock pot fan! I had always thought it was only for stews and casseroles but I have a friend who told me you can cook a lot of meats if you add some seasoning and wrap them loosely in foil and that has changed my whole view on using crock pots. I use mine all the time now!
About 6 months ago I started a freezer club with some friends. It’s been great to help me keep stocked up on ready to eat meals!
Get the family to help – you get to spend time together and you get help in the kitchen.
Would just love the book
Buy meat in bulk on sale and then freeze pre-marinated meat in portions ready for a family meal
I have a close friend with similar tastes, so once a week, we each make a double batch of a recipe and then we trade the second dish. This gives each of us two different dinners with minimal effort.
I buy about 5 pounds of ground beef and then cook it all at the same time. I then divide it into single-use portions and freeze it. It makes cooking supper much quicker when my meat is already cooked. I can thaw it in about a minute in the microwave and it’s ready to go.
Each week on Saturday or Sunday, I make a double batch of at least 2 meals since I work full time, then I have dinner ready quickly the next week at least for 2 nights.
Even if i’m not going to use it right away, as soon as chicken dinner is finished, I immediately process the bones into stock and freeze the stock. i also take any leftover chicken and freezer pack the meat for soups, stews and chicken salad.
I like to have a big cooking day and then freeze casseroles and dishes in ziplock bags to be thawed and heated to eat later on. Such a big time saver!!
I would love to get better at making meals ahead of time. This looks great!
I love to freeze dishes for taco night. I like to make refried beans & Spanish rice to serve. Between that, the meat and all the fixings it ends up being more work than I think it should. If I have meat, beans or rice to just thaw taco night is easier.
I use my crockpot alot. Almost always for large Sunday lunch meals for family. I like to put a roast in the night before and add the veggies in the morning, so that when we get home from church lunch is ready.
I would love to win a copy of “The Make Ahead Cook”. I collect cookbooks; and as my sister says, I read them like novels.
You’ve done such a good review on the book that I know it will help me in my planning and prepping for meals. Just reading these entries have given me lots of ideas (like Dawn’s to set the table first)! thanks for the give-away, but even if I don’t win this one, I’ve got a winner in reading your blog. Well written and timely..thanks for a great product!
I love chopping up meat that I have left over and freezing it so I can throw it quickly into a soup or casserole. Also, I would really love the book!
I usually make dinner the evening before, then just heat it up at dinner time. It’s basically the same thing others do, but in a different order. Most people 1-cook, 2-eat, 3-cleanup. Instead, to save time when I get home from work, we: 1-eat, 2-cook for tomorrow, 3-cleanup. Same amount of work, just in a different order.
I try to plan the weeks meals on thursday, go shopping early Saturday and cook meals on Saturday and Sunday. It is usually enough to last the week. Any excess I freeze.
Pick me! Pick me! ok, now that that’s out of the way, let me just say this book looks awesome. Ever since my baby nesting turned into a two week cooking / freezing spree, I’ve come to appreciate how useful cooking in advance is. I’d love to do more.
Prep the night before…..Makes putting everthing together an easy task.
I would love this book. Love your blog. I read every blog that you post. I am going to give the Ting wireless a shot when my contract is up. I too have had to deal with the lice treatment while babysitting. Keep blogging because I look forward to your posts.
Thanks for your consideration.
Tara
I would love the book! My strategy is to make ahead some kitchen staples. For example, I make salad dressing in a large jar and keep it in the fridge (my favourite easy one is 1/4c ish olive oil, same of balsamic vinegar and 1 heaping tb of a nut butter, shake shake), or make bunch of cupcakes and freeze them to take them out for special occassions, or make a salad that i know will last a few days.