310 ahead recipes

Layered chocolate banana trifle with chocolate cake, homemade chocolate pudding, sliced bananas, and whipped cream. Topped with toasted almonds and cherries. A stunning make-ahead dessert.

Sicilian-style caponata with tender eggplant, olives, capers, and tomatoes in a tangy vinegar sauce. Make it ahead and serve cold as a rustic Italian appetizer.

Roasted pepper salad with multicolored bell peppers in a balsamic vinaigrette spiked with anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, and shallots. A make-ahead antipasto that improves overnight.

Rhubarb meringue torte with three layers of crisp piped meringue shells stacked with tangy rhubarb sauce. A stunning make-ahead spring dessert that's naturally gluten-free.

Raspberry angel cake fills and frosts an angel food cake with a fluffy raspberry Jello and whipped cream mixture studded with real berries. Make-ahead friendly.

Two crisp meringue discs sandwiched with dark chocolate-coffee cream and served on a pool of raspberry sauce. A showstopping make-ahead dessert for special occasions.

Make-ahead taco meat with ground beef, onion, cumin, and tomato sauce. A freezer-friendly batch base for taco nights, burritos, nachos, and quick weeknight bowls.

Crisp deep-fried curry puffs filled with cooked lamb, curry powder, and mango chutney syrup. A classic Anglo-Indian party appetizer that can be made ahead.

Marinated cabbage slaw with green pepper, onion, and pimentos in a sweet-tangy vinegar dressing with mustard seeds. Make-ahead picnic salad that keeps for days.

Polynesian bombe is a three-layer frozen dessert of mango, raspberry, and lime ices molded into a showstopper dome. Make-ahead tropical finale with zero baking.

Frozen pumpkin mousse: a make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert with Italian meringue, spiced pumpkin, rum, and whipped cream. Chilled in a soufflé dish and served with gingersnaps.

New Year's Eve polenta squares crisp tube polenta under the broiler, then top each bite with a tangy sun-dried tomato, caper, and parsley pesto. A make-ahead cocktail-party appetizer that feeds a crowd.

Better-than-anything cake with German chocolate base soaked in sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, topped with whipped topping and crushed Heath or Snickers bars. Make-ahead party cake.

Cherries jubilee ice cream pie swirls a brandy-spiked dark cherry sauce through vanilla ice cream in a honey-graham crust, then freezes firm. A make-ahead frozen take on the flaming dessert classic.

Glazed sweet potato casserole with brown sugar, honey, and pineapple juice glaze, scented with cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest. Make-ahead Thanksgiving side that saves oven space.

Slice-and-bake vanilla wafer cookies with powdered sugar, butter, and cream of tartar. Make the dough ahead, chill, slice thin, and bake crispy in 10 minutes.