299 ahead recipes

Vegetarian wrap packed with sauteed sweet peppers, creamy goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and peppery arugula finished with a splash of sherry vinegar. A fresh, no-cook-ahead lunch ready in minutes.

Vanilla pecan slice-and-bake cookies from a make-ahead dough that chills into logs and freezes for up to 3 months. Crisp, buttery icebox cookies baked from frozen in 12 minutes.

Four pepper salsa with red, yellow, and green bell peppers plus green chiles, pulsed in a food processor with plum tomatoes, mustard seeds, and fresh cilantro. A colorful, make-ahead party salsa.

Fish and crawfish mold: a creamy Louisiana-style cold seafood spread blending cooked fish, crawfish tails, cream cheese, wine, and hot sauce. Make ahead, serve on crackers at your next cocktail party.

Blue and cheddar cheese ball blends sharp port wine cheddar, pungent blue cheese, cream cheese, and Worcestershire into a make-ahead party appetizer rolled in toasted walnuts. The classic holiday cheese ball.

Smoked salmon mousse layered with a green spinach stripe, set in a ring mold with cream cheese, sour cream, whipped cream, dill, and a hit of lemon. Elegant make-ahead party appetizer.

Bread Provencale is a Provençal stuffed baguette filled with sausage, tomatoes, olives, capers, and basil, then chilled overnight and sliced into rounds. A make-ahead picnic classic from the South of France.

Roman pie is a chilled, layered pasta terrine: cheesy macaroni, turkey, mushrooms, ham, and anchovy set in jellied consomme. A make-ahead Italian-style centerpiece served cool and sliced like a cake.

A chilled summer pasta salad of garden vegetable pasta, cooked shrimp, and sweet honeydew melon balls tossed in a tangy vinaigrette. A refreshing, make-ahead sweet-and-savory dish for warm days.

Why buy salad dressing when it's easy to make your own, here's a Raspberry Walnut dressing that can be made ahead and is ready when you are. Makes about two cups of dressing.

Make-ahead beef and bean burritos with enchilada sauce and melty cheddar, wrapped in foil for grab-and-go lunches. Eat them cold or microwave in a minute. Meal prep for the whole week.

Chilled poached shrimp served with a bold, spicy peanut dipping sauce made with ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and soy sauce. Both the sauce and shrimp can be made days ahead for easy entertaining.

Dilly brunch pockets are folded corn tortillas stuffed with scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, fresh dill, tomato, and cheddar. A baked, handheld brunch dish that feeds six and bakes in 20 minutes. Make-ahead friendly.

Smoked salmon cheese ball blends flaked salmon with cream cheese, sour cream, lemon, and a pinch of tarragon. A 10-minute make-ahead party appetizer that freezes beautifully and rolls in nuts or parsley.

Swiss vegetable dip blends Knorr vegetable soup mix into sour cream and mayonnaise, then chills until the dried vegetables soften into a creamy, herby crudite dip. A make-ahead party classic with three ingredients.

A smoky chili-cumin dry rub with brown sugar and garlic coats both grilled pork tenderloin and chicken breasts, sliced onto one platter with a bright orange-pineapple sauce. A make-ahead crowd-pleaser.