1,078 ahead recipes

Freezer-friendly chicken and noodle casserole in a red wine tomato-mushroom sauce with basil and garlic. Make it ahead, freeze in individual portions, and reheat on busy nights. Serves 4 to 6.

Baked curried fruit casserole with pears, peaches, pineapple, apricots, and cherries layered with slivered almonds in a buttery brown sugar curry glaze. A retro holiday side dish that's best made a day ahead.

Boiled beef brisket baked with pinto beans, bacon, hot chilies, corn, and tomatoes in a ketchup-based sauce. A hearty, make-ahead brisket and bean dinner best served the next day over rice.

Cocktail seafood Swiss quiche bakes crab and shrimp into a creamy custard of eggs, milk, mayonnaise, and nutty Swiss cheese. A make-ahead party slice that cuts cleanly into bite-size cocktail wedges.

Make-ahead bran muffin batter that keeps in the fridge for weeks. Mix once, bake fresh muffins on demand for breakfast any morning. The classic refrigerator batter recipe with bran flakes and buttermilk.

Zuleika cake is a flourless almond cake with a tender, macaroon-like base crowned with a rich cooked egg yolk cream and toasted almonds. Naturally gluten-free and best made a day ahead.

A frozen pumpkin pie made with vanilla ice cream and a spiced pecan-gingersnap crust. Creamy, no custard to bake, and made entirely ahead in the freezer. A cool twist on pumpkin pie.

Santa Fe Grande layers taco-seasoned grits, set firm and cut into triangles, with melted Monterey Jack and green chilies. A make-ahead Southwestern grits bake topped with cilantro, salsa, and sour cream.

Chocolate bar brownie sundaes layer fudgy toffee-studded brownies with Heath-bar vanilla ice cream and a homemade caramel sauce. A make-ahead, three-part dessert where every component is built from scratch.

Chocolate mousse torte tops a deep devil's food cake with a silky coffee-liqueur chocolate mousse and a cloud of whipped cream. A make-ahead chocolate dessert with a grown-up Kahlua kick.

Rich West Indian Christmas cake soaked in rum and sherry with dried fruits, warm spices, and browning for deep color. Start the fruit a month ahead for a dense, boozy holiday cake worth the wait.

Crisp-tender cauliflower and green beans marinated in Italian dressing with dill weed, red onion rings, and red pepper flakes. A make-ahead chilled vegetable side that needs at least 4 hours to soak up flavor.

Chocolate icebox pudding layers a rich German chocolate filling between vanilla wafers, then chills until the cookies soften into a cake-like, no-bake dessert. A vintage make-ahead treat with just four ingredients.

Three-bean salad packed with green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, corn, celery, carrots, and pimientos in a sweet-and-tangy vinegar dressing. The classic potluck make-ahead. Keeps in the fridge for weeks and gets better with time.

Rocky Road refrigerator cake layers fudgy coffee-spiked brownies with whipped cocoa cream, mini marshmallows, and chopped walnuts. A make-ahead chocolate dessert that turns richer and sliceable after a night in the fridge.

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.