212 ahead recipes

Mississippi mud poke cake with German chocolate cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, caramel sauce, Cool Whip, and crushed Heath bars. Easy make-ahead dessert that chills overnight.

Shrimp puff pastry loaf wrapping a buttery shrimp, tomato and red pepper filling in golden flaky pastry. Elegant make-ahead seafood centerpiece for dinner parties and holidays.

Freezer fajitas: marinated sirloin steak frozen with frozen fajita vegetables for a make-ahead Tex-Mex weeknight dinner. Thaw, sear, and serve in flour tortillas with salsa.

Fiery salsa: fresh pico de gallo with ten jalapenos, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime, and lemon. Made ahead and chilled overnight for the bold heat to develop fully.

Four-layer coconut sour cream cake with a fluffy whipped topping filling and shredded coconut all around. Make-ahead Southern dessert that gets better as it sits.

Overnight cinnamon rolls with a refrigerator-rest yeast dough, swirled with cinnamon-brown-sugar butter and finished with vanilla butter icing. Make-ahead breakfast that bakes off fresh in the morning.

Asparagus and crabmeat salad layers crisp-tender spears over butter lettuce, crowned with sweet lump crab folded into a tomato-Dijon mayonnaise. Elegant cold appetizer or light lunch that comes together in minutes with make-ahead dressing.

Vinegret is Russia's beloved cooked vegetable salad: roasted beets, potatoes, carrots, dill pickles, and peas in a mustard-vinegar dressing with fresh dill. A colorful, make-ahead side.

Southern black-eyed pea salad with spinach, pecans, Monterey Jack, and mushrooms in a smoky vinegar dressing. A make-ahead side that gets better overnight in the fridge.

Whipped sweet potatoes with orange juice, brown sugar, and warm spices, baked inside hollowed-out orange halves. A stunning holiday side dish you can freeze ahead of time.

Freezer-friendly chicken and dumplings casserole in creamy white sauce with broccoli, peas, and melted cheese topped with homemade drop biscuit dumplings. Make ahead and bake from frozen.

Raspberry cranberry Jello ring mold with crushed pineapple, whole cranberry sauce, fresh raspberries, and walnuts. A festive, make-ahead holiday side or dessert with a jewel-toned shimmer.

Brown rice summer salad with tarragon vinaigrette, fresh vegetables, peas, and pimentos. Low-fat, no-mayo, and served cold. A make-ahead side dish for hot weather meals.

Blueberry sausage breakfast cake with sour cream batter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans on top. A make-ahead overnight brunch bake that goes straight from fridge to oven.

Sweet potato whip blended with carrots, chicken broth, nonfat yogurt, and cinnamon for a lighter, less sugary take on mashed sweet potatoes. A great make-ahead holiday side.

Fish escabeche features fried fish fillets bathed in a hot vinegar marinade with peppers, onions, leeks, carrots, and garlic. A make-ahead Spanish dish that gets better overnight.