58 dao ahead recipes

Goldy's Dream Cake is a decadent, multi-layered dessert featuring a buttery, crumbly crust, a smooth cream cheese filling, a sweet-tart raspberry jam layer, and a crunchy almond topping. This crowd-pleasing cake is ideal for special occasions or gatherings, with a balance of textures and flavors that make every bite irresistible. Preparing it a day ahead enhances its flavor and makes serving easier.

Fennel Nicoise braises quartered fennel with tomatoes, white wine, and thyme for a silky Provencal side dish served cold. A do-ahead starter from the South of France.

Authentic Mexican birria with lamb, veal, and pork rubbed in a toasted ancho-guajillo-cascabel chili paste, marinated overnight, and slow-roasted until falling off the bone. Served with tomato broth, onion, and oregano.

These delicious slow cooked fajitas are perfect for an evening with friends. We’ve used gram flour to make the tortillas which is sometimes referred to as chickpea flour and makes a tasty, healthy and gluten free alternative to your typical tortillas. You could also use buckwheat flour. When making the tortillas it’s important to make sure you only just cover the bottom of the pan with the mixture, otherwise you’ll end up making them too thick (a bit like pancakes) and they’re much easier to assemble when thin. We like using the slow cooker to make meals when we have a busy day ahead, as it’s super easy to pop everything in, turn on and eat as soon as work’s finished.

Authentic Yucatán cochinita pibil with achiote-marinated pork, banana leaf wrap and habanero orange salsa. Traditional Mayan pit-style slow-roasted pork for tacos.

Chocolate brandy cake doctors a devil's food mix with brandy, eggs, and oil, then bakes into a tender bundt soaked twice with a hot brandy-chocolate glaze. Make a day ahead for full flavor.

Homestead salad with mixed vegetables and kidney beans in a cooked sweet vinegar dressing with mustard. Make a day ahead for the best flavor.

Baked orzo with crumbled feta, kasseri cheese, fresh dill, heavy cream, and olive oil. A rich Greek-style pasta side dish that can be assembled a day ahead and baked before serving.

Elegant chicken breasts with a mousseline-style spinach filling tucked under crispy skin, finished with a glossy Madeira pan sauce. A restaurant-worthy dinner you can prep a full day ahead.

Creamy potato, leek, and salt cod soup finished with sour cream and fresh dill. A milk-based chowder with rich, briny depth that can be made a day ahead.

Barbecued short ribs with a homemade gastrique-style sauce of caramelized vinegar, brown sugar, and warm spices. The day-ahead method delivers grill-ready ribs with sauce that clings.

German stuffed cabbage rolls (Gefullt Krautroladen) filled with brown rice, dill seed, marjoram, and paprika. Baked in a tomato-vermouth sauce and best made a day ahead for deeper flavor.

Granny's ham and potato gratin for a crowd layers parboiled potatoes, diced ham, and Swiss cheese with a mustard-garlic bechamel. Feeds 24, bakes in under an hour, and can be assembled a day ahead.

This pecan pie can be make a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator until about one hour before serving time.

Three-ingredient apple walnut relish with toasted walnuts, diced Golden Delicious apples, and sweet wine. Make it a day ahead for the best flavor.

Braised beef brisket slow-cooked with onions, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves until fork tender. Best made a day ahead for easy defatting and deeper flavor.