15 dao ahead recipes

Toss vermicelli, cucumber, radishes, lettuce with store-bought or homemade peanut sauce. The dish can be made a few hours or one day ahead. A deliciously refreshing summer dish.

Chocolate mousse is a great dessert for entertaining because 1) it looks pretty, 2) everyone gets their own serving, and 3) you can make it a day ahead of time.

A definite summer salad. The honey glazed pecans, goat cheese and balsamic dressing really bring layers of flavors, and all the ingredients are a delicious combination. The dressing and honey pecans both can be made a day ahead.

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.

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.

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.

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

Slow-braised pork belly and kidneys with orange zest, celery, garlic, and rosemary, made a day ahead so the surface fat lifts off cleanly. Old-school British casserole craft.

This lighter chocolate dessert has a bonus because it is also easy to prepare. Plan to make this recipe one day ahead to let the yogurt drain in your refrigerator.

A slow-simmered lamb chili with black beans, fresh ginger, allspice, and Zinfandel wine. Beans cook with lamb bones for deep flavor. Best made a day ahead for the richest taste.

A lighter Cajun mayo made with light mayonnaise and low-fat yogurt, seasoned with cumin, oregano, cayenne, and garlic salt. Mix it up a day ahead and let the spices meld overnight.

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.

Easy new potato salad with skin-on baby potatoes folded into creamy dill dressing and fresh green onions. Make it the day ahead so the flavors mingle and the spuds drink in the herbs.

"Easy, fast and delicious! I created this recipe so I could feed a crowd on a moments notice and still expect raves. Make the sauce a day ahead and the flavor even improves. This way you can spend time with your guests, not slaving in the kitchen."

This is the basic recipe for cooking lentils or beans. Many southern and southwestern regional recipes call for cooked lentils or beans to be stirred gently into a dish near the end of cooking. Therefore, it may be a good idea ot make them a day ahead and have them ready when you begin the actual cooking.