Make-Ahead

Beat the weeknight clock with these make-ahead recipes! From breakfast to dinner, set yourself up for a tasty meal.

Add Filter

    Lemon-Apricot Fruit Pops

    With just 31 calories, 4 teaspoons of sugar total and lots of vitamin C, this is one light and refreshing...


    Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken

    My family adores this recipe. The coating keeps the chicken nice and moist. With the taste enhanced by marinating, the...


    Cubano Pork Sandwiches

    When a hungry crowd is coming over, we plan to make our juicy pork a day ahead. I call the...


    Magnolia Dream Cheesecake

    This is the best cheesecake you will ever taste! You'll love the light, creamy texture bursting with peach and hazelnut...


    Apricot Chicken Wings

    Simple-to-make appetizers are the key to easy entertaining. A five-ingredient marinade flavors these juicy and tender chicken wings. —Robin Spires,...


    Tout icon

    Green Bean Salad

    This cold green bean salad makes the perfect side dish, starring green beans, a simple vinaigrette and feta cheese.


    Tout icon

    Chocolate Chip Dip

    Next time you’re tasked with bringing the dip or dessert, make our chocolate chip dip for an unexpected dish that...


    Spicy Zucchini Relish

    I can’t seem to make enough of this zippy, chunky relish. Zucchini creates a nice change of pace from the...

    Caribbean Jerk Chicken

    Get ready to rock the grill with this wonderfully fragrant, spicy chicken. The bold marinade includes hints of cinnamon, cayenne...


    Marinated Ribeyes

    We have these tempting steaks weekly. Whenever I suggest a change in the recipe, my husband reminds me, "Don't fix...


    Chocolate Cherry Torte

    Mom has made this sweet treat for years. Since she knows how much my sister and I like it, she's...


    Frosted Orange Pie

    I discovered the recipe for this distinctive pie in a very old church cookbook. With its fresh-tasting filling and fluffy...


    Nutty French Toast

    This sweet breakfast treat is a cross of caramel rolls and French toast. It's easy to begin the night before....


    Two-Cheese Tossed Salad

    Colorful, hearty ingredients and a delectable dressing make second helpings of this salad hard to resist. Cottage cheese is an...


    Overnight Coffee Cake

    It's so convenient to mix up this old-fashioned breakfast treat the night before and bake it fresh the morning you...


    Tout icon

    Rhubarb Custard Bars

    Once I tried these rich, gooey bars, I just had to have the recipe so I could make them for...


    Creamy Cranberry Apple Salad

    For over 30 years, this recipe has been a holiday tradition in my family. With marshmallows, cranberries, apples and grapes,...

    Broccoli Cheese Strata

    This strata recipe is an excellent easy-to-prepare brunch or lunch for two. I enjoy it so much, I often make...


    Tout icon

    Peanut Butter Pudding Dessert

    Here's a fun layered dessert that will appeal to all ages. If you want it even nuttier, you can use...


    Tout icon

    Sauerbraten

    This sauerbraten recipe takes a tough cut of meat and turns it into tender bites of beef. You'll want to...


    Chocolate Banana Cheesecake

    “I came up with this special treat for my son, who loves cheesecake and anything with bananas,” says Eileen Sears...


    Favorite Marinated Vegetables

    Toss some good-for-you veggies together with a coating of fat-free salad dressing, and you've got this ideal side dish in...


    Tout icon

    Potato Chip Clusters

    Just three offbeat ingredients add up to one unique, delectable, no-bake treat. These super easy, sweet-and-salty candy clusters make for...

    Black Forest Ham Pinwheels

    Dried cherries are the sweet surprise alongside the savory ingredients in these delightfully different spirals. I roll up the tortillas...


    Makeover Traditional Cheesecake

    Though softer than a full-fat cheesecake, this lightened-up dessert has all of the original's delectable flavor. It's sure to make...


    Sour Cream Cutouts

    Rich and tender with a lovely vanilla flavor, these cute cutouts are sure to catch Santa's eye when you leave...


    Honey-Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

    “Here’s a well-seasoned recipe originally for the grill,” explains Virginia Smith in Peoria, Illinois. “But we liked it so much...


    Peach-Stuffed French Toast

    With its make-ahead convenience and scrumptious flavor, this recipe is ideal for holiday brunches—and for busy hostesses with a hungry...


    Tout icon

    Layered Pumpkin Dessert

    Pretty layers of cheesecake and pumpkin star in this prize-winning torte. Not too heavy, it's especially nice with a big...