The schools are out for Spring Break this week, but that doesn’t mean that any activities are relaxed. Instead it seems as though I don’t have any time for anything. In addition to the standard activities, there are others, such as coloring Easter eggs, making Easter crafts, volunteering at church and preparing for the Easter dinner.
That is why I am all about make ahead meals this week. Meals that can be made the night before, the day before or just that morning to be ready for the evening meal makes things a lot easier.
Here are my picks for make ahead meals that do well.
Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is one of those dishes that improves with age. You can reheat it and reheat it as needed, and it only gets better (well, up until the point where it starts growing fuzz, but personally it always gets eaten quickly enough that fuzz is not an issue in our home). This is the dish I am making this morning. I can assemble it and place it in the fridge. Then whomever gets home first can simply pop it into the oven.
Dairy-free Crockpot
Crockpots or slow cookers are a lifesaver for busy families. You can throw things in the crock the night before. Then, in the morning, place the crock in the heating element and turn it on. The reason I say diary free is that many recipes that are heavy on the dairy need to be monitored. Milk often needs to be added in the last half an hour of the cooking so it doesn’t separate. Stews do much better without monitoring.
Marinades
Marinated food does well sitting in the fridge waiting to be cooked. Assemble a marinade with your choice of meat. Then you can quickly transfer it to a baking dish and pop it in the oven or cook it on a grill. Avoid really strong marinades, such as those heavy on ginger, and the marinading time can be more flexible. Citrus and sugar-based marinades, especially barbecue sauces are often more forgiving when it comes to length of time marinading.