Make Ahead

Breakfast just got its own special sauce.

Garnishing is when things get real fun.

I make them every week.

Sliced cucumbers can't be boring when they're made to be bright and tangy.

It's amazing on fish tacos.

People can't stop raving about them.

It’s a five-star recipe.

It's the perfect light dessert.

For me, the moment that marks the beginning of spring isn’t when I spot the first cherry blossoms or pack away my winter coat — it’s when I bite into my first strawberry of the season. Homemade strawberry shortcakes are the very best way to showcase the freshly picked, super-juicy spring berries.

Plus, it’s endlessly customizable.

It's so good I ate it straight from the pot.

It's the most comforting thing you'll make all week.

Mom always knows best.

Even if you're not a cake person, you'll appreciate this.

It only takes 25 minutes.

It cooks in less than 15 minutes.

When I first started learning how to make cocktails at home, I had no idea people made their own simple syrup. I was the person who went to the store to buy a bottle of what I later learned to be sugar water. That’s right — sugar dissolved in water. Simple syrup is an essential ingredient in cocktails and other beverages like iced coffee because it blends so well with other liquids, and it’s super easy to make yourself — we promise.

Pitcher cocktails are smart party choices; they easily serve a crowd and don’t require you to be constantly shaking and stirring. These pitcher margaritas are even wiser than the rest, seeing as this recipe isn’t even a recipe — it’s a ratio. Just follow a ratio of three parts tequila, two parts orange liqueur, and one part lime juice.

Brisket is a hearty cut of beef that requires time and technique to tenderize, making it one of the best cuts for braising and slow cooking. While you’ll see beef brisket served as corned beef in the spring and smoked down in Texas, the classic holiday beef brisket is typically braised in a sweet and tangy gravy. (To learn more about brisket and get tips for buying it, check out our brisket for beginners guide.

These bars practically melt in your mouth.

Oh, and it's so easy to make.

Behold the single food that has revolutionized my weekly meal plan – shredded chicken! The very best thing about cooking up a batch of shredded chicken are all the possibilities it brings to mealtime. It can mean a week’s worth of dinners — everything from chicken tacos and chicken burritos to chicken salad are made more satisfying with shredded chicken. It’s an easy solution for make-ahead lunches and weeknight dinners the whole family will love.

Bonus: It’s super easy.

They’re simply adorable.

The best thing to happen to egg noodles.

It's a match made in heaven.

Before my fellow Southerners read this and start thinking, “Are you kidding me? Who doesn’t know how to make sweet tea?” — hear me out. I am Florida-born and Georgia-raised, but when I moved to California, one of the first things I noticed was that no one drinks sweet tea out here! I always keep a pitcher ready in my fridge, and my friends inevitably ask me, “How do you make this?” Today you’re going to find out how.

It’s bursting with berries.

I’m a firm believer that make-ahead dinners are one of the very best gifts you can give to your future self. Walking into the kitchen at the end of the day knowing that dinner is prepped, cooked, and just waiting to be reheated feels like a total treat. And not only that, but dinners like classic beef chili and slow cooker beef stew happen to taste even better a day, even two or three, after they’re made.

Everything you love about garlic bread, but make it chicken.

It takes only 20 minutes.

You can prep it in just 10 minutes.

Just trust me on this one.

Easy, cheesy, beautiful.

It's hard to eat just one.

It takes just a little bit of time and patience with nearly zero effort.

Hello, gorgeous.

My first restaurant job was at a little lunch cafe famous for its giant cookies, towering hummus sandwiches, and cold peanut noodles. This husband-and-wife-run neighborhood joint was regularly filled with young professionals slurping cold, spicy soba noodles from plastic clamshell containers. While the owners were always generous with recipes — they gave me their cookie recipes when I left that job — they would not share the secrets to their peanut sauce.

We're not kidding when we say they taste like potato mac and cheese.

lasagna's lazier cousin.

It feels totally fancy, and is surprisingly easy.

So simple and delicious.

Ever had a classic French palmier? A flaky turnover filled with fruit? A bite of puff pastry filled with cranberry sauce and brie at a cocktail party? All these delicious treats start right here, with this dough. Yes, you can buy puff pastry at the store, but if you’re in the mood for a real baking project, you can make it yourself at home. All you need is a pastry scraper and a French rolling pin, and simple ingredients like flour, water, and butter.

The sticky glaze is everything.

If you’ve avoided cooking beans at home because you’ve heard they are tricky, finicky, or complicated, it’s time to leave all that behind. Cooking dried beans is no more trouble than filling a pot of water and letting it simmer happily on the back burner all afternoon. In fact, that’s basically all it is. Ignore the naysayers; it’s time to cook some tasty, creamy, totally tender beans at home. Here’s our easy method on the stovetop.

I love brunch, you love brunch — I think we’re all on board for a good weekend brunch, yes? The one problem with brunch, however, is figuring out how to make it without having to get up at the crack of dawn to start cooking. That’s why we’re bringing you a roundup of all our favorite make-ahead brunch recipes for whatever plans you may have come the weekend.

It makes me actually excited to eat salad.

It’s the ultimate comfort food.

Meet your new go-to weeknight dinner.

I make them every week.

Just look at those layers!

"Fancy without effort."

Everyone will ask you for the recipe.

Yes, it’s really that good.

They’re worth waking up for.

Perfect with a cup of Joe.

More feta = more happiness.

Like strawberry shortcake — but better.

You'll love it.

It’s all about the wafer cookies.