Besides lasagna, what are some good family-friendly meals that you make ahead of time?

Question

Now that it’s back-to-school time and we’re all that much busier, what are some meals that will last well into the week? And are they freezable?

Answer 1

Quick Fix meals with Robin Miller from the Food Network channel.  She prepares quick meals and uses ingredients from one dish and changes a few ingredients so that it is a totally different meal.  You also might want to check your neighbor area for a business that specializes in making 'make ahead meals' that you prepare at the place and bring home to freeze.  You will need 1-2 hours to go and make them on the weekend but it is a huge time saver during the week.  They provide the prepped ingredients and recipes that you can taylor to your family's likes and some places even offer wine and make it an enjoyable experience.  The prices are reasonable also.  The nice thing about places like these are that you can go for a couple weeks, save the recipes and then just do it from home.  Another option is meals from the grocery that come already complete in the freezer section.   Betty Crocker and Kraft food websites also have an easy menu planner.  You browse through recipes, choose the ones you like, then you can print up the recipes as well as the grocery list.  Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Shepherd's Pie is good one and can be frozen.

Easy recipe for a classic Shepherd's Pie:

1 tbs olive oil

1 brown onion, halved, finely chopped

garlic to your liking

1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped  

500g beef mince

2 tbs plain flour

500ml (2 cups) beef stock

1 dried bay leaf

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs tomato paste

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic & carrot and cook, until soft. Add mince and cook, stirring to break up any lumps.

Add the flour and cook, stirring until combined. Add stock, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Topping:

4 potatoes, peeled, chopped

40g butter

125ml (1/2 cup) milk

Melted butter, to brush

Meanwhile: cook potato in a saucepan of water until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan with the butter. Use a potato masher or fork to mash until smooth, add milk & stir until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Spoon mince mixture into a 2L (8-cup) capacity ovenproof baking dish. Top with mashed potato and use a fork to spread over mince mixture. Brush with butter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until mashed potato is golden brown. I like to add grated cheese to the top.

Another classic is Apricot Chicken & so easy:

kilo chicken pieces or you could use 600g chicken thigh fillets

1 small onion

2 cans of apricot nectar

packet of French onion soup mix

stir in a jug the soup and nectar, brown chicken & onion in pan pour soup & nectar over top and cook untill chicken is cooked through. This goes really well with mashed potato & green beans. Or you can add thin fried noodles to it which goes well too.

There are so many great recipes on the back of soup packets, so next time your shopping take note.  

                  

Answer 3

We do a sunday cooking day once a month to do meals to go in the freezer. What we make is

Cannelloni-we don't precook this, just put it together and freeze. Ours is straight cheeses and basil- just stick in the oven on the day you want and slow cook it at 325 for an hour. Or if you want it faster- thaw the night before in the fridge and then put it in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 F

Homemade pizza-don't pre-cook, prepare and freeze, then cook the day you want about 25 minutes at 350 F

Beef stew-fully cook, portion out and freeze. Take out the night before to thaw and warm on the stove top at supper time.

Chili- same as beef stew

(&Of course Lasagna)

We make large amounts of all - the kids love to help also. Then we portion it out to meal sizes and end up with 2-3 meals of each. I find this more cost efficient , healthier and faster.

Answer 4

We make Enchiladas ahead of time and freeze them. Or we make extra spaghetti, and when we're done we put it into a baking dish and do a baked spaghetti later. My future mother-in-law makes a cheesy hashbrown casserole that she freezes, and then takes out to bake... she also freezes things in small bits like bacon or ham, so that she can add those to meals quickly. Um, chili is always a good one, so is any kind of soup or stew. Tuna noodle casserole is easy, as is sausage and taters, which is a family recipe and favorite:

Peel enough potatoes for the family... usually 1- 1 1/2 per person, and slice them.

Put them in a pot with some oil, and fry them.

Add some sliced italian sausage.

When the sausage is cooked, smother with cheddar or jack cheese, and let the cheese melt.

Serve and enjoy.  

Answer 5

Leftovers, no matter how you slice and dice them, are still gross.  Contrary to what you want people to believe, they're far more family-enemy than family-friendly.  Yeah, a person could probably survive on them, but who wants to?  Eating the same, restirred, gloppy mess for a week isn't close to healthy either, which apparently you don't understand.  Even worse are the 'starter' leftovers that the cook, ha, adds something new to, to make a 'new' dish.  Please pass me the barf bag.  If a person isn't so lazy, they can learn to cook appealing, healthy, consumable portions, in a fast way, so the family doesn't have to dread your rehashed meals.

I don't want to eat at your house..

Answer 6

Here in Texas we grill a lot. So chicken grilled becomes dinner then fajitas on another night.

A brisket cooked for dinner becomes sandwiches and fajitas and stew and so forth.

I usually cook for the week ahead.

one roast

2 or 3 chickens baked

Meatloaf

3lbs. hamburger cooked and diced small.

Then the meals:

The roast w/ potatoes& carrots becomes stew

The chickens w/rice and ? veg. becomes fajitas or stir fry

Meatloaf w mashed potatoes becomes sandwiches next day

hamburger becomes tacos, burritos, chili or spaghetti

add three bean salad good all week

broccoli & cauliflower salad good all week

Pot of beans home cooked is good all of the time.

That is how we cook here.

Answer 7

I can suggest you a very good pasta sauce that once cooked you can keep in the refrigerator for a week or so: Bolognese Ragu' sauce.

1 kg beef meat-minced, 1/4 cup red wine, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 100 gr unsmoked pancetta,1 onion-thinly chopped, 1 chopped celery, 1 sliced carrot, tomato sauce (homemade or commercial cups of mashed tomatoes), 2garlic cloves, nutmeg, salt, pepper.

Fry the pancetta gently in a little olive oil. Add the vegetables and fry until the onions are transparent, stirring occasionally.

Add the beef and cook until it is lightly browned.Add the tomato sauce and the wine and mix it well.Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. Stir occasionally.Serve with Fettuccine or Tagliatelle ------NOT Spaghetti!

BUON APPETITO :)

Answer 8

I often make extra so I could freeze meals.  

Sheperds Pie (make 3, eat 1 and freeze two) Make standard and taco flavoured Sheperds pie (turkey or beef)

3 cheese and broccoli tortellini

Fetticini Alfredo - make extra and freeze in foil containers for easy warm up in oven

Chicken soup (usually serve with fresh buns)

Turkey or Beef Chili

Spaghetti sauce (make a big batch, freeze usually 4 dinner size packages, so I can make Rizzotto, Spaghetti, Lasagne, etc.)

Pot roast - 1st night roast beef dinner/mash potatoes & veggies, 2nd night, Beef dip with salad, 3rd night roast beef/veggie wraps, if still any leftovers, grilled pannini sandwiches with soup.

Chicken Taco Soup (makes about 3 dinners - eat one and freeze the other batches)

Minestroni - freeze dinner sizes and serve with salad.

Ground beef taco mix - make a big batch and freeze dinner portions to make tacos, taco salad, beef nachos, enchiladas, etc.

Stuffed chicken with spinach/feta or ham/mozzarella

Burrittos - wrap them up in parchment paper individual servings and put in tupperware dish (I usually freeze about 12 - family can eat them for lunches as well.

Generally 1 week out of a month I make something different each night and after that, I don't have to cook for the rest of the month, even sometimes longer.

This also helps when I am away and I know my family is eating healthy because its so easy for them to prepare dinner.

Answer 9

One of our favorites is a breakfast casserole. have a hot breakfast any morning of the week and yes it can freeze.

and for a quicker lasagna , instead of the long lasagna noodles, use the mini lasagna noodles (mafalda) and mix the cooked pasta and ricotta together before layering. then it is sauce, noodle/ricotta (or cottage cheese for less expensive), cheddar cheese, repeat

finally, near the holiday, make up Turkey Tetrazini with the leftovers. It freezes well

Answer 10

I make all my bases at the start of the week, Sunday or Monday, such as tomato sauce, pizza shells, vindaloo sauce, pad thai, and so on, freeze them and then pull them out day of and add the fresh ingredients to finsih; pasta for the sauce, toppings for pizza, chicken and rice for vindaloo, chicken or shrimp and veggies for pad thai, and so forth.

I'm also a big fan of paninis and soup for dinner as an easy way to use up cold cuts from the week. Another favourite of ours is crostini (sliced italian baguette--white or whole wheat--toasted with veggies, olive oil and sometimes cheese) and a green salad. The crostini takes just a few minutes and we use baby greens that don't require much prep.

I love all the great ideas on here and I think I mght have to incorporate some.

Answer 11

I make a delicious Chicken Enchilada Casserole (layers like lasagne)

1 PACKAGE BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST

½ JAR TOMATO SALSA – YOUR CHOICE

½ TEASPOON MINCED GARLIC

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

WATER

VEGETABLE OIL

CORN TORTILLAS

1 CAN ORTEGA OR OLD EL PASO ENCHILADA SAUCE

1 LARGE BAG PRE-SHREDDED CHEESE (I USE THE MEXICAN STYLE)

CUT CHICKEN b*****s INTO THREE CHUNKS AND PUT IN CROCK POT WITH ½ JAR OF SALSA, MINCED GARLIC, SPICES  AND ENOUGH WATER TO ALMOST COVER CHICKEN (JUST SO IT DOESN’T DRY OUT).  COOK IN CROCK POT FOR 4-6 HOURS.

SHRED CHICKEN BY PULLING IT APART WITH TWO FORKS.  TOSS A SMALL AMOUNT OF SAUCE (A COUPLE OR THREE TABLESPOONS) IN WITH THE CHICKEN.

HEAT VEGETABLE OIL IN PAN

POUR ENCHILADA SAUCE INTO A SHALLOW DISH THAT IS BIG ENOUGH FOR A TORTILLA TO LAY FLAT.

ONCE OIL IS HOT FRY TORTILLAS UNTIL SOFT – NOT LONG ENOUGH TO BE CRISPY MOVE THEM FROM THE OIL INTO SAUCE ALLOWING AS MUCH OIL AS POSSIBLE TO FALL BACK INTO PAN.  

SOAK THEM IN THE SAUCE FOR A LITTLE WHILE (LESS THAN A MINUTE) AND LAYER THEM LIKE LASAGNE WITH TORTILLAS, CHICKEN THEN CHEESE.  YOU CAN SPOON SMALL AMOUNTS OF  LEFT OVER SAUCE OVER THE TOP BEFORE YOU PUT THE LAST CHEESE LAYER.

YOU CAN MAKE AS MANY LAYERS AS YOU WANT. COVER WITH FOIL AND PUT IN OVEN AT 350 DEGREES UNTIL HEATED THROUGHOUT.  (TIME WILL VARY DEPENDING ON HOW MANY LAYERS YOU USE.  CAN BE HEATED IN MICROWAVE ALSO ON MEDIUM TO MEDIUM HIGH SETTING MAKING SURE PAN IS TURNED OFTEN.  LET STAND FOR SHORT TIME AFTER MICROWAVING TO GIVE IT TIME TO HEAT THROUGHOUT.

CAN BE MADE AHEAD AND FROZEN – IF YOU PLAN TO FREEZE DON’T PUT IT IN THE OVEN FIRST.

I HAVE A ROUND DISH THAT IS EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE AS A TORTILLA THAT MAKES IT PERFECT FOR FAST AND EASY LAYERING.  IT ONLY FEEDS MY HUSBAND AND I (WITH SOME LEFT OVER FOR MY LUNCH THE NEXT DAY).

Answer 12

Many soups can be cooked, and then reheated in a large pot before serving.

Homemade pizzas can be stored before baking, and by mixing up the toppings, no one will get sick of eating it multiple times.

Obviously, and bread, muffin, or bagel can make a great and easy breakfast food on the run.

To speed up meal prep-time, have a variety of pre- cut and sliced veggies on hand. They can be used for a fast stir-fry or vegetable pasta.

I used to sautee portabello mushrooms and grill red bell peppers with a little olive oil and store them in plastic bags in my fridge. They went great on sandwiches with a little cheese and sprouts or baby lettuce, and I'm sure there's quite a few other good uses for them as well.

Any food commonly found in Thanksgiving leftovers tends to last well in the frridge of freezer, like mashed potatoes or green beans.

Burritos can be a good meal to pre-make if done right. Costco (at least the one near me) sells uncooked tortillas that taste so much better than other packaged ones. Beans can come from a can, or be cooked in a pot for the day and stored for later use. With some pre-shredded cheese and a tomato chile sauce, they make a filling meal. If there's time, fresh cilantro and avocado slices go well as toppings.

Any crock-pot dish can be made ahead of time. Now, there's even frozen crock-pot meals at grociery stores. I've never tried them, so I can't say how good they are.

I don't eat meat, so some "easy dinner" foods like Hamburger Helper and Shake and Bake don't usually show up at our table. I also have a busy schedule, and cooking doesn't always fit in.  

Answer 13

I have worked for years, with 2 children.  I would cook on Sundays and freeze everything, from meatloaf, spaghetti, goulash, soup, chili (chicken or beef) enchiladas, burritos, (all chicken or beef)

I freeze meatballs that can be used for all sorts of meals, I bake them,

freeze individually and vacuum seal, also date everything I freeze.

There is also the lasagna, but bagged veggies, canned broth, shredded rotterisary chicken can make alot of different dishes.

Just use your imagination, and in your resting time at night, keep cookbooks by your chair and look thru it, great ideas.

Have fun!!

Answer 14

What I make ahead of time, usually on Sunday, are meat balls and meat loaf.

With a family size pack of  Lean ground meat I can make these 2 meals and the incredients are pretty similar:

Season the meat with Salt, Garlic and Oregano - use one egg and 1 cup of bread crumbs - mix well with hands until the egg and bread crumbs are blended.  Separate the meat in half - One will be for the meat balls and the other will be your meat loaf.

Meat Loaf:  

Mold it into a rectancular shape, add a few slices of red/green peppers & Onions to the top of the meat loaf (like a garnish) - bag and Freeze

Set out to defrost the night before - (I cook my meat loaf on the stove)

Set Meatloaf in pot - add half a cup of water, half a can of tomato sauce, a few slices of onions/green & red peppers - (this will make a gravy) cover and let cook for 20-25 minutes - check the gravy to making sure it doesn't dry up and pour over meat loaf from time to time adding more water if necessary.  You can either make instant mashed potatoes or Mashed Potatoes from scratch - Serve with Corn or other Veggies - The gravy gives the meat loaf a nice flavor - my husband and kids love it!!

Meatballs:

Roll them into medium size balls, bag and freeze.

Set out to defrost the night before - brown with olive oil, add pasta sauce (I add oregano, sweet basil and garlic powder to the sauce for more flavor) - Boil pasta and dinner is served within 20 to 25 minutes.

I like to make Garlic bread with this - Splitting a loaf of italian bread in half, spread butter, sprinkle with oregano and garlic powder - smear with spoon evenly and put in 350 degree oven until nicely browned.

Another thing that could be made in advance is Chilly  

Answer 15

You can buy french bread and make big fancy sandwiches that are really fast and easy ahead of time and have for dinner. You can also boil a bunch of potatoes on Sunday night, then chop them up for an easy potato salad as a side-dish with your meals or think of other creative ways to serve them. You can also bake 2 pans of lasagna, one you can put straight into the freezer after baking, the other will leave leftovers to have throughout the week until you reheat the other one! Another idea is to cook a bunch of spaghetti, put it in a large glass bowl in the fridge, just microwave with some pasta sauce and add cheese for a super fast dinner that will last throughout the week! You can also make pizzas with different toppings - bake then straight to the freezer like the lasagna! Will quickly reheat without losing its flavor :)

Answer 16

Meatloaf!  Once you get your basic recipe down, you can add to it so many things to really make it your own.  If you have kids who don't like veggies, you can put them right into the meatloaf before cooking, and they'll hardly notice.

One thing I do is to experiment with different breadcrumbs.  I've tried stuffing mixes, croutons, different types of breads we have around... anything goes!  The sauces you mix in can take it to a whole new level also.  Don't just go for the old standby of ketchup!  Try teriyaki sauce (I've done this with some crushed pineapple mixed in with the beef... sounds funny, but tastes GREAT!), barbecue sauce, honey mustard, or really any type of dressing or condiment that you might want to try.  You can make them ahead of time, freeze individual loaves, and just bake them when you need them.  

Side dishes are pretty easy with this one also.  Veggies work great, as does macaroni salad, potato salad, or even some baking mix biscuits.  It doesn't matter if you make it yourself, or if its premade.  

Meatloaf is a pretty quick versatile meal that makes for great leftovers.

Answer 17

Well since my mom is back in school to [college] i'll cook if she can't. We'll have Spaghetti, Lasagna [w/ or w/o cheesy bread], Hot Wings[not all that hot] w/ celery sticks w/ or w/o blue cheese, Or burgers & fries on the grill [the burgers] ! yes its all freezable except the burgers & fries i think, Pizza, or meatball subs or my favorite

Meatloaf - [my moms friend recipe is the best], or salad w/ chicken strips, chicken wings baked in the oven w/ creole! or my dad he makes this macroni&cheese meal [the kraft kind] then he'll brown some hamburger meat & mix it up together its really good!

Answer 18

You can make a nice italian ragu' sauce, and it goes with pasta, you can freeze it and it ll last for even a month.. You have to boil pasta though..

Or else, for the ummer you can make pasta and rice salads, they last for about a week but they are not freezable.

For the winter, you can make a delicious dish called "fiori ripieni". it is made of the outside of pumpkin flowers stuffed in the inside with a paste made of meat and vegetables (like potatoes and roasted beef) all mashed together (blended is the best option). Once prepared, you cook them in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil and you are good to go. Besides, you can freeze them..

The week before you make the dish above, i recommend you make a very big joint of roast beef, that can last for a few days and when it is almost finished, you use the left overs to make the paste for the "fiori ripieni".

Something that kids would love?! Buy about 1kg of quite thin slices of beef at the butcher, then brake a couple of eggs and dip the meat into it, then cover the meat with grated bread crust and then fry it in frying oil (like sunflower). All kids love it and if you make it abundant it can last for almost a week too..

Ciao Ciao

Answer 19

Mom's Chicken Soup - Very Freezable

Simmer whole chicken in large pot for 1 to 2 hours (water should be a few inches above it - enough water to add noodles).  Hint: lower heat and longer simmer keeps the meat more tender.

salt and pepper (1/2 to 1 tspn)

Add fresh onion and maybe celery at this point but keep ingredients simple/limited for best results.

Remove chicken to cool

Add 3 to 4 chicken boullion cubes (wylers)

Bring to boil - important!

Add coiled or nested vermacelli, 8 to 12 ounces - cook 15 to 20 minutes

Add chicken pieces back to bowl of soup per preferences

  ... has a high shelf life.

Add bisquick dumpling recipe for yummy dumplings, but these drastically shorten shelf life and I wouldn't freeze it.  The key to the dumplings is not to ball it or compress it or you get a gunky center.  Add plenty of extra water if doing dumplings with noodles and add them after the noodles have softened and separated after 5 min's or so.

Answer 20

In my opinion, these are the family-friendly meals that I make ahead of time:

1) Cheesy Skillet Frittata

2) Pizza with additional fruits

3) Spaghetti Casserole with Kraft shredded cheese - I love it!

Yes, they are entirely freezable and are healthy for the whole family, including the kids. It will last long, and are very simple to make ahead of time. They have lots of nutrition, and have high values of vitamins, proteins and iron. Also, not forgetting low fat. It's wonderful how you all took the opportunity to ask amazing and unforgettable questions. I hope to expect more questions from you all in the future.

Anyway, Good Luck!

I definitely love Kraft foods!

See ya!

Answer 21

Barbecued pork is easily made in the slow cooker. It can last all week by using it for soft tacos, BBQ sandwiches, pork over rice (add some sweet and sour to this!). Then, when it is almost all gone, combine the leftovers with tomatoes, potatoes, carrot and onion in a simple yummy soup.

To make the pork:

INGREDIENTS:

    * 1 boneless pork shoulder roast, about 5 pounds

    * 2 cup chopped onion

    * 1 bottle (12 ounces) KRAFT Hickory Smoke Barbecue Sauce

    * 6 tablespoons honey, or to taste

    * dash hot pepper

  

PREPARATION:

Place pork roast in a lightly greased 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker. Combine onion, barbecue sauce, honey, and hot pepper; pour over roast. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 7 to 9 hours.

Serves 6.

Answer 22

I make up a big pot of homemade pasta sauce with lots of meatballs, and sausage. Then I portion off the sauce to use later to make fresh Pizza, Baked Ziti Casserole, Chili, and Meatball and Sausage sandwiches. All are freezable.

With pork roasts and pot roasts, and hams, I make a meal with the roast, and then I use the leftovers to make Soups, Stews, Barbecue sandwiches, Rice or Noodle casseroles, Chimi Changas, or  Quiche depending on the mood I am in.  All except the quiche seem to freeze well.. Just by adding a few ingredients here and there you can have a lot of different meals. . With beef and ham, I sometimes shred it and add it to an omelet for a quick "steak or ham and eggs" breakfast..  

Answer 23

I have a red sauce that I make on Saturday and store for quite a while in the fridge. It can also be frozen.

Two large cans of Tomato Sauce (the larger sizes, I think about 30 oz.)

1 12 oz can of tomato paste

1 6 oz. can of  tomato paste

can of stewed tomatoes, Italian style with garlic

2 lbs. of Italian Sausage in bulk

1 bag of frozen meatballs

Brown the sausage in a skillet, preferably cast iron, some of the iron is evidently absorbed by the meat, since I've been using cast iron, every time I give blood, the droplet falls like a stone in the anemia test.

Put the cooked sausage in a collander, on top of paper towels laid in the bottom of the sink. Rinse the meat thoroughly to assist with the draining of the fat.

microwave the meatballs.

Mix the tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomatoes meat and meatballs in the slow cooker and add oregano (or italian seasoning) and garlic powder. Not a lot, but an estimate you make when you start can always be changed as you cook.

I turn the slow cooker on low heat, and let it simmer for 6-8 hours, stirring and tasting occasionally to check on the taste, and add more spice if it needs it. You can also add sugar and salt if you like.

The thing about this kind of thing is that the flavor actually improves the second day, or however long it stays in the fridge.

Answer 24

I love making a really big chilli becasue it keeps for a day or two and you can freeze it but the main thing is you can go so much with it.

We normally make a big one and have it with rice one night, the next night we usually warm up some tacos in the oven for a few minutes and have chilli tacos with cheese, sour cream dip and lettuce and then later in the week i will defrost whatevers left (I freeze whatever is left after chilli with rice and chilli with tacos) whack it in the microwave for 5 mins or so to heat up again and have buritos, (plain totilla wraps with chilli and peppers and salad in.)

Its a great family meal and because of the nature of the meals as well, especially the tacos and buritos its a fantastic opuurtunity to sit round the table properly as a family and talk to your kids about their day and what ever.

Of course good old bolognase can be frozen or just kept refrigerated for a day or two and then it only takes a few minutes to cook some pasta.

Also never under estimate the power of a slow cooker, i know theya re associated with old people but seriously, jsut chuck in a load of veg some chicken drumsticks, sausages or beef and some stock and switch it on before you leave for work in teh morning, by teh time you get you will have a delicious, heathly meal waiting for you. As it gets towards winter as well theres nothing nicer than coming home after a long day to the smell of a casserole ready to eat.

Yummy!!!

Answer 25

Hello!

I guess you like Italian food then... if the answer is YES then below you will find the recipe for the best BOLOGNESE (is it how you call it?) SAUCE... you can have it with pasta... or simply with bread...

It is freezable and trust me it last well into the week if you keep it in an airtight tupperware...

Use a pot with heavy bottom

Put the oil in the pot, and turn the heat on to medium.

When it’s hot put grated onion, grated celery and grated carrot in the pot.

Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring the vegetables to coat them well.

Add the minced beef and a large pinch of salt

A few grindings of black/red pepper can be also added if you like it

Crumble the meat with a fork, stir well, and cook for about 5 minutes

Add the white wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated

Cook until the beef has lost its raw, red colour

Add the tomatoes and a cup of water, stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well.

When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface.

Cook for about 30/45 minutes stirring from time to time

Taste and correct for salt.

I hope you'll like it... and trust me... it's more complicated to tell then to actually MAKE it...

Answer 26

As many have mentioned here, there are meals that can be prepared ahead of time.  but it seems to me they are getting too specific.  Here's what I do on a day off.  

Cook a lot of spaghetti sauce.  This can be used for lasagna, chili, beefaroni, meatball sandwiches, vegetable soup, just about anything that needs a thick or thinned out red sauce, and of course can be frozen.  adding ingredients like chili spices, or cooking macaroni for beefaroni, or throwing a bunch of frozen vegetables in the microwave for a couple of minutes takes no time at all.

or, I...

Fire up the grill.  I cook everything I have meat-wise.  hamburgers, steaks, hot dogs, polish sausages, fish, pork chops, pork steaks, chicken (I boil this first so it doesn't burn to a crisp on the outside before cooking thouroughly on the inside), ribs, whatever is on hand.  All freeze well and retain the grilled taste when reheated.

And, as previously mentioned, ya can't beat the crock pot.  

For me, it only takes part of a day to cook for a week.

Answer 27

Casseroles are king at this time of year, and casseroles can be made with every imaginable ingredient. Of course, freezability is a must, both for making ahead of time and for leftovers.

I love chicken and penne casserole, with lots of diced peppers and havarti cheese. Add the old classic, campbell's condensed chicken soup to the mix for some nostaligic flavor.

The best thing about premade casseroles is that most of the ingredients are cooked already and so popping a frozen casserole into a medium high oven for an hour is about all that is needed to get dinner on the table at the end of a school/work day.

Answer 28

I tend to make a huge pot of spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce and meatballs are freezable, the noodles, obviously not. I'll also use the sauce for lasagna at a later point.

I like to also freeze minestrone soup as well as chili. Chili is good with chili dogs, and chili with noodles, onions, and cheese.

Answer 29

Using the same basis of mince meat there are lots of meals you can make in advance - examples, spaghetti bolognese, meatballs, meatloaf. Other meals using chicken are curry (you can get frozen rice in prepacks which you can microwave), risotto, even stew can be frozen. If you make roast chicken over the weekend and you have a lot left over you can make a chicken pie with a tin of cambells mushroom soup as the gravy. There are tons of meals that can be frozen and defrosted the same day you want to eat. I am a working mum and I know what its like to think up different meals that are both healthy and filling for the family.

Answer 30

Any casserole dish like lasagna. Macaroni casserole is my personal favorite, but any would work. Soups are also good to freeze (you can freeze individual portion sizes in ziplock bags, or tupperware). Sauces are another thing you can prepare ahead of time and then if you can make a fresh pot of pasta or stir fry and just add the sauce.  

Answer 31

Besides box and frozen dinners, one of the greatest inventions for the kitchen is the slow cooker, or Crock Pot.

Many believe the slow cooker is condemned to a life of soups, stews, sauces, chili, and other similar meals.  The fact is, a lot of delicious, easy, and nutritious meals can be prepared using the slow cooker.  There's usually very little, if any, preparation involved prior to putting the ingredients in the slow cooker.  You may have to precook the meat, but that's not always required.

Most meals in the slow cooker may take about ten minutes to prepare, and can cook for the entire day on the "Low" setting, with little to no risk of overcooking or burning the meal.

One of my favorite slow cooker recipes is a pot roast recipe that makes its own gravy as it cooks.  You will need:

3 to 5-lb. boneless chuck beef roast

1 12-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 12-oz. can cream of celery soup

1 can hot beef broth

1 packet onion soup mix

3 to 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Heat the oil in a large skillet and sear the roast on all sides in the hot oil.  Place roast in a 5-quart or larger slow cooker.  Heat beef broth in microwave-safe cup or bowl, until almost bliling (about 3 minutes on High).  Add broth and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker.  Cover, cook on Low setting for 8 to 10 hours.  Uncover and allow to cook on High setting for 20 to 30 minutes, if liquid is not thick enough after cooking.

Another recipe I like is shredded barbecued pork, which can be used for sandwiches.  All it involves is placing a boneless pork shoulder (about 2 to 3 pounds) in the slow cooker, cover with about half a cup of Kraft barbecue sauce (any flavor), and cook on Low setting for 10 hours.  Remove meat from slow cooker, cut off excess fat (I usually cut the fat off before cooking it - I find it easier that way), and then chop up or place back in slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Be sure to stir it around a bit to make sure all of the meat is coated with the barbecue sauce.

You can make beef or chicken fajitas by placing 2 pounds of thinly-sliced boneless, skinless chicken b*****s or stew beef in the slow cooker, adding 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped bell pepper, 1 small can (10 to 12 oz.) of tomato sauce, and 2 or 3 packets of Taco Bell Home Originals taco seasoning.  Cook on Low setting for 8 to 10 hours, serve on tortillas with shredded Kraft Mild or Sharp Cheddar Cheese or shredded Kraft Taco/Mexican Cheese blend.