FOOD
Make Ahead Dinners 4 Ways
Just a little pre-planning gives you days of yummy meals, from chicken burritos to stuffed bell peppers and more.
FOOD
Make Ahead Dinners 4 Ways
Just a little pre-planning gives you days of yummy meals, from chicken burritos to stuffed bell peppers and more.
Ingredients
- 2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
- 1-pound bag frozen four-cheese ravioli
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare an 8x8-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Ladle a third of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the pan, followed by a third of the frozen ravioli.
- Ladle another third of the sauce over the ravioli, and sprinkle half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
- Repeat with one more layer, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately or bring to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for an easy make-ahead meal.
- To heat from frozen, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until warmed through.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 cup store-bought salsa
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (11-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4 1/2-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend, divided
- 12 whole wheat tortillas
- 1/2 cup sour cream, divided
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Steps
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, shredded chicken, salsa, beans, corn, chiles, cumin, chili powder and cheese.
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill the center of each tortilla with the chicken and rice mixture.
- Top with sour cream and wrap tightly.
- Roll each burrito in plastic wrap and freeze for a make-ahead meal.
- To reheat, unwrap the burrito, cover with a damp paper towel and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes until warmed through. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup jarred marinara sauce
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
- 1 cup cooked orzo or brown rice
- 6 medium red bell peppers
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a 9x9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the sausage to the preheated pan and sauté for 4 minutes until the sausage is just brown.
- Add the diced onions and cook for an additional 4 minutes until the onions are fragrant and the sausage is cooked through.
- Stir in marinara sauce and spinach and simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the spinach has wilted, stir in beans, orzo and a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn off the heat while you prepare the peppers.
- Cut off the top 1/2 inch of each pepper and remove the ribs and seeds. Place hollowed out peppers into the prepared baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Fill each pepper with sausage mixture and top with a layer of mozzarella.
- Sprinkle each pepper with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning, and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake the peppers for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until peppers are tender and cheese is bubbling, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Freeze the baked and cooled peppers for a make-ahead meal!
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup frozen broccoli, defrosted and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (17.3 ounce) box puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
Steps
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine chicken, cheese, broccoli, sour cream, black pepper and salt. Set aside.
- Unwrap one sheet of puff pastry on a floured work surface.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the pastry lengthwise into 3 equal strips, then cut each strip in half crosswise for a total of 6 equal-sized rectangles.
- Transfer the rectangles to prepared baking sheet and repeat with the other sheet of pastry.
- Mound 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of 6 puff pastry rectangles. Make sure to leave a 1/2-inch space along the edge of each rectangle.
- Brush the edges with beaten egg and top with the rest of the rectangles. Gently crimp the edges of each pocket with a fork.
- Cut small diagonal slits at 1-inch intervals along top of the pockets. Brush top and sides of pockets with beaten egg and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake pastries until puffed and light brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
- To freeze the pockets, allow them to cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight bag and return to the freezer.
- To reheat, microwave one pocket at a time for 3 minutes on high.