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 With
the hustle and bustle of the holidays rapidly approaching
it is always nice to have some great meals on hand in either
the freezer or refrigerator. Even though I have a passion
for cooking and enjoy nothing better than spending my time
in the kitchen preparing wonderful dishes and treats for those
I love, I do, at times, enjoy the ease of popping something
already prepared into the oven or re-heating something I know
is going to be just as good as the day I made it. By having
meals, such as these on hand, I too can spend time during
the holidays catching up on family and friends — and
still know that the food is going to be fantastic!
With a little prior planning and some extra
plastic containers or heat-safe, sealable, plastic bags you
and your family can eat wonderful meals throughout the holidays
with little effort whatsoever. Spend some time before the
holiday madness hits and make a few one dish meals. Freeze
or refrigerate your meals for later on in the month when things
get "nuts". Here are some of our favorite meals
that can be easily made ahead of time:
Meals that can be made and refrigerated
for up to 2 days:
Braised
Beef Shanks & Macaroni — Make the beef shanks
ahead of time. Right before serving make the macaroni.
Sausage
Stuffed Chicken — Prepare the chicken. Remove
from the braising liquid, reserving liquid and refrigerate
until ready to eat.
Asian
Chicken Casserole
Louisiana
Meatloaf — Make the meatloaf ahead of time, when
cool refrigerate. On the day you will be serving, re-heat
meatloaf slices and serve with fresh-made mashed potatoes.
Beef
& Onion Casserole
Beef
Stroganoff — Make Stroganoff ahead of time. Right
before serving make noodles or rice to accompany.
Fennel
Pork Roast
Meals that can be frozen for up to
2 weeks:
(Note: To freeze these meals, place in a
heat-safe, sealable bag, remove all the air and seal. To defrost,
place bag in cold water — rotate the bag periodically
until the food is defrosted — then reheat. Alternatively,
open the bag and defrost in the microwave — be sure to
place the bag in a bowl to prevent spillage as it defrosts.)
Beef
Ragout
Minestrone
Soup
Hurricane
Chili
Old
Fashioned Lasagna
Country
Stew
Chicken
Chili
Turkey
& Rice Soup
Santa
Fe Lasagna
Cheese
Ravioli with Tomato-Meat Sauce
Enjoy!
-Glutenfreeda
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