The Make-Ahead Cook

by America's Test Kitchen (Editors)

The ultimate plan-ahead cookbook that delivers on flavor

Harried home cooks learned the hard way that the best possible way to maintain their mealtime sanity is to make things ahead. This stress-saving America's Test Kitchen cookbook collects 150 reliable recipes for make-ahead meals including everything from ready-to-serve entrees to braises to slow-cooked specialties to oven-ready casseroles and Sunday main meals. Another great addition to a popular cookbook series.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Ebooks

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

America's Test Kitchen, based in a brand new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. facility with over 15,000 sq. ft. of test kitchens and studio space, in Boston's Seaport District, is dedicated to finding the very best recipes for home cooks. Over 50 full-time (admittedly obsessive) test cooks spend their days testing recipes 30, 40, up to 100 times, tweaking every variable until they understand how and why recipes work. They also test cookware and supermarket ingredients so viewers can bypass marketing hype and buy the best quality products. As the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and publisher of more than one dozen cookbooks each year, America's Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing industry, the culinary world, and millions of home cooks. America's Test Kitchen the television show launched in 2001, and the company added a second television program, Cook's Country, in 2008.

Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!

Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.

Reviews

[Ricki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some great tips about how to freeze food and how to modify recipes to optimize them for freezing. That was the most helpful thing for me.

The complaints I have against the book are really complaints against the society in and for which it is written.
-The snobby tone. Over and over, in almost every recipe, they say that if you just make a regular recipe and freeze it, it will be "bland," "dry," "tasteless," etc. I do not have a very discerning palate, and I know that I would be completely fine with eating the frozen food that the authors are turning up their noses at. It seems to me a kind of selfishness and pride to insult good, healthy, perfectly fine food because it wasn't five stars in the taste department--rich America demanding only the best. I honestly can't afford to be so picky.
-I'm also too time-poor to do a lot of these recipes. I can't help but feel like it's false advertising: "No-Stress Dinners for the Time-Pressed Cook." In order to make dinner come together quickly today, you had to spend an hour or two of prep time yesterday. This cookbook is really more about shifting the time spent, not actually shrinking it.
-The wastefulness. They advise the use of disposable goods in almost every recipe: an endless amount of paper towels, plastic wrap, plastic bags, aluminum foil, aluminum baking pans. Zero concern for the environment.
-No concern for health. The recipes won't help the reader eat more veggies or less sugar. It's the standard American diet, including cooking in aluminum and plenty of microwaving.

I'm sure the recipes taste great, because it's a team of staff testing them very rigorously. I'm sure it's very helpful to many people. But I am so not that type of person.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ingenious book from America's Test Kitchen, which also writes Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country, etc. The book is specifically for meals to make ahead - don't look to this for a recipe to make for today, because the recipes are designed to be served the next day (or later, in the case of frozen foods). Casseroles are saucier, so that when liquid is absorbed overnight the food won't be dry when baked the next day. Stews are designed to continue cooking for a while after being taken off the stove - and then chilled stock is added to them so that they will cool, and go into the refrigerator, quickly. Savory touches are added at the end, so that the flavors aren't dulled by the wait between prep and meal.

The book is divided into eight sections, based on how you want to do the advance work: Prep Ahead; Reheat and Eat (stews, patties, etc.); Bake and Serve (casseroles); From Fridge to Table (meals that you can serve cold, including salads, sesame noodles, and picnic fried chicken); Shop Smart (12 fresh ingredients plus pantry staples = 3 meals); The Sunday Cook (big roasts plus "creative second meals"); Come Home to Dinner (slow cooker recipes); and Stock the Freezer. The slow cooker recipes are designed to cook for 6-7 hours, with some requiring 9-10 hours, so you would have to start some of them pretty early in the day.

There is a good range of recipes, from Indian-spiced Chicken with Yogurt Sauce to roast chicken with vegetables, and Cheeseburger Pasta Bake. There are at least some vegetarian recipes (like Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce) in each section.

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for tested dinner recipes that you can trust, this is your cookbook! It includes tips and over 150 recipes, most of which are easy casseroles, freezer meals, slow cooker recipes, or ready-to-serve entrees. Also included are 'One Grocery Bag, Three Meals'; one grocery list is provided and three different recipes you can make using the ingredients that are then shown. The recipes are not too intimidating, and with cooler weather arriving, many are the perfect stews, soups, and casseroles that I, for one, am ready for.

Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Mo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great pictures, but I feel like this cookbook has complicated recipes instead of what I was looking for, something quick and easy to make ahead of time instead of slaving away in the kitchen for 2 days.

[Jane Dugger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really anticipating this new title from America's Test Kitchen but it didn't work for me.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this book will save my life! So far I've only tried a few of the recipes (all yummy) so am excited to incorporate more strategy into eating great meals!

[Diane D · Rating 5 out of 5]

America's Test Kitchen has long been one of my favorite cookbooks (I own several). The set up of the book itself -- description - detailed about how many people the recipe will serve, safe storing, prep work, cook and serve instructions are all well organized and crystal clear. Most of the recipes do involve some prep time, but the recipes (there are 150) and all are recipes that will appeal to most people -- even choices for vegetarians.

There are tips to cut down on prep time, recommended cooking and storage containers. The sections are divided into -- "8 Smart Strategies" :
1. Prep Ahead
2. Reheat and Eat
3. Bake and Serve
4. From Fridge to Table
5. Shop Smart
6. The Sunday Cook
7. Come Home to Dinner
8. Stock the Freezer

Some of the recipes that I plan to try are: All American Meatloaf (brown sugar glaze), Miso Salmon, Salmon Burgers, One Pan Roast Chicken with Root Veggies, Stuffed Acorn Squash, Chicken Pot Pie with Crumble Topping, Chicken Enchiladas, 24-Hour Chopped Salad, Skillet Pizza with Broccoli an Red Onion, Chicken Pot Pie, Spinach Manicotti and several excellent looking slow cooker recipes as well.

Not all of the recipes in this book are new as I'm pretty sure I've seen a few in other ATK cookbooks, but that didn't bother me a bit. The illustrations that accompany the recipes are great and honestly, each recipe is all encompassing from prep to cooking, to storage and photo all on 2 pages per recipe. I love this book and think it would be especially helpful to anyone with a family to plan and cook for.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before The Make Ahead Cook by America’s Test Kitchen was due back at the library, we made five recipes from three of the eight sections of the book:

1. Chicken Baked in Foil with Potatoes and Carrots (we added leeks)
2. Classic Chicken Stew
3. White Chicken Chili
4. Indian Style Vegetable Curry
5. Curried Chicken and Brown Rice with Red Peppers

We didn't prepare anything from "From Fridge to Table" because with temps getting cooler, we want HOT food, and we didn't make anything from the "Stock the Freezer" section because we are already really pushing the limits of our freezer. The "Shop Smart" and "The Sunday Cook" are interesting ideas, but I'm not sure I'm likely to use those particular strategies.

This book is subtitled “8 Smart Strategies for Dinner Tonight,” but it should actually be called, “8 Smart Strategies for Dinner Tomorrow Night or Maybe Next Week Sometime” because all of the recipes require advance prep time (some require quite a lot of prep time) and can’t generally be made for eating the same day, at least not at my house.

The recipes we tried were all very good meals we would be happy to have again---the curries were my ten-year-old’s especial favorites---but I’m not sure if I’ll buy the book or not. Many of the recipes would need to be modified significantly to remove dairy and/or gluten, and we’ve not been eating red meat, so those recipes are off the list for us right now without omitting the meat or subbing ground turkey or something. I'll have to decide if the great recipes are great enough for us want to own this one.

[Jennifer Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulled 17 recipes to try later. Loved that it was organized into so many sections; the meal plans and the Sunday cook sections were fun. Though I'll be honest, I'm not much of a make ahead cook in the first place. Hopefully some of these recipes will spur me into better planning, but for many of them I didn't see the need to truly make ahead - most of the ready to cook meals don't gain much by prepping ahead.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love cookbooks--and I read them pretty much cover to cover. This one, however, was so thoughtfully put together with full explanations of procedures, ingredients and (especially) how to make them, safely freeze, thaw and cook them. This will be one of the books I purchase for myself soon. Note: I accidentally chose the wrong edition and title. The Actual book read and to become my own soon is The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook, same author(s)...tried to edit this and ended up with another whole (but undated read time) entry.

[Du · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure I'll come back to this many times, as I have other America's Test Kitchen books we own. the recipes look great and are simple. I love the make ahead or shop for similar ingredients aspect and will try some of the meals in the coming week.

[Kamal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of decent recipes written in the typical, somewhat over-explained style of America's Test Kitchen. This a great book for those who enjoy or want to get into batch cooking. It will help you plan out and prepare a few weeks' worth of dinners.

[Mary Lisic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of my favorite cook books lately are by America's test kitchen, so that's probably why I noticed duplicate recipes from other books. Parts so far are great, and other parts are just ok. Since I just got it a week ago, it will probably take awhile to really try every chapter.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chock full of super flavorful recipes, this one was a hit with my Cookbook Club. The best beef stew I've ever made, and super delicious chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie recipes. Lots of kid-friendly dishes too!

[Sunil Jawahir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best from ATK in my opinion. The tips and meal plans are excellent and presented in a way that is not only doable but actually makes you look forward to your week.

[Nita Hulbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can always count on America's Test Kitchens. They deliver every time! Some of my best loved, and requested dishes are from ATK.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it, Want it.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent suggestions offering multiple strategies for getting your meals together. I would have liked a bit more on freezer to table, but I have found this book to be tremendously helpful.

[Mark]

Far more useful for techniques and tips than the actual recipes, to me anyway. Scanned a few things.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is useful if you're trying to figure out how to get dinner on the table every night and you're very busy. There are a lot of strategies in here (crockpot, freeze ahead, make ahead) - but most people only use one or two of these strategies. Like, I use my crockpot all the time, but don't prep ahead. When my kids were younger and I was home every afternoon with them napping, I did a lot of prep ahead. I know other people who spend half a day cooking every weekend, then just defrost during the week. Others grill. So the book is broken down into these strategies, giving pointers on each one. But once you know what works best for your situation, you will probably only pay attention to the part of the book that deals with the strategies you use.

So, you end up only using parts of the book. The recipes are very good, though kind of standard. I think that once you know your strategy, you're better off getting a book focusing on meals just made that way. But until you find your comfort spot, this is a good book with sound, family -friendly recipes that will help you figure out what works best for you.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the premise of this book. It has several methodologies for "make-ahead": preparing the night before and leaving in the refrigerator, using a crock pot, sample menus for making 3 dinners out of the same ingredients, things that keep suitably for leftovers, and my personal favorite, freezer meals. I admit it's unfair for me as a vegetarian to judge a meat-eater cookbook, but I'll read anything to find a new recipe. And there were some useful ones in here! There's a make-a-day-ahead salad (which isn't usually easy to do!), some pasta salads, an intriguing manicotti freezer meal, and freezer mac & cheese as well as freezer pizzas! While only a very small handful of vegetarian recipes (and some regular ones that just needed to have the bacon removed, or the chicken broth exchanged for vegetable), they were very excellent recipes. I expected no less from America's Test Kitchen!

Recommended for those who like a lot of make-ahead methodologies, and for the very desperate vegetarians.

[Diane Niksa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well explained and reasoned methods to preparing recipes ahead of time to save labor day of parties, work days, or for group gatherings. As always thoroughly tested and proven. Love the veggie lasagna.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful cookbook! The tips on making the dishes (partially) ahead of time makes entertaining and even the dinners for just us two go more smoothly. A fav is the Provençal Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Shallots.

[Kim Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cookbook for family meals

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept - useful guide if you are trying to get better about meal planning or cooking at home. Not all the meals work for our family (we don’t eat enough meat) but the format is great.

[RaeAnn]

Quite a few recipes I wouldn't use, but I like the chapter on casseroles and freezer meals.

[Catie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I appreciate the effort to make this a prep ahead and then cook, I just thought it was overly complicated.

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a love/hate relationship with America's Test Kitchen. I hate the way they nickel and dime me for recipes and advise. By the way, I do belong to the Cooks Illustrated website, but I hate it every time I renew for $40 yearly. $40! I know. It's my fault. Then, they send me emails that contain recipes I'd like to make, but they are on a different site. For a lot more money, I can also access those. No. $40 is enough for a recipe website, even if it is researched and has yummy recipes.

Thank you for listening.

So, I go to the library and check out their books. Sometimes, I don't love the book. This time, as evidenced by the 5 stars, I did. The recipes are fresh, with real ingredients. They aren't heavily focused on grains, although it is by no means grain-free. I can see myself making most of these recipes although I will modify a few. There are prep-ahead, freeze then cook and cook then freeze. There are menus and ideas for leftovers. Many recipes include photos of the finished product and special techniques. The layout is the kind where you don't have to flip the page to see the second half of the recipe. Nice. There are lots of tips.

For those who are love to cook or prep ahead, this book is a great place to start.

So. Will I pay $27 for this cookbook and buy it new from ATK even though I already spend $40 a year? No. I will not. I will buy it used for $4.79.

[Tamera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I do not like cookbooks that have a ton of reading and explanations before getting to the recipe, but I found it interesting in this cookbook. Test Kitchen explains how they came up with the best methods of preparing the food for the best test, including thorough descriptions of how to wrap and seal before freezing. It includes "to store" and "to finish and serve" instrucitons. I found it helpful that it recommended specific products, since I am preparing items to take to my older father so he has a stock of meals in the freezer. While not a picture on every page, there is a good amount of color photos in the book, another thing i really like in cookbooks. So far I made Meaty Lasagna. I realized after giving it to my dad that i made a mistake, so I quickly cooked the lasagna I kept to see if it would turn out - instead of no boil noodles, I used "oven ready lasagna" and realized it had preboiling instructions. Never fear, the lasagna tasted fantastic although the baking time was way off. I plan to make more recipes in the future and will keep my audience updated hah.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best slow cooker beef taco, chicken enchiladas (use flour tortillas), Chinese chicken salad, turkey burger and chickpea patty recipes ever. I didn’t love the curried chicken and rice, but did like the braised short ribs. The spicy tacos were tasty, but a weird dinner. FYI…it’s not true make ahead that you could take to a new mom or post-surgery. Although most recipes are started the day before, almost all have several finishing steps.