The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook: From Appetizers to Desserts 500 Recipes You Can Make in Advance

by America's Test Kitchen

An impressive collection of 500 recipes at your fingertips!  Make the recipe all at once, if you have time; or, use the accompanying suggestions on what parts are best to make ahead separately if you’re short on time that day. Every recipe has been tested thoroughly on what’s best to make when, and how to store it, to give your results a just-made flavor.  Included in this compendium of new recipes are a few fan favorites that have been thoroughly re-tested and adjusted for the best results if you need to make a component in advance.  You'll find classic, international and modern flavors with recipes such as Breakfast Strata, Mini Chicken Empanadas, Olive Oil-Sea Salt Pita Chips, Chickpea Cakes, Cauliflower Gratin, Stuffed Eggplant, Mexican Lasagna with Turkey, Tequila-Lime Turkey Chili, Moroccan Chicken Salad, Beef Tamale Pie, Smoked Salmon and Leek Tarts, Blueberry Streusel Bars, Maple Pecan Pie, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Bourbon Whipped Cream. In addition you’ll find information basics for refrigerator and freezer storage, how to freeze egg yolks and egg whites properly, and the ultimate guide to storage containers – all to help give you the best tasting results!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, Food and Drink

431 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 11, 2017

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

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite America's Test Kitchen cookbook, some of the make ahead ideas don't actually translate well into time savers. I had hoped for a different kind of cookbook, more like good to freeze meals, but still great recipes with some time-saving tips.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recipes look fine but the make ahead part? Refrigerate for 1 day? Crazy! Every recipe known to man can handle a day in the frig before serving. That equals make ahead? No way.

[Chris From RecipesNow! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just received The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen (ATK). Having just wrested it away from “Beloved Husband” I have finally managed to look through it. I know that right away this is going to become a cookbook for the special shelf, the one where all of my favorites are kept.

It’s a big cookbook with over 500 recipes that you can make up in advance. Every one of them can have at least part of the recipe made in advance, sometimes well in advance. Making in advance is so important for those of us with a busy life.

That this is an awesome cookbook isn’t terribly surprising. America’s Test Kitchen has produced some pretty great work for a long while now. Most of the recipes are tagged either Easy (which are 30 minutes or less of active time) or Freeze It which means it can be made ahead of time and then frozen. Many of the recipes have one or both of these options but all have options for prep ahead and reheat.

ATK has come up with several tips and tricks, you could even use them to adapt your own recipes. One excellent tip is about food storage containers. It explains their testing and the various uses for different types of containers because all containers are not created equal. With the wrong container, a casserole dish could virtually explode if taken directly from freezer to oven, not a fun time.

As ATK’s name suggests they test everything. There are results on what plastic wrap to use, zipper bags, what type of equipment will work best, even recommended appliances like slow cookers, Dutch ovens, and thermometers. They even go into quite good detail on how to stock your refrigerator and your freezer for best results. The eight rules for safer and more efficient food storage is an essential read and leads right into the first chapter of recipes.

Recipe Chapters

Appetizers
Soups, Stews, and Chilis
Salads
Pasta and Pizza
Poultry
Meat
Fish and Seafood
Vegetarian Mains
Sides
Holiday and Brunch Classics
Desserts
It all finishes up with Conversions and Equivalents.

Throughout the book are little pages of information about various topics. The one that caught my eye was all about mushrooms. The page describes the various types of mushrooms, their uses, how to buy them, how to clean them, how to store them, everything you need to know.

The recipes themselves couldn’t be more clear. Each recipe tells you how much it makes, how much active time it will take and the total time etc. It would probably be unreasonable to ask a recipe book that has 500 recipes in it to have full page photos of each recipe. But many do have lovely colour pics of the dish. Visualize how a step is completed with the step-by-step photos included with some recipes.

Each recipe starts off with “Why This Recipe Works”. This information will help you with the recipe itself and perhaps with adapting your own recipes. The Make Ahead section clearly explains each option you have to make it ahead or reheat etc.

This book is one for every cook, an excellent choice for someone just starting out. What a terrific first place gift! Enjoy the Individual Chicken Pot Pies for the Freezer below.

This review is based on a hard copy of the book sent to me from the publishers in return for an honest review.

[Christine Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book, great pictures for each recipe with a lot of variety. Only kind of downside for me was that some of these are a little "fancy-ish" for me to consider making more than just for a special occasion, but it did get me thinking about other make-ahead recipes I could try.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pictures of recipes? Not many, and most pictures are small.
Commentary on recipes? Yes, plus tips and variations.
Nutrition facts? Nope.
Recipe Style? Classics plus modern homestyle dishes.
Any keepers? Several. This is like the next step up from the Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens binder cookbooks we all probably started out with.

[Jeanine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very disappointing. I gave it three stars as an average of five (the recipes themselves, although all of them can be found in other ATK publications) and zero (the make-ahead part). If you want an ATK cookbook I would suggest either of the slow cooker books (IMO the first is the better), the pressure cooker book, or the Make Ahead book (which offers multiple strategies for getting dinner on the table).

[Shanna Hurd]

Food looks delicious. I didn't find the time to make any of it before it was due back at the library, so I left off a rating. I would definitely like to get this book again and try out some of the food, though.

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing--most of the 'make ahead' seemed to be marinading the night before, baking a day or two ahead of time, or simply food that you'd expect to be leftovers. However, as with any Test Kitchen book, some wonderful tips.

[Dani]

This book isn't what I thought it would be.  I thought it was going to be more about meal prep and... actually making things a bit farther ahead.  Or being able to freeze lots of meals in advance.  But several recipes say things like, "This can sit in the fridge one day before you bake it!" and "It can sit in the marinade for 24 hours!" (But not longer or it will get mushy).  And while these things have their place too, it isn't what I was expecting.

There are a lot of recipes in this book, and many quality, tasty recipes.  Some cookbooks are more spaced, with one recipe per page and then one huge picture on the opposite page.  This is chock-full of so many recipes, so it's more condensed than that, making it so not every single recipe has a picture and the pictures that are there are smaller.  Some people really like such a design, because it means more of what they're after: the recipes!  Some people like the space and visual appeal of books that are more spread out.  Whatever your preference, it's good to know what a cookbook is like so you can decide if you'd be happy with it.

Every recipe has an info box on how to "make it ahead", and at most it will have information on how to store, wrap, freeze, thaw, and bake or reheat.  It also might have much less information than that, depending on if the particular recipe *can* be frozen.  There are labels next to each recipe title for "easy" and "freeze it" so you can find what you need.

Like any ATK book, there is a wealth of information at the beginning of the book, including tips and tricks for making things ahead, recommendations for the best storage containers and storage supplies (as well as the usual essential equipment recommendations), guides on where to store particular things in your fridge, and rules for efficient and food-safe storage and thawing.

There are a wide variety of recipes.  The chapters are as follows:
Appetizers
Soups, Stews, and Chilis
Salads
Pasta and Pizza
Poultry
Meat
Fish and Seafood
Vegetarian Mains
Sides
Holiday and Brunch Classics
Desserts

All in all, this is a perfectly fine ATK book, but not as make-ahead as I maybe thought.  I guess if you're looking to have your ATK recipes organized in way that *doesn't* focus on "eat right away" (like how spaghetti carbonara is best right after making it), then this could be a useful book.  However, if you're looking for meal planning for your week or longer, this isn't the book you're looking for.

[Chinchilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is quite a disappointment for me. Even though it's titled "The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook", it's not really a book about meal prepping or even cooking in a way that would allow for meal preps. To me, what is suggested in the book is basically standard practices in the kitchen. A very misleading book in my opinion. For this reason, this book gets 2 stars from me.

Nevertheless, there are few recipes that I find interesting:

Scallion Pancakes with Dipping Sauce
Tomato and Mozzarella Tart
Rustic Caramelized Onion Tart with Goat Cheese
Gold Soba Noodle Salad
Sesame Noodles with Chicken
Simple Skillet Pizza
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole with Peas, Carrots, and Cheddar
Baked Chicken with Spring Vegetables, Capers, and Lemon
Individual Chicken Pot Pies for the Freezer
Cider-Braised Port Chops
Blackened Salmon
Miso-Marinated Salmon
Oven-Fried Fish Sticks with Old Bay Dipping Sauce
Spicy Grilled Fish Tacos
Salmon Cakes
Cod Cakes with Garlic-Basil Aioli
Maryland Corn and Crab Cakes with Remoulade
Quinoa Patties
Chickpea Cakes
Falafel
Black Bean Burgers
Sauces for burgers, fritters, and more
Ultimate veggie Burgers
Grilled-Soy-Ginger Glazed Tofu
Stuffed Eggplant with Bulgur
Green beans with Bistro Mustard Vinaigrette
Smoked Salmon and Leek Tart
Almond Biscotti/Pistachio-spice Biscotti/Hazelnut-orange biscotti

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a good cookbook in terms of well written recipes with lots of pictures of the finished dishes. It's very instructional and would be great for less experienced cooks looking to expand their repertoire and cooking skills.

As far as it containing recipes that will cut your time in the kitchen down, or making things ahead, it really doesn't deliver as well as I would have hoped on that point. Many of the make ahead tips are just breaking up the recipes, like make the dip and store it up to X days in the fridge, then prepare the dipping implements the day you want to serve, or follow a recipe through step X then refrigerate/freeze until you want to serve, then remove from fridge and complete remaining steps of recipe. Sure, it cuts down on the time for each session, but cumulatively, you're still spending the same amount of time to make the dish.

So, a good general cookbook but experienced cooks won't find any earth shattering new techniques for saving time by making these recipes in advance.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything from America's Test Kitchen is wonderful. A lot of the "make in advance" aspect of this book can be confusing, as it's not a freezer cooking or batch-cooking book. It's more "Here's the part of the recipe you can do ahead of time," though there are some recipes that indicate where they could be frozen. I will use it as intended and begin some of these recipes the day before they will be dinner.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid offering by the folks at America’s Test Kitchen. While some of the recipes look labor intensive and require a fair amount of ingredients, I had to keep reminding myself that the recipes were meant to be cooked ahead of time - when you had more time - and to not let shade my overall impression of the book.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my new goto cook book. We have slowly been trying recipes over the year. ATK recipes are among the few I always follow step by step and don't mess too much with. I might have subbed chai for cinnamon in the rolls or a few things that don't matter.

[Weatherly Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5? Flavors can be a little boring and too classic and although America's Test kitchen is trying to give the perfect recipe and techniques to achieve it, the recipes can often be more work and have extra steps. Great for a special occasion, but tiresome on an everyday basis.

[Kristen Barenthaler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much in information shoved into one book. I felt like I was back in school reading a textbook. Multiple recipes to a page and extremely small photos make it hard to concentrate and visualize the meal you’re reading about.

[Penney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time Saver | Best of the Rest

To make ends meet, I am always cooking in bulk and putting food away. For many years, I did "Once a Month Cooking." These recipes will save you months of research and trial and error to learn this money saving way of cooking.

[Beret Brenckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

America's Test Kitchen never disappoints.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love ATK recipes, always something good to cook, but this wasn't what I was expecting. More of a make it a day ahead, then how to reheat. I'm glad I didn't buy this one.

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! There are many recipes I want to try from this book.

[Amaryca · Rating 4 out of 5]

great cookbook -- a lot of basic recipes, wish I had looked at this when I was first starting out

[Jane Giampietro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recipes

Recipes are easy to followed recommend this book for people that like to make good recipes ahead of time and don't want to be rushed

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recipes. Methodology clearly stated. All recipes thoroughly tested. Lots of tips even if particular recipe doesn't appeal or is too time intensive.

[Julia Shay]

.

[Dray · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didnt work for me, and I generally love ATK books. I just found it flat.

[R E C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my go-to cookbook. It has all of the staples and good tips on making them in advance if I want to. Soups, stews, casseroles, pies… yum.

[The Reluctant Retiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!

I am astonished at how many of the recipes I currently make can be frozen and made later. Doing this makes it easier to rotate the meals I make!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is GREAT! Tons of wonderful recipes to help with meal prep and have a few options on hand for when life gets busy and spending time in the kitchen is limited.

[Carolina Campoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely recipes and really practical but some of the ingredients are hard to find where I live.