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The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution: Elevate Your Everyday Meals with 61 Freezer-Friendly Sauces
From chimichurri to teriyaki, sauces make our mouths water — and our meals shine! Bland chicken breasts, plain pasta, or simple baked potatoes are transformed into memorable dishes with the addition of sauce.
The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution features 61 flavor-packed recipes for sauces that freeze beautifully and make home cooking easy. They run the gamut from traditional sausage ragu to Thai peanut, Gorgonzola chive butter, all-American barbecue, coconut lemon, Parmesan leek, cheesy cashew garlic, and Meyer lemon spinach. Every recipe is accompanied by a quick-reference chart showing the best base combinations of proteins and vegetables. The struggle to make imaginative, flavorful weeknight meals is over. With a few of these sauces stashed away in the freezer, a great meal can be topped off in minutes.
The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution features 61 flavor-packed recipes for sauces that freeze beautifully and make home cooking easy. They run the gamut from traditional sausage ragu to Thai peanut, Gorgonzola chive butter, all-American barbecue, coconut lemon, Parmesan leek, cheesy cashew garlic, and Meyer lemon spinach. Every recipe is accompanied by a quick-reference chart showing the best base combinations of proteins and vegetables. The struggle to make imaginative, flavorful weeknight meals is over. With a few of these sauces stashed away in the freezer, a great meal can be topped off in minutes.
200 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
August 17, 2018
Sauces are the crown jewels of meals, and “The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution” by Elisabeth Bailey helps you royally elevate your entrees through 61 super delicious recipes for sauces you can freeze now for easy home cooking later. Includes an array of choices, from traditional sausage ragu to Thai peanut, gorgonzola chive butter, all-American barbecue, coconut lemon, parmesan leek, cheesy cashew garlic, and Meyer lemon spinach. Each recipe has a quick-reference chart showing an assortment of creative meal possibilities. So, stop struggling over what to make tonight ... or tomorrow. Stash a few of these yummy sauces away in your freezer, and voila! You’ll have a Queen of a Meal topper in minutes! 5/5
Pub Date 14 Oct 2018
Thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheMake-aheadSauceSolution #NetGalley
Pub Date 14 Oct 2018
Thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheMake-aheadSauceSolution #NetGalley
June 3, 2019
This book makes a great gift. It has simple recipes for a variety of sauces that can turn anything into a fancy dinner. Most don’t take long to make and, best of all, they can be frozen so you always have a sauce on hand. I love that the author took the opportunity to give directions on good freezing methods. New cooks will find this especially helpful. Another very helpful section was the base tips. Pasta shape does matter when choosing a sauce. She includes tofu so this section is very helpful if you haven’t cooked with it. (In other words, I never did and was able to cook a good meal for friends who preferred it). What maillard is and the difference in maillard and caramelization is also discussed. In the appendix she gives a few recipes for flavored butter and salt. The Better Chicken Butter is definitely dressing up my turkey at Thanksgiving.
If you are experienced in cooking, you may want to borrow the book from the library to see if it brings something new for you. I’m experienced but really want this book on my shelf. If I need something quick, I can skim through it and have an idea for a meal in no time. I think that is what I enjoyed most about this cookbook..it invited me to use the sauce as the jumpstart to my ideas for meals.
If you are experienced in cooking, you may want to borrow the book from the library to see if it brings something new for you. I’m experienced but really want this book on my shelf. If I need something quick, I can skim through it and have an idea for a meal in no time. I think that is what I enjoyed most about this cookbook..it invited me to use the sauce as the jumpstart to my ideas for meals.
June 1, 2018
An excellent creation for those of us who, at the end of a long day, wondering what will we make the family for dinner! Bailey provides instructions for 61 "sauces" that can me pre-made, frozen, and then combined with pasta, rice, potatoes, meats, seafood or tofu. Simply thaw the sauce, combine, and serve!
The author begins with instructions on how to prepare and freeze the sauces. She gives easily understood, yet thorough directions.
She then breaks the book down into different types of sauces. Asian, Mediterranean, Cheese & Wine, and Pestos and Salsas. All look delicious! She provides illustrated charts of the quantities of sauce and base to combine.
The book is also beautifully photographed. It will have your mouth watering!
I received this book from NetGalley, as a pre-release edition, in exchange for a fair review. In the case of this book, the review was easy, and to emphasize how much I enjoyed it, I will be pre-ordering several copies to give to family and friends as Christmas presents. It's that good!
The author begins with instructions on how to prepare and freeze the sauces. She gives easily understood, yet thorough directions.
She then breaks the book down into different types of sauces. Asian, Mediterranean, Cheese & Wine, and Pestos and Salsas. All look delicious! She provides illustrated charts of the quantities of sauce and base to combine.
The book is also beautifully photographed. It will have your mouth watering!
I received this book from NetGalley, as a pre-release edition, in exchange for a fair review. In the case of this book, the review was easy, and to emphasize how much I enjoyed it, I will be pre-ordering several copies to give to family and friends as Christmas presents. It's that good!
August 1, 2018
I've never seen any cookbook quite like this, and I think it's fantastic. First, there's an introductory section with information on how to best cook the foods that can be enhanced by these sauces, including pasta, potatoes, rice, tofu, chicken, pork, seafood, and beef, and how the sauces can be used, when appropriate, as a sandwich spread or even as a soup base. There is also clearly written and helpfully photographed information on how to freeze the sauces. Then the recipes begin, organized by type of cuisine and types of sauce, plus pestos and salsas and even flavor enhancers like flavored butters and salts. I haven't had a chance to try any recipes yet, but they look great. They are clearly written, beautifully photographed, and I loved how each recipe ends with a list of the foods these sauces could be used with, including the amount of sauce for each food and how to apply it. If you multiply the number of sauces by the number of suggestions for using each sauce, you get hundreds of delicious-sounding recipes, each of which can be made quickly and easily with the thawed sauces. I love to cook a lot on weekends and then freeze things, and this book is full of great inspiration. The only addition I would have liked to see would be nutritional information, including calories for each sauce, but that aside I think this is an absolutely fabulous book and I would highly recommend it. I can absolutely see giving this book as a gift to your favorite busy cook. To be honest, I generally don't buy cookbooks anymore since I think one can so easily find recipes online, but I would make an exception for this unique and, well, exceptional book! Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley of this gem.
October 24, 2018
Answering the daily question, "What's for supper?" can often feel daunting and frustrating for busy people. Elisabeth Bailey's cookbook helps to make weeknight suppers run smoother and inspire families' taste buds so home cooks will get kudos and requests for second helpings rolling in.
Home cooks simply choose from the list of base ingredients (meats, tofu, veggies, rice, pasta …) and pair it with one of Bailey's 'flavour bomb' sauces which can be prepared and frozen ahead of time to make many different meal options.
The cookbook features 61 recipes in a well-organized, easy-to-use layout featuring photos for many of the recipes. Recipes are categorized into different cuisines and right off the bat, there were many sauce recipes that caught my eye -- Gorgonzola Chive Butter, Pineapple Ginger Sauce, Cheddar Ale Sauce (for Mac 'n' Cheese!!) -- just to name a few.
Bailey helps new-to-the-kitchen home cooks by giving detailed instructions and tips for preparation, storage, freezing and thawing. Recipes can be stored as single servings or larger servings for couples or big batches for large groups. Along with making sauces for our household, I also plan to make single batch servings to fill my 19-year-old son's freezer that he uses while he's away at University - a little taste of home while he's away.
While the pictures and easy-to-understand instructions make prepping these sauces and bases easy for new home cooks, more experienced cooks may find the explanations redundant or oversimplified, but the wide range of sauce recipes will still entice experienced cooks. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, the nutritional information for each sauce recipe is not included.
Overall, this is a great addition to the home cook's cookbook library. It gives busy families the ability to adapt to various tastes, serving sizes and successfully turn everyday foods into tasty, easy, family-friendly meals with less time and les stress, using ingredients many homes have on-hand or are easily accessible at the local grocery store.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Home cooks simply choose from the list of base ingredients (meats, tofu, veggies, rice, pasta …) and pair it with one of Bailey's 'flavour bomb' sauces which can be prepared and frozen ahead of time to make many different meal options.
The cookbook features 61 recipes in a well-organized, easy-to-use layout featuring photos for many of the recipes. Recipes are categorized into different cuisines and right off the bat, there were many sauce recipes that caught my eye -- Gorgonzola Chive Butter, Pineapple Ginger Sauce, Cheddar Ale Sauce (for Mac 'n' Cheese!!) -- just to name a few.
Bailey helps new-to-the-kitchen home cooks by giving detailed instructions and tips for preparation, storage, freezing and thawing. Recipes can be stored as single servings or larger servings for couples or big batches for large groups. Along with making sauces for our household, I also plan to make single batch servings to fill my 19-year-old son's freezer that he uses while he's away at University - a little taste of home while he's away.
While the pictures and easy-to-understand instructions make prepping these sauces and bases easy for new home cooks, more experienced cooks may find the explanations redundant or oversimplified, but the wide range of sauce recipes will still entice experienced cooks. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, the nutritional information for each sauce recipe is not included.
Overall, this is a great addition to the home cook's cookbook library. It gives busy families the ability to adapt to various tastes, serving sizes and successfully turn everyday foods into tasty, easy, family-friendly meals with less time and les stress, using ingredients many homes have on-hand or are easily accessible at the local grocery store.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 31, 2018
This a wonderful compilation of sauces that most people eat on a day to day basis. Each sauce can transform any plain old everyday dish into something more by adding more substance. The recipes were easy to follow with instructions that anyone should be able to understand. I love a good a sauce and had a fun time preparing a sampling from this cookbook. Salsa is a favorite along with anything influenced by Italian or Asian flavors. Each recipe I tried turned out well and provided me with new recipes to add to my ever growing collection. Another great thing about the book, all the sauces can be frozen and used at a later date. I love to cook so taking a day to make and freeze some of my favorite sauces makes life easier, you never know when you'll have unexpected guests or need to make a quick meal. There were also some wonderful recipe additions at the end that show different ways to in-part more taste to simple butter. So if you are looking for a great barbeque recipe, a tasty salsa, or just something to liven up everyday vegetables this is a great book to help you with all those and more.
October 16, 2026
Accessible and easy to follow recipes. I love that they're all simple and don't call for a ton of ingredients. Each recipe has a follow-up page that gives ideas and quantities for how to use it in a meal with a base (protein, potato, bread, etc). I should probably buy this book to have on hand...
June 25, 2018
Practically a new sauce for every day of the year (or close to it). I couldn't believe the combinations. Interesting, informative, and so great photos.
May 25, 2018
This is exactly the type of book that I love to read, lovingly turning over the pages, drinking up the photos and being inspired by the recipes. I don't know why it took so long for this book to be written, but it is what I have been waiting for. No more boring steamed salmon and vegetables. There is now no excuse for boring mid-week meals.
October 25, 2018
While there were a few things that about this book that didn't work well for our family, it was a fun and novel book in enough areas to highly recommend it.
The author presents recipes in chapters according to regions and tastes -- Americas, Asian, cheese and wine, pestos and Mediterranean. The basic idea is to make up the sauces, put them in freezer bags, and have them on hand to jazz up your meat, rice, potatoes, seafood or pasta (or dilute them and make them into soup). Most of the suggested pairings were for meats and seafoods. As a vegetarian cook, this meant that I had to tweak the basic formula a bit. The author assumes that the only alternative to meat is tofu, while I'd be more likely to use sauces to change up things like chicken of the woods mushrooms, homemade veggie patties, and so on. (Side note: I would absolutely love to see a vegetarian version of this kind of book come out.)
All that said, I love sauces and this is a fantastic simple recipe book for sauces. I'm perfectly able to swap out ingredients to make them allergy friendly or vegetarian/vegan. There are also lots of color photos and many of the recipes are quite simple.
There are incredibly helpful and easy to use charts next to each sauce telling you how to use them. These are color coded with a little logo showing which things you can use them with (a little picture of a pig for pork, or grains of rice, for instance) and then it tells you how much of the sauce to use and suggested sides. One option is highlighted for each as the author's family's favorite.
Example recipe: Creamy Chipotle -- 2 cups sour cream, 3 whole chipotle chiles in sauce (minced), 2 minced garlic cloves, the zest of juice of one lime. The chart to the side lists ways to use this with potatoes, rice, chicken, tortillas, etc. This is one of the easiest recipes in the book, but it's an example of how versatile the sauces can be. Of course, this also shows that this might not be the best book for folks who are trying to lose weight. ;)
This book retails for $16.95 but it currently just over $11 on Amazon. I'm likely to purchase my own copy since there were so many recipes I could see myself referring to again and again (though I would adapt them for our dietary needs).
Bottom line: Good for cooks who like to cook from scratch and want to add flavor and change up their meals. Designed for people who eat a standard American diet but easy to adapt for vegetarian and gluten free diets (and sometimes vegan). Full color photos and clever charts make the recipes appealing and easy to plan around. This would make a good book for cooks who like to play with flavors and sauces.
You can see photos from the book in my review on our family blog here: http://magicalchildhood.com/life/2018...
I was able to view a temporary digital version of this book for purposes of review.
The author presents recipes in chapters according to regions and tastes -- Americas, Asian, cheese and wine, pestos and Mediterranean. The basic idea is to make up the sauces, put them in freezer bags, and have them on hand to jazz up your meat, rice, potatoes, seafood or pasta (or dilute them and make them into soup). Most of the suggested pairings were for meats and seafoods. As a vegetarian cook, this meant that I had to tweak the basic formula a bit. The author assumes that the only alternative to meat is tofu, while I'd be more likely to use sauces to change up things like chicken of the woods mushrooms, homemade veggie patties, and so on. (Side note: I would absolutely love to see a vegetarian version of this kind of book come out.)
All that said, I love sauces and this is a fantastic simple recipe book for sauces. I'm perfectly able to swap out ingredients to make them allergy friendly or vegetarian/vegan. There are also lots of color photos and many of the recipes are quite simple.
There are incredibly helpful and easy to use charts next to each sauce telling you how to use them. These are color coded with a little logo showing which things you can use them with (a little picture of a pig for pork, or grains of rice, for instance) and then it tells you how much of the sauce to use and suggested sides. One option is highlighted for each as the author's family's favorite.
Example recipe: Creamy Chipotle -- 2 cups sour cream, 3 whole chipotle chiles in sauce (minced), 2 minced garlic cloves, the zest of juice of one lime. The chart to the side lists ways to use this with potatoes, rice, chicken, tortillas, etc. This is one of the easiest recipes in the book, but it's an example of how versatile the sauces can be. Of course, this also shows that this might not be the best book for folks who are trying to lose weight. ;)
This book retails for $16.95 but it currently just over $11 on Amazon. I'm likely to purchase my own copy since there were so many recipes I could see myself referring to again and again (though I would adapt them for our dietary needs).
Bottom line: Good for cooks who like to cook from scratch and want to add flavor and change up their meals. Designed for people who eat a standard American diet but easy to adapt for vegetarian and gluten free diets (and sometimes vegan). Full color photos and clever charts make the recipes appealing and easy to plan around. This would make a good book for cooks who like to play with flavors and sauces.
You can see photos from the book in my review on our family blog here: http://magicalchildhood.com/life/2018...
I was able to view a temporary digital version of this book for purposes of review.
August 22, 2018
As a busy mum with three kids I am always on the look out for some new easy recipes for evening meals that are quick yet healthy, So I was excited to try Elizabeth Baileys The Make Ahead Sauce Solution.
The book is beautifully presented and there are plenty of photos throughout. Each recipe is clear and easy to understand and there are plenty of tips along the way. Its all very easy to follow. I would say it is on the basic side, so ideal for beginners or those seeking a simple approach to cooking. So if you want to cook simple base sauces, defrost them and pair them with a specific meat in minimal time then its perfect for you. I would say it wouldn't be a huge interest to those who cook from scratch regularly or who like to try lots of new and different things.
As a vegetarian I didn't really find there much here for me. There is a brief mention of using the sauces with tofu and some of the sauces are ideal for potatoes and pasta - but that's about as exciting as it gets. Of course, the recipes could probably be adapted to suit, but I do think its all more suited to a more meaty diet.
Overall a nice little cook book and ideal for busy people. I do like the idea of cooking and freezing the food in batches and then defrosting when needed, but the majority of recipes were a little on the boring side for me.
The book is beautifully presented and there are plenty of photos throughout. Each recipe is clear and easy to understand and there are plenty of tips along the way. Its all very easy to follow. I would say it is on the basic side, so ideal for beginners or those seeking a simple approach to cooking. So if you want to cook simple base sauces, defrost them and pair them with a specific meat in minimal time then its perfect for you. I would say it wouldn't be a huge interest to those who cook from scratch regularly or who like to try lots of new and different things.
As a vegetarian I didn't really find there much here for me. There is a brief mention of using the sauces with tofu and some of the sauces are ideal for potatoes and pasta - but that's about as exciting as it gets. Of course, the recipes could probably be adapted to suit, but I do think its all more suited to a more meaty diet.
Overall a nice little cook book and ideal for busy people. I do like the idea of cooking and freezing the food in batches and then defrosting when needed, but the majority of recipes were a little on the boring side for me.
August 17, 2018
Sauces are the crown jewels of meals, and “The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution” by Elisabeth Bailey helps you royally elevate your entrees through 61 super delicious recipes for sauces you can freeze now for easy home cooking later. Includes an array of choices, from traditional sausage ragu to Thai peanut, gorgonzola chive butter, all-American barbecue, coconut lemon, parmesan leek, cheesy cashew garlic, and Meyer lemon spinach. Each recipe has a quick-reference chart showing an assortment of creative meal possibilities. So stop struggling over what to make tonight ... or tomorrow. Stash a few of these yummy sauces away in your freezer, and voila! You’ll have a Queen of a Meal topper in minutes! 5/5
Pub Date 14 Oct 2018
Thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheMake-aheadSauceSolution #NetGalley
Pub Date 14 Oct 2018
Thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.
#TheMake-aheadSauceSolution #NetGalley
May 14, 2018
Get ready: Sauce cooking is going to be the new Bacon cooking (but healthier).
The Whole30 diet and others like it are becoming very popular. I’ve just completed my second successful Whole30 in six months, and I know that the first key is to pre-make several recipes over the weekend. The second key that I discovered on my own is to have several different homemade sauces available. I mostly worked with three: chimichurri, pesto and roasted red pepper (all from Whole30 recipes), but I was constantly searching for new flavors that I could make at home. With flavorful sauces available you can easily cook up a potato or steam some veggies or cook up some chicken really quick, and instead of making things complicated, just slather it in a sauce. Flavorful sauces are a godsend with diets such as Whole30, and they are a way to continue eating healthy when the diet is done.
This book is exactly what I was looking for before. Even though many of the recipes are not exactly Whole30 approved, they can be tweaked. But for those without strict guidelines, the cookbook can help any overworked busy family cook to lose the processed foods and easily serve healthy DELICIOUS meals.
This cookbook has flavorful sauces such as chimichurri and pestos, and it has SAUCE-sauces that you would pour over pasta. They all use plenty of fresh ingredients, and at least one of them (Green Peppercorn) contains one whole cup of vodka so you know I’ll be trying that one first (my Whole30 is over!). I wish I had known about the Coconut Lemon sauce during my diet, but I have it now! There is an entire chapter of “Cheese and Wine” sauces which sound delicious and would be great for that final night before your Whole30 starts (and your first meal after you’re finished!).
Every recipe has a photograph, and a list of ways to use that particular sauce. I find this very helpful as I’m never really sure what to DO with all those chutneys and sauces I see in the stores. But I can easily see how to use any of these recipes. There are also a lot of helpful tips and tricks on freezing and storing your sauces if you prep a lot of them. I tend to get overly excited with new cookbooks and can easily see myself making 15-20 of these sauces over the weekend, so the tips are helpful to avoid waste.
Flavorful, healthy, homemade sauces are the key to eating fresh and healthy, and prepping ahead of time is the key to a busy kitchen. This beautiful book gives you more flavors than you would ever need, and I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC to review.
The Whole30 diet and others like it are becoming very popular. I’ve just completed my second successful Whole30 in six months, and I know that the first key is to pre-make several recipes over the weekend. The second key that I discovered on my own is to have several different homemade sauces available. I mostly worked with three: chimichurri, pesto and roasted red pepper (all from Whole30 recipes), but I was constantly searching for new flavors that I could make at home. With flavorful sauces available you can easily cook up a potato or steam some veggies or cook up some chicken really quick, and instead of making things complicated, just slather it in a sauce. Flavorful sauces are a godsend with diets such as Whole30, and they are a way to continue eating healthy when the diet is done.
This book is exactly what I was looking for before. Even though many of the recipes are not exactly Whole30 approved, they can be tweaked. But for those without strict guidelines, the cookbook can help any overworked busy family cook to lose the processed foods and easily serve healthy DELICIOUS meals.
This cookbook has flavorful sauces such as chimichurri and pestos, and it has SAUCE-sauces that you would pour over pasta. They all use plenty of fresh ingredients, and at least one of them (Green Peppercorn) contains one whole cup of vodka so you know I’ll be trying that one first (my Whole30 is over!). I wish I had known about the Coconut Lemon sauce during my diet, but I have it now! There is an entire chapter of “Cheese and Wine” sauces which sound delicious and would be great for that final night before your Whole30 starts (and your first meal after you’re finished!).
Every recipe has a photograph, and a list of ways to use that particular sauce. I find this very helpful as I’m never really sure what to DO with all those chutneys and sauces I see in the stores. But I can easily see how to use any of these recipes. There are also a lot of helpful tips and tricks on freezing and storing your sauces if you prep a lot of them. I tend to get overly excited with new cookbooks and can easily see myself making 15-20 of these sauces over the weekend, so the tips are helpful to avoid waste.
Flavorful, healthy, homemade sauces are the key to eating fresh and healthy, and prepping ahead of time is the key to a busy kitchen. This beautiful book gives you more flavors than you would ever need, and I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the ARC to review.
July 1, 2018
The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution by Elisabeth Bailey is a fabulous cookbook as the author has presented a smart solution on how to fix meals on the fly. The author starts off her cookbook by writing about the magic of sauces, how to prepare them, and how to freeze them for later use. She includes an explanation of how to pour the sauces into freezer storage bags (which she recommends using to save freezer space) so the process is a simple one. There are photos illustrating this procedure.
Each sauce recipe includes meals you can make using the recipe. The All-American Barbecue sauce gives the following meal suggestions:
1 cup sauce per one pound of chicken. Serve with French fries and steamed corn.
1 cup sauce per pound of pork. Serve with grits and green salad.
1 cup sauce per pound of beef. Serve with biscuits and Caesar Salad.
1/4 cup sauce per sandwich. Spread sauce evenly over hamburger bun. Top with cooked burger and slice of cheddar cheese. Serve with roasted mixed peppers.
The author includes directions for preparing a base for you sauce. Here you will read about how to cook pasta, rice, baked potatoes, tofu, chicken, shrimp and scallops, white fish, pork and beef. You will also find information on how to prepare sandwiches, and soup too.
Towards the end of her cookbook you will find a section called More Flavor Enhancers where you will find recipes for compound butters and flavored salts.
Finally, you will find a printable meal planner to help you prepare your weekly meals.
Overall, this is a well-written cookbook that will help ease meal preparation while creating tasty meals.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.
Each sauce recipe includes meals you can make using the recipe. The All-American Barbecue sauce gives the following meal suggestions:
1 cup sauce per one pound of chicken. Serve with French fries and steamed corn.
1 cup sauce per pound of pork. Serve with grits and green salad.
1 cup sauce per pound of beef. Serve with biscuits and Caesar Salad.
1/4 cup sauce per sandwich. Spread sauce evenly over hamburger bun. Top with cooked burger and slice of cheddar cheese. Serve with roasted mixed peppers.
The author includes directions for preparing a base for you sauce. Here you will read about how to cook pasta, rice, baked potatoes, tofu, chicken, shrimp and scallops, white fish, pork and beef. You will also find information on how to prepare sandwiches, and soup too.
Towards the end of her cookbook you will find a section called More Flavor Enhancers where you will find recipes for compound butters and flavored salts.
Finally, you will find a printable meal planner to help you prepare your weekly meals.
Overall, this is a well-written cookbook that will help ease meal preparation while creating tasty meals.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.
October 9, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
**A Brilliant Resource for Easier, More Flavorful Home Cooking!**
Make-Ahead Sauce Solution sounds like a fantastic cookbook for anyone who wants to make everyday meals more delicious while saving time in the kitchen. I really like the idea of preparing sauces ahead of time and keeping them ready in the freezer for busy days. It is a practical approach that can make home cooking feel much less stressful.
The collection of 61 freezer-friendly sauces offers plenty of inspiration for adding variety to familiar dishes. A flavorful sauce can transform simple vegetables, pasta, roasted meats, grains, and other everyday ingredients into something special. Having homemade options ready to use also makes it easier to create satisfying meals without starting every recipe from scratch.
Another appealing aspect is the focus on planning ahead. Preparing sauces in batches can help home cooks organize their time, reduce last-minute effort, and make better use of ingredients. I can see this being especially useful for busy families, working professionals, and anyone who prefers convenient homemade food over relying on ready-made products.
I also appreciate how a sauce-focused cookbook encourages creativity. Once you have a selection of flavorful sauces available, experimenting with different meal combinations becomes much easier and more enjoyable.
Overall, this cookbook sounds like a valuable addition to any practical home cooking collection. I would recommend it to beginners and experienced cooks alike who want to save time without sacrificing flavor. A useful and inspiring resource for making everyday meals more convenient, versatile, and delicious!
**A Brilliant Resource for Easier, More Flavorful Home Cooking!**
Make-Ahead Sauce Solution sounds like a fantastic cookbook for anyone who wants to make everyday meals more delicious while saving time in the kitchen. I really like the idea of preparing sauces ahead of time and keeping them ready in the freezer for busy days. It is a practical approach that can make home cooking feel much less stressful.
The collection of 61 freezer-friendly sauces offers plenty of inspiration for adding variety to familiar dishes. A flavorful sauce can transform simple vegetables, pasta, roasted meats, grains, and other everyday ingredients into something special. Having homemade options ready to use also makes it easier to create satisfying meals without starting every recipe from scratch.
Another appealing aspect is the focus on planning ahead. Preparing sauces in batches can help home cooks organize their time, reduce last-minute effort, and make better use of ingredients. I can see this being especially useful for busy families, working professionals, and anyone who prefers convenient homemade food over relying on ready-made products.
I also appreciate how a sauce-focused cookbook encourages creativity. Once you have a selection of flavorful sauces available, experimenting with different meal combinations becomes much easier and more enjoyable.
Overall, this cookbook sounds like a valuable addition to any practical home cooking collection. I would recommend it to beginners and experienced cooks alike who want to save time without sacrificing flavor. A useful and inspiring resource for making everyday meals more convenient, versatile, and delicious!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing, LLC for a copy of The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution by Elisabeth Bailey. This is one of my favorite cookbooks ever. The idea of the book is that you make different sauces when you have time and freeze them to use when you are busier.
The book starts with how to store the sauces, then goes into basic methods to prepare the 11 different bases (chicken, beef, rice, baked potatoes, etc.), and then moves onto the sauce recipes divided into type – Asian inspired, cheese based, etc. Almost all sauce recipes have a picture of the sauce and many show meals made with the sauce. My favorite part of the book is each sauce comes with a list telling you how to use it with different bases and what to serve with it. You can make a big batch of the sauce, freeze it is smaller portions, and then use it with different bases for several different meals. Some of the sauces you can turn in to soup which is a nice for a really quick meal.
Some of my favorite sauces are: Creamy Chipotle, Green Onion Ginger, Parmesan Leek (makes a great soup!), Lemon Egg (avgolemono), Gorgonzola Chive Butter, Caramelized Onion Boursin, and Tomatillo Avocado.
I think everyone can find some great recipes in this cookbook. The ingredients are easy to find and the recipes relatively easy to follow. I have already ordered a paper copy of the book so I can continue to use it frequently.
The book starts with how to store the sauces, then goes into basic methods to prepare the 11 different bases (chicken, beef, rice, baked potatoes, etc.), and then moves onto the sauce recipes divided into type – Asian inspired, cheese based, etc. Almost all sauce recipes have a picture of the sauce and many show meals made with the sauce. My favorite part of the book is each sauce comes with a list telling you how to use it with different bases and what to serve with it. You can make a big batch of the sauce, freeze it is smaller portions, and then use it with different bases for several different meals. Some of the sauces you can turn in to soup which is a nice for a really quick meal.
Some of my favorite sauces are: Creamy Chipotle, Green Onion Ginger, Parmesan Leek (makes a great soup!), Lemon Egg (avgolemono), Gorgonzola Chive Butter, Caramelized Onion Boursin, and Tomatillo Avocado.
I think everyone can find some great recipes in this cookbook. The ingredients are easy to find and the recipes relatively easy to follow. I have already ordered a paper copy of the book so I can continue to use it frequently.
October 6, 2018
I have a four-hour commute to work every day and attempt to cook a healthy meal every weeknight even if I have very little time to do it. This is not an easy task and often I fail because most delicious healthy meals take time to prepare. The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution book is a life-saver and offers so many delicious sauces which can be prepared in advance (like on the weekend) and freeze until usage. It also offers great advice on cooking different bases such as chicken, pasta, tofu, etc. The Sausage Ragu sauce was easy to prepare and tasted so good. I am looking forward to trying more and be on the road to conquer fast and healthy meal preparation.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the fantastic ARC of The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution by Elisabeth Bailey. This book will be available at your favourite bookstore on October 14, 2018.
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #book #books #booklover #bookish #bookreview #bookworm #bookaholic #reading #ilovebooks #bookaddicted #bookishcanadians #themakeaheadsaucesolution #elisabethbailey #cookbook
A big thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the fantastic ARC of The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution by Elisabeth Bailey. This book will be available at your favourite bookstore on October 14, 2018.
🔹
🔹
Follow me on Blogger @ http://guylous.blogspot.com or on Instagram @twodogsandabook to see my latest book reviews.
🔹
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #book #books #booklover #bookish #bookreview #bookworm #bookaholic #reading #ilovebooks #bookaddicted #bookishcanadians #themakeaheadsaucesolution #elisabethbailey #cookbook
August 28, 2018
This is a really handy book to have, and is one I will look to get in paper copy for myself. It is really well structured at the beginning and clearly explains the concept of the book. I like how Elisabeth Bailey gives some ideas for simple bases and vegetables that can be cooked to go with the sauces, otherwise you are free to combine your own plate as you wish. There are really good freezing tips and guides at the beginning which I found very helpful in making the most out of the book, which is really designed to make your weekday meals quicker and easier by preparing sauces in advance. As for the recipes themselves, they are clear and easy to follow. There is a picture for each recipe which I always think is important, but the best part for me is that Elisabeth Bailey gives a chart after the recipe with ideas of how to use that particular sauce. Great for inspiring weekday meals. The only downside for me is that everything is measured in cups which is primarily for an American audience. I would prefer to have metric measurements, but then maybe I just need to invest in some measuring cups!
May 24, 2018
Delicious and Time Saving.
I get home rather late and I don't have a lot of time to prepare and a time-consuming meal that I'll wolf down before taking a quick shower and going to sleep. these recipes are simple and easy to make, also has easy to find ingredients that I use often.
My favorite recipe is the chipotle sauce, the bacon gravy, and the BBQ sauce. I made these three the most with a variety of bases like chicken and shrimp, also added some extra things to it like some asparagus and mushrooms to the chipotle sauce and it was delicious.
My sister in law also has little time to cook so I shared a few tips with her.
I love the fact that I can freeze these! so I make some sauces over the weekend, freeze them in zip lock bags and use them during the week. So much better than stressing about cooking dinner or ordering takeout too many times during the week.
I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.
I get home rather late and I don't have a lot of time to prepare and a time-consuming meal that I'll wolf down before taking a quick shower and going to sleep. these recipes are simple and easy to make, also has easy to find ingredients that I use often.
My favorite recipe is the chipotle sauce, the bacon gravy, and the BBQ sauce. I made these three the most with a variety of bases like chicken and shrimp, also added some extra things to it like some asparagus and mushrooms to the chipotle sauce and it was delicious.
My sister in law also has little time to cook so I shared a few tips with her.
I love the fact that I can freeze these! so I make some sauces over the weekend, freeze them in zip lock bags and use them during the week. So much better than stressing about cooking dinner or ordering takeout too many times during the week.
I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.
June 27, 2018
"The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution" is a great addition to meal planning and prep routines to help get tasty meals on the table on busy nights. No matter your cooking comfort, there are sauces in here to allow anyone to develop a simple meal using whatever your preferred protein or starch canvas and travel the world via your plate.
Several sauces are in queue for me to make & incorporate into my meal planning: Chorizo Garlic; Pumpkin Coconut Cream; Teriyaki Spinach; Coconut Lemon; Curried Spinach; Parmesan Leek; Balsamic Onion; Meyer Lemon Spinach; Gorgonzola Chive Butter; Blue Cheese, Pear & Hazelnut; Basil-White Wine. I look forward to making some of the compound butters to have simple flavor enhancers on hand for some simple protein + market produce skillets.
Free ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This cookbook is available October 30th.
Several sauces are in queue for me to make & incorporate into my meal planning: Chorizo Garlic; Pumpkin Coconut Cream; Teriyaki Spinach; Coconut Lemon; Curried Spinach; Parmesan Leek; Balsamic Onion; Meyer Lemon Spinach; Gorgonzola Chive Butter; Blue Cheese, Pear & Hazelnut; Basil-White Wine. I look forward to making some of the compound butters to have simple flavor enhancers on hand for some simple protein + market produce skillets.
Free ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This cookbook is available October 30th.
May 12, 2018
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book to read. I really enjoyed this book. The instructions are straight forward and easy to follow and I love the serving suggestions for what to use each sauce for. I also learnt some useful tips about freezing sauces which will be invaluable. I am looking forward to trying out the pumpkin coconut cream recipe as that looks amazing. It’s a US book but there is an easy conversion chart in the back. This is a great book to keep in the kitchen and come back to time and again and I am going to get my veg box ordered so I can start experimenting.
May 21, 2018
I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.
This book is organized by country/style of cooking.
There are dozens of recipes in this book (as evidenced in the subtitle which escaped my consciousness prior to review), many of them interesting surprises. Most of the recipes didn't particularly grab me, but I saw no glaring flaw and imagine others may like them. I suppose my let down was that I was expecting more of a book on how to create your own sauces from the different bases whereas this was more of a recipe book. This is the most exhaustive sauce book I've seen so I imagine it will have some very happy customers.
This book is organized by country/style of cooking.
There are dozens of recipes in this book (as evidenced in the subtitle which escaped my consciousness prior to review), many of them interesting surprises. Most of the recipes didn't particularly grab me, but I saw no glaring flaw and imagine others may like them. I suppose my let down was that I was expecting more of a book on how to create your own sauces from the different bases whereas this was more of a recipe book. This is the most exhaustive sauce book I've seen so I imagine it will have some very happy customers.
December 8, 2024
A good variety of odd sauces. I recognized a few but was surprised that the basic mother sauces were not included: hollandaise, bearnaise, veloute, bechamel, demiglace or espagnole.
There is a good section in the beginning on how to prepare your food or main ingredients for using with the sauces. This can definitely help in putting dinner on the table quickly with the sauce already prepared.
The book offers useful ways to mix up your meals with different sauces if you have a basic repertoire of chicken breast, pork chop, salmon filet, pasta, etc.
However most of the sauces did not appeal to me.
There is a good section in the beginning on how to prepare your food or main ingredients for using with the sauces. This can definitely help in putting dinner on the table quickly with the sauce already prepared.
The book offers useful ways to mix up your meals with different sauces if you have a basic repertoire of chicken breast, pork chop, salmon filet, pasta, etc.
However most of the sauces did not appeal to me.
May 14, 2018
Wow! So many sauces. This is a great little book if you are new to batch cooking sauces. It starts with a section on all you need to know about make ahead sauces, Then teaches you how to make your base ingredients and then you get your recipes. The recipes are split into sections and look amazing. The layout of the book is simply but elegant and the photos make the sauces and food look delicious.
The book even has some added extras of flavoured butter and salt recipes, a dinner menu and conversion table!
Thanks to netgalley for letting me read this.
The book even has some added extras of flavoured butter and salt recipes, a dinner menu and conversion table!
Thanks to netgalley for letting me read this.
July 13, 2018
I thought this was such a clever idea to be able to make quick but tasty meals, especially during the week when there isn't much time or we're all too tired. I really like the guide on what you can cook with each sauce and how to freeze everything. There is a huge variety of sauces for every taste and diet, so you're bound to find something you like.
It's perfect for me and I think it will become one of my staple cooking books!
Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing LLC for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's perfect for me and I think it will become one of my staple cooking books!
Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing LLC for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2019
I had to give top ranking to this cookbook from Elisabeth Bailey. It's chock full of recipes and ideas that look like they will fit in with the lives of busy cooks and families. She uses clear and concise directions, begins by teaching us the basics of preparing and freezing, and then on to the marvelously delicious looking/sounding recipes. The photography is stellar. The ingredients are mostly readily available, and it makes menu planning a breeze.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.
August 31, 2018
#TheMake-aheadSauceSolution #NetGalley
The book can be used for any type of cooker. The book contains supportive illustrations and step by step instructions to create delicious and simple sauce. Also, the author provide the suggestions and ratio of ingredients needed to use in different scenarios like soup, grill and others. yummy ways.
The book can be used for any type of cooker. The book contains supportive illustrations and step by step instructions to create delicious and simple sauce. Also, the author provide the suggestions and ratio of ingredients needed to use in different scenarios like soup, grill and others. yummy ways.
August 1, 2018
I absolutely love this cookbook! The amount of different types of sauces is tremendous. The pictures show the beauty of the finished products and the recipes are easy to make. The ingredients are also easily acquired. I can’t wait to make some of them.
November 15, 2018
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A very welcome book with so many ideas for creative sauces to liven up your meal prep. These are good for the freezer too, so can be prepared in advance. Valuable.
A very welcome book with so many ideas for creative sauces to liven up your meal prep. These are good for the freezer too, so can be prepared in advance. Valuable.
August 2, 2018
I have found three sauces I want try, they look simple to make.
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