A filled refrigerator can be totally useless to a hungry human when the drawers and shelves are full of ingredients, not readily edible food. A head of cauliflower is not a snack until it’s roasted and dressed and unless your tastes are beyond humble, your pantry’s can of chickpeas won’t suffice til blended into hummus.
If you don’t want
to stand there gawking at raw ingredients, best to stock the fridge
with real food ahead of time, maybe during weekend bursts of
inspiration. I often receive questions about what keeps well for a
couple of days, and this post is an attempt to show you more than a
dozen sides, condiments, and main dishes that last for at least five
days when covered tightly and stored in the fridge.
And with a fridge
stocked with homemade staples, not only can you throw meals together
quickly but you can also fancy up whatever you’re already making
with a dollop of pesto, a schmear of hummus, or some caramelized
onions without spending time or dirtying any new pans.
**14 Great Dishes
To Make Ahead**
1. Caramelized
Onions. Caramelized onions make everything fancy. They add a jammy
sweetness, turning a grilled cheese into a French Onion Grilled
Cheese and a plain little chicken stew into a richly flavored chicken
stew. You can make a pretty big batch of these–they keep for ages.
2. Roasted
Vegetables. When I come home tired from work and all I want to
eat is a grilled cheese sandwich, I’m never unhappy to find already
roasted vegetables for me to eat on the side, all in the name of
balance. Note also that roasted vegetables are an enviable topping
for green salads.
3. Chicken. Cooked
chicken completes pretty much any hodgepodge dinner you’re trying
heroically to throw together for yourself. Sure, there’s chicken
chop chop salad and chicken fritz, but there’s also chicken as an
add-in for fried rice and chicken as a topping for your noodle bowl.
4. Chicken
Stock. Chicken stock is fridge gold. It means great brothy
soups and unbeatable risotto, and it can also mean just a big
mug of salty, steamy chicken soup, which, as we know, will fix
whatever ails you.
5. Meatballs.
These are no ordinary Italian meatballs. They’re Mexican flavored
and bathed in a tomato-chipotle sauce. Serve them on top of rice with
some fresh Mexican cheese sprinkled on top.
6. Lasagna.
Here’s what I love about lasagna: not just that it’s delicious or
that it feed a crowd, but that you can assemble and partially bake it
the night before you have guests over, come home from work, pop the
lasagna in the oven, make a salad, and eat dinner with friends and
family.
7. Chai Tea
Syrup. Keep a jar of this for as long as you can. Warning: it might
not be that long, since this stuff is better than anything you can
buy. Once you’ve whipped up a batch, simply add to hot or cold milk
for a painless-to-prepare warming drink.
8. Homemade
Bloody Mary Mix. Easy enough to whir tomato juice with horseradish,
celery, and Old Bay in your food processor–and clean up the
mess–long before your brunch guests arrive. Store the homemade mix
back in the tomato juice containers you purchased, then dole out
portions, mixed with vodka, whenever the bloody craving strikes.
9. Muhammara. This
spicy, sweet, and rich dip is a divine snack, whether eaten in front
of an open fridge or served to friends, who will be impressed by the
obviously cosmopolitan combination of walnuts, pita, and pomegranate
molasses. Also excellent spread on grilled cheese.
10. Hummus. Store-bought
hummus is nothing compared to the fluffiness of hummus you’ve
whizzed up in your food processor in about two minutes. This
post details how to make the condiment no matter how bare your
cabinets.
11. Pesto.
This savory sauce should 100% be made ahead on any occasion when you
find yourself in possession of too much basil, parsley, or even dill.
12. Mac ‘n
Cheese. Like lasagna, mac ‘n cheese is a meal that can be
prepared 92 percent in advance, then stored until you’re ready to
eat. That means it’s a great throwback meal for friends and that
you can scoop out portions from a big dish and microwave or bake them
individually, feeding yourself all week. (In that case, please also
eat some veggies, thanks.)
13. Beef
Stew. A personal favorite, beef stew has all the important
elements of a soul-satisfying meal. Even after the long slow cooking
time, you’ll find that reheated leftovers have even more heft and
umami than the original portion. Stretch your stew out for a few
extra days of dinner bliss by serving it on top of noodles or
potatoes.
14. Lentil
Soup. Like lots of stews and soups, lentil soup gets better after a
night or two in the fridge. The flavors just meld in a beautiful way,
and though you may have to thin out the soup with water when you
reheat it, I guarantee you’ll be happy to come home to a bowl of
already made, hearty, healthy soup on a wintry night.
