Family Meals 

So how do you pull it all together on those nights when …one child has scouts, one has lessons or a game, you have a meeting, and everyone needs to eat – really quick! My answer is to mix and match!

I (almost) always have some make-ahead entrees in the freezer or fridge to heat and serve. Who has time to cook every night?  Certainly not us moms!

• Using make-ahead entrees makes dinner prep quick and easy.  It is just a matter of cooking some vegetables or making a salad.
• The entrees can be frozen or made before needed and stored in your fridge until ready to use. 

Once-a-month cooking is one technique for frozen make-ahead entrees where you cook entrees for the whole month at one time.

• It is a tough day and you will be pooped but you'll have your dinner just waiting for you in your freezer. 
• Family members can help making this a family project.
• My favorite book for this technique is 'Once-a-Month Cooking' by Mary-Beth Lagerborg.  I have used it for years and love it!  It even has menus, grocery lists, and work plans.

If you want the convenience of meals in your freezer but do not want to spend a whole day cooking a month of meals, Robin Miller, featured on the Food Network, has a great book -  'Make Ahead Meals'.  

You can also make your meals ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you are ready to serve. 

• I am an early-riser so it is easy for me to get up about 1/2 hour early to pull together the dinner for the evening. 
• Some folks prefer to make their dinners over the weekend for quick weeknight suppers. Theresa Albert's book offers weekly make-ahead meals combining frozen foods along with fresh ingredients - 'Cook Once aWeek, Eat Well Every Day'.  
• 'You've Got It Made' by Diane Phillips is a collection of practical recipes that can be made ahead of time and baked later so you can spend your evening with your family rather than in the kitchen. 

I have included two links on the left side of this page to get you started with your own make-ahead entrees. 

• Recipe Zaar has many recipes in several techniques such as freeze ahead, make-ahead, and once-a-month cooking.
• All Recipes lists 12 recipes that not only taste great but can be prepared ahead of time, then kept for a few days in the fridge until you are ready to heat and eat!

If you don't have a frozen or made-ahead entree at home, grocery stores will have a grand selection for you.

Coming in future weeks to continue mix and match meals:

• Bake Once - Eat Twice
• Slow Cooker Cooking
• Carry Out and Home Delivery
• Meals To Go