Ideally, your make-ahead meals will taste as good as—or better than—the meals you freshly prepare. While we were developing recipes for our latest cookbook, The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook, we actively tested and tasted storing dishes along the way. We always tasted the food that had been stored in the fridge or freezer alongside a just-made version as our control.
Through our thorough testing, we learned a few tricks to guarantee the best possible results when it comes to preparing make-ahead recipes. Whether you are stashing food in the freezer, holding it for a couple days in the fridge, or prepping entrées ahead so they are ready to cook the next day, here are some tips to ensure the very best results. (And for more tips on make-ahead cooking, pick up a copy of the book.)