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Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/11/make-ahead-...

*Note: The topping and casserole can be frozen separately for up to 2 months. Hallelujah!

*Serves 10 to 12 as a side dish (can be easily halved and baked in a smaller dish)

INGREDIENTS:

Topping:

2 slices hearty sandwich bread, white or wheat, torn into pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups canned fried onions

Casserole:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

10 ounces white mushrooms , sliced thin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

6 garlic cloves , minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

For the topping: Pulse bread, butter, and salt in food processor until coarsely ground. Combine bread mixture and canned fried onions in a bowl, transfer to a zipper-lock freezer bag, and freeze. (I placed the topping bag right on top of the casserole in the freezer so I could keep track of both.)

For the casserole: Melt the butter in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, stirring, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the green beans with the cornstarch until the beans are evenly coated. Transfer the beans to a 9X13-inch baking dish. Pour the warm mushroom mixture evenly over the beans. Let the casserole cool completely on the counter. Once cooled, cover with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the layer of plastic wrap from the baking dish and replace the foil. Bake, covered, until the sauce is bubbling and the beans are tender, about 80 minutes, stirring the beans thoroughly after 50 minutes. Remove the foil and spread the frozen topping mixture over the beans. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Serve.

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Layered Mashed Potato & Mushroom Casserole

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mashed_potato_mu...

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Assemble through Step 6, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake, uncovered, in a 400°F oven until hot, 50 minutes to 1 hour. To reheat, bake, covered, at 350° until hot, 40 to 50 minutes.

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Make-Ahead Christmas Recipes

Make-ahead appetizers, entrees and side dishes to make Christmas dinner easier.

Our healthy make-ahead Christmas recipes take the stress out of serving Christmas dinner. With a little planning, our delicious make-ahead appetizer, entree and side dish recipes will help alleviate your last-minute rush to get dinner on the table. Spend more time with your family and friends this holiday season with these delicious make-ahead recipes that are a perfect complement to any celebration.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_sli...

Make Ahead Christmas Recipes

Make Ahead Christmas Dinner Recipes

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Michael Symon's Braised Short Ribs

Chef Michael Symon, a great chef (Iron Chef) and restauranteur(Cleveland and Detroit), tv personality (cable and The Chew) and author Micheel Symon’s Live to Cook, Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen and Carnivor) has a recipe in his first book that is incredible, and it is totally make ahead.

Day one: Salt and pepper and refrigerate the meat

Day two: Cook the meat

Day three: Reheat in day two’s liquid and serve.

He has the recipe on a website – here is the link: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Mich...

I don't think there are many recipes you could make ahead however.....................

What you can do ahead....and I still do this after 50 years of cooking big holiday meals....

Organize your schedule for that day. Plan your entire menu for the day. Plan your complete shopping list of what ingredients you will need for all of the dishes (leave nothing out). Make a time schedule for the day. For each of the dishes you are preparing...figure what time you need to start it to be finished at dinner time. If you have more than one step to a recipe write all of that down......

Example:

8:00AM. Make pecan pie and put in oven

9:30AM Put roast in oven

10:00 ...Mix bread dough and start rising

10:30 ..peel potatoes and cover with cold water to cook later.

10:45... Grind Pistachio's and have them ready for the green beans to put on at 11:30.......

I think you will love having a time chart to go by and it is something you can do just as soon as you decide your menu.

My menu, though it may seem boring to some, stays the same every year...but that is the only time we eat this particular meal is once a year....and we love it!

Prime Rib Roast

Mashed Potatoes and Rich Brown gravy (home made from the roast drippings)

Pistachio green beans,

Spiced Apple Rings (these you can make a week ahead of time)

Hot butterflake dinner rolls

Pecan Pie ...and a

Yule Log (this can be made two days ahead of time) we don't usually eat it until evening.

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To me, doing a lot of the meal ahead of time takes away from that ......"Oh my it smells so good in here", and that is a big part of the meal at our house. Everyone hangs around in the kitchen talking, smelling, and grabbing quick samples. It is fun.

Christmas Ham is the best thing in the world. It's different then the Thanksgiving Thomas, and it's sweet yet not common. Buy one of those pre-cooked hams at your grocery store, they don't require very long at all to cook in an oven and taste spectacular (Especially with a lovely honey glaze!).

My favorite Christmas do ahead is probably the best thing in the world to impress people. Creme Brulee served in miniature ramekins.

See, Creme Brulee is an excellent choice because its not fudge (which people expect), it's something completely unique and it can be made three days in advance. Furthermore, it's served in individual portions (Which is just tons of fun) and it looks incredibly hard. It seems like you put a ton of work into it, even though it's incredibly simple and only requires 4 ingredients you probably have right now (plus water).

1.You're going to need two specialty items.

Ramekins, they come in an assortment of sizes. If this is an appetizer then you'll want miniature ones. If this is the main dessert (Which, it should be!) then just regular sized ramekins will do. Make sure you have one for each person who will be joining you at the table :).

Kitchen Torch/ Gas oven: You need a flame. If you have a gas oven, then the broiler on your oven will do perfectly fine (I find it does better then a kitchen torch, but it takes slightly longer). Just stick it in there until the top browns (I'll link a video). If you have an electric oven, it /might/ work but the results probably wont be as good, in which case I recommend sinking the $25 into a kitchen torch. You just need something to caramelize the sugar on top :). Plus kitchen torches are extremely fun.

2, Your ingredients!

1 quart heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (EASILY substituted with 1 tsp vanilla extract)

1 cup vanilla sugar, divided

6 large egg yolks

2 quarts hot water

3. Cooking them: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top or put it in your ovens broiler. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

*This recipe can easily be doubled/cut in half depending on how many you need :). You're going to amaze your guests!

So far we have a main course and dessert, which just means we need appetizers!

Brie: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baked...

That is a delicious recipe for baked brie! You can also use mini wheels, and it tastes great with wine

You would obviously have a very French theme :).

I suggest what we had the year before last...we had prime rib...homemade scalloped potatos, broccoli florets, dinner rolls an assortment of different desserts.

You could go completely non-traditional...I did this last year with a surf and turf type menu (fish tacos, shrimp tortilla soup, tomalito, toastads, etc).

Go italian. Prepare a big lasagna or other casserole type dish, like stuffed shells, manicotti, or baked ziti. A second pasta dish with white sauce would be good for a larger feast. Maybe a white chicken lasagna and shells stuffed with cheese and italian sausage. Put it in the fridge, ready to be place in the oven. For the people who do like veggies, stir fried asparagus or green beans (can be washed and trimmed ahead of time, ready to toss in skillet) or even easier, a big garden or caesar salad. Add bread sticks and maybe serve some ministrone soup (which can be made ahead and reheated).

Or, go mexican. Tamales! Can be prepared in advance. Rolls tacos (or taquitos), can be prepared in advance. A "street taco" bar...all fillings can be prepared in advanced...chopped or cooked and ready to be reaheated. Rice and beans are simple enough, best not done in advance, though. Enchilada casserole can be prepared in advance. Salsas and dips can also be done ahead.

Well if you want some ideas for desserts there are lots of original dessert recipes on the following site, like chocolate pecan pie, cherry frangipane, 3 chocolate mousse, chocolate truffles, etc...

http://www.youtube.com/user/morganskitchen/videos?...