Make ahead recipes for family while Traveling
 

What is your go to casserole or main dish to make ahead/freeze?

Heading out of town and want to make a few meals for family to have on hand.

Lasagne.

Baked Ziti or King Ranch Casserole

What is in King Ranch?

Hey - just have them go uy a whole roasted chicken for the main course - and "build" around it by boiling some rice - and if necessary - buy some pre-cut salad fixings and pour some dressing over it - and/or pick up/make some garlic bread and you are good to go.

chicken or eggplant parmesan.

Roast, spaghetti sauce and/or stuffed cabbage rolls.

King Ranch Casserole has chicken, onions, cheddar cheese, corn tortillas, and usually something like Rotel.

Here's the recipe I use to make King Ranch Casserole (a Tex-Mex dish). Note: The recipe says "12 corn tortillas, broken to fit pan". What it means is that you should tear each tortilla into 5-6 pieces and lay them to cover the surface of the pan. Also, I use a 3 quart Corningware casserole dish instead of a 9 x 13 pan. This recipe freezes really well.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/rec...ole44583.shtml

Buy a couple of big Perdue roasting chickens, 6-7 lb. each. Roast them and pick the meat off the bones. You will have enough for at least 4-6 big casseroles. Suggestions - chicken tettrazzini, chicken a la king, chicken enchiladas, chicken and stuffing casserole, chicken rice casserole, chicken hash, chicken salad. If any of those sound good, let me know and I can share recipes. The chicken salad doesn't freeze, but will last a few days in fridge.

Thanks everyone!

Great posts. I think I am going to have an afternoon of cooking and knock out a few dishes.

I bought some chicken already so ready to go on the casseroles. Have a long grocery list.

I am going to make a meatloaf if anyone has a good recipe~

Yup, this was my standard "go to" when the kids were home. Sandwiches the next day are even better:

2 lb. ground chuck (80/20)
1 lb. Italian sausage (mild or hot), loose, out of casing
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 med onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
salt & pepper
1 T minced garlic (less if you don't like garlic)
1/4 cup ketchup
3 T Lea & Perrins sauce
SAUCE
1 cup ketchup
3 T Dijon mustard

Mix all ingredients together, except sauce. Mound meatloaf in bread pan or loaf pan that has been lined with plastic wrap. Let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil (for easier clean up). Preheat oven to 350. Unmold meat loaf onto cookie sheet. Mix sauce ingredients, top meat loaf with 1/2 cup sauce. Bake at 350 for 1 to 1/4 hours. Let sit 10 minutes, heat remaining sauce, add juices from pan. Mix together for gravy. Carve into slices.

Shepherds Pie