NTTGPR: Favorite fridge-friendly foods..

choppinbroccoli22

I have to come up with some foods to make for a lot of family that is going to be flooding into my in-laws' house over the coming weeks...

Lasagnas, quiches, soups, paella, anything.. it doesn't have to be simple, I enjoy complicated recipes. The better to give it away.

Any ideas for mass quantities of food that is either frozen or refrigerated before heating & serving? Thanks ladies.

AshDahlia

Make ahead mashed potatoes. I do mine the might before Thanksgiving.

PeonyPumps

I like taco bars.  I get a couple of cute serving dishes and put all the toppings in and lay them out on the counter top.  Then all you have to do is cook meat (if you guys do meat), and everyone can fix their own with what they like in them.  We do this with family sometimes because I'm super picky and so are some other family members of mine.

choppinbroccoli22

good ones... I also like that there are a lot of the same ingredients in the chili and the tacos... :-) nice work!

*BlackSheep*

Pulled pork sandwiches (then from any leftover pulled pork you can make enchiladias), soups, really any crock pot recipe, sloppy joes, pasta salads.

Maybe google -freezer meals- I did that when I was pg last time.

Kate504

Red beans and rice.  Cheap and easy. 

Some kind of pasta caserolle 

 

 

Svenny1011

Any kind of stew, whether stove top, oven or crockpot, would work well since their flavors actually develop and get better sitting in the fridge overnight.

Also, savory bread puddings can be assembled the night before and then baked before you eat them - I love making those every once in a while. You can add meats (sausage, bacon, chicken, etc), cheese and veggies......whatever you want. A good one is italian sausage, swiss or gruyere cheese and spinach. Super good with a big salad, or even tomato soup! 

blueeyedgirl27

I make my own spaghetti sauce (and yup, it simmers all day long!) in large quantities and then divide it up and freeze it for future meals. Other ideas: chicken pot pie, shepherd's pie, or tuna noodle casserole. My favorites from allrecipes.com: mozzarella-stuffed turkey pesto meatballs (they're fabulous!), slow cooker Italian beef with au jus (for french dip sandwiches), chicken parmesan bundles, chicken pesto pizza, and hoagie bake (a very simple, popular dish!).

stringbeanjean

I swear by this baked ziti: https://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-ziti-i/ 

The sour cream (weird, I know) really takes this ziti into some blessed land of tangy, goat-cheese like nirvana.  

We throw spinach into the sauce, too, for some extra veg. So delicious, and almost as importantly, it feeds a crowd and keeps in the fridge longer than you'll have it around. Without offending my liberal upbringings, I'll add that this is a good one for hungry men and picky children, too. That sounded so old fashioned!

LiteraryFoodie

These are some of the things I use when we have company: 

Enchiladas

Lasagna (I add spinach for some extra veggies)

Baked Ziti

Any kind of soup (Blackbean, Lentil, Corn Chowder, Tomato, Split Pea & Ham; also can be good for vegetarians)

Spagetti and Meatballs

Breakfast Egg Casserole

Baked Oatmeal

Baked French Toast

Any kind of casserole 

Gumbo

Shepard's Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

I usually bake/roast veggies (and potatoes) when we have company because it is easy and tasty. I'm pretty sure I have recipes (I make a lot of stuff up as I got along...) for most of these. So let me know if you want any. Good luck and happy cooking! I'll be doing the same today and tomorrow!