make-ahead
Cooked in advance
Make-ahead describes food that can be prepared in advance and stored until needed: make-ahead meals for busy weeknights, a make-ahead breakfast casserole.
The term appears most often in recipe titles and cooking instructions, emphasizing convenience for entertaining or meal planning.
Preparing food in advance
- batchQuantity produced together
- time-savingReducing required duration
- convenienceEase of use
- efficiencyProductive without waste
Extremely cold
- marinatingSoaking food in flavored liquid
- briningSaltwater soaking for meat
- sous-videSealed, temperature-controlled water cooking
- canningAirtight food preservation
pickling · fermenting · dehydrating · portioning · blanching · seasoning · rub · stock
Slow-cooked oven dish
- lasagnaBaked layered pasta dish
- stewSlow-simmered meat dish
- soupCooked liquid dish
- chiliCapsicum pod or stew
curry · quiche · potpie · meatloaf · enchilada · burrito · frittata · muffins
Objects for holding things
- ziplockPress-seal plastic pouch
- tupperwareSealable plastic kitchen vessels
- shelf-lifePeriod before spoilage
- labelingAssigning identifying markers
portioning · reheating · microwavable · freezable · airtight · stackable · thawing · defrosting
Electric low-heat vessel
- pressure-cookerSealed vessel using steam
- stockpotLarge pot for broths
meal-prep
Preparing food in advance
- batchQuantity produced together
- time-savingReducing required duration
- convenienceEase of use
efficiency · scheduling · forethought · organization · prioritization
freezing
Extremely cold
- marinatingSoaking food in flavored liquid
- briningSaltwater soaking for meat
- sous-videSealed, temperature-controlled water cooking
canning · pickling · fermenting · dehydrating · portioning · blanching · seasoning · rub · stock · broth
casserole
Slow-cooked oven dish
chili · curry · quiche · potpie · meatloaf · enchilada · burrito · frittata · muffins · pancakes
containers
Objects for holding things
- ziplockPress-seal plastic pouch
- tupperwareSealable plastic kitchen vessels
- shelf-lifePeriod before spoilage
labeling · portioning · reheating · microwavable · freezable · airtight · stackable · thawing · defrosting
crockpot
Electric low-heat vessel
- pressure-cookerSealed vessel using steam
- stockpotLarge pot for broths
make-aheadlast-minute
Just before deadline
made-to-order · just-in-time · same-day · real-time · immediate
make-aheadimpromptu
Without advance preparation
spontaneous · unplanned · thrown-together · improvised · spur-of-the-moment
make, ahead, made, makes, making, maker, makers, remake, unmake