The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook: From Appetizers to Desserts 500 Recipes You Can Make in Advance (The Complete ATK Cookbook Series)

I like that some recipes are entirely make-ahead (lasagna, individual pot pies) but they didn’t include all of their recipes that can be made-ahead, which was my main reason for buying the book.Most of the recipes are NOT make-ahead ones. They are recipes that you can begin and then set aside for hours or a day before finishing.At least one has you make the entire recipe and then put it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it. “Eat as leftovers” isn’t really the same as make-ahead.The book disappoints and is not worthy of the ATK stamp, IMO.As usual, the binding is terrible, but low-quality book design is, sadly, the standard for ATK. If one wants a book that doesn’t fall apart, one should never buy ATK paperbacks.

Wonderful book! Just not the easiest to pull together for busy moms. I’ve tried many of these recipes hoping to get a leg up on meal prep for the week. Takes me quite a long time to pull together these meals. Mostly because I have to shoo my young kids out of the kitchen, break up fights etc.A little frustrated that many of these recipes have odd ingredients like fresh Tarragon. Also a tad frustrating that the ingredient list is exceedingly long. If you can work around those two things the flavors are good, and also nice to have food in the freezer ready to go (the Beef Tamale Pie was a life saver when my in-laws came).

This book is written just like most ATK publications with each recipe written to produce the final product from start to finish. But at the end of each recipe (sometimes on the following page) are instructions to modify the recipe "TO MAKE AHEAD". One must therefore adjust the recipe if you intend to make it ahead.Even though a casserole is to be baked 24 hous later, instructions often start: "1. Adjust oven rack to ........... position and heat oven to ....... degrees."WARNING: Make sure you read and incorporate all "TO MAKE AHEAD" instructions when making the recipe. The editors should have made the modifications before publishing. A very serious mistake! These are the same previously-published recipes with "make ahead" recommendations attached!.ATK (America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country) have been publishing "Make-Ahead" for years (The Best Make-Ahead Recipe, 2007, Make-Ahead Recipes, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, Make-Ahead Dinners, 2014, Make-Ahead Appetizers, 2014, The Make-Ahead Cook, 2014, and All-Time Best Make Ahead Recipes, 2015) in addition to recipes in CI and CC magazines. It would be impossible to include all of these recipes and there are many good ones in this book. But don't call it "complete" when "Anytime Muffins, Anytime Dinner Rolls, Scoop-and-Bake Dinner Rolls and Freezer Biscuits" are not included among with many, many others.. Can't quite understand why some salads, soups, stews, chilis, slow-cooker and desserts are included?I would have given the book two stars but we know from experience the recipes will be good. Each recipe is marked "EASY" or "FREEZE IT" for quick reference. There is an abundance of hints for "make-ahead" and the index is excellent--pp 398-422. Categories such as "casseroles" and "grilling"; even down to recipes with specific ingredients like anchovies. "Classic Caesar Salad" is also listed as "Caesar Salad, Classic" and under anchovies, croutons, lettuce, Parmesan and salads.Just would have liked "To Store" and "To Serve" or "To Prep, To Store, To Serve" as a part of the recipe and not to make as an adjustment. The editor(s) should have known better. This book should have a completely-revised second edition (and send me a complimentary copy)

I was hoping this cookbook would provide some good inspiration for ways to prepare food in advance, to break up meal prep - particularly for hosting - into smaller, manageable chunks.Unfortunately, the "make-ahead" factor is pretty slim, with most things suggested to prep the day before. So, really, this offers ways to break up your meal prep into 2 days, which isn't nearly enough value-add to justify the purchase of the book. I would have appreciated more 3+days in advance options, be it freezing or whatever else.Americans in particular tend to have excessive concerns about food spoilage (largely based on overly conservative goverment regs/guidance), so one possibility is that the estimates are merely about health/fear of liability. If that is the case, the editors would do well to specify what suggestions are based on flavor/integrity, and which are based on standard, restrictive guidance.The result, for me, is a cookbook that is not uniquely useful and not sufficinetly inspiring for its recipes to be worth keeping on the shelf.

This is not quite what I thought it was . . . I was thinking this would be primarily freezer meals, like if you want to do a once-a-month cooking marathon day, then have a freezer full of meals you can pull out and throw in the crock pot, or defrost in the frig then warm-up quickly that evening. This is not that. Most of the make-ahead suggestions are things like the option of marinading the chicken the night before, or putting together ingredients in the morning before you go to work (who has time for that?). Things that experienced cooks would know anyway. That said, it is America's Test Kitchen, so I know all the recipes will be excellent, so it is not that much of a disappointment, and the holiday dishes section will be handy. Just not quite what I was after.

I LOVE this book. Don't know why people gave it low reviews because of lack of freezer meals. Does it say freezer meals on the cover??? When I go to my daughter's house, I like to bring a couple of dinners with me. Or when I get overnight guests, I like to make food ahead so I can relax and enjoy my company. These recipes are perfect because you can do a lot of the prep work, if not the whole dinner, ahead of time, and put it together when you want to serve it. It covers everything from appetizers to desserts, to make days ahead to refrigerate, or weeks in the freezer. The best part is it tells you the best way to reheat the food. That was always a challenge with my make ahead meals. Even my mashed potatoes would melt! So I LOVE this book, and, of course, it's ATK so you know the recipes are good.

This is a very useful cookbook for everyday cooking as well as good tips for make aheads!

This book was not what I was looking for and Im going to be returning it

As Expected.

Several good recipes

excellent