Make-Ahead

Collection of easy make-ahead recipes. Perfect for cooking or baking in advance for a party, a crowd or special occasion dinner if entertaining company. Many main parts of most recipes can be made ahead and freeze well. So prepare your dinner without the stress.

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cup of lemon ice cream with strawberries
Teatime •
Creamy Lemon Ice Cream (Glace au citron)
gratin dish of sliced potato bake with autumn leaves
Mains - Vegetarian •
Gratin Dauphinois (Creamy Potato Gratin)
tray holding slices of toasted French toast or Pain Perdu in a boulangerie in France in front of baguettes
Breakfast •
Best French Toast Recipe (Pain Perdu)
bowl of green pea soup with whole fresh peas on surface
Light Lunches •
French Pea Soup (Potage Saint-Germain)
prune tagine of chicken or turkey with toasted almonds and cone of semolina in background
Mains - Meat •
Chicken Tagine with Prunes
thin brown pancake folded into a square with egg in centre, ham and cheese and side salad
Light Lunches •
Thin Buckwheat Pancakes (Galettes de sarrasin)
golden, shiny roasted caramelised pineapple slices on a plate with vanilla
French Desserts •
Roasted Pineapple with Sticky Vanilla (Ananas rôti à la vanille)
individual rose panna cotta with a dark cherry and cardamom sauce
French Desserts •
Rose Panna Cotta (with Cherry & Cardamom Coulis)
French white porcelain bowl of leek and potato soup with a baguette and butter
Light Lunches •
Leek and Potato Soup (potage Bonne Femme)
slice of galette des rois filled with pistachio and chocolate
Teatime •
Galette des Rois (French King Cake)
sauce boat of light creamy sauce next to a filled green apple, served with smoked salmon
Light Lunches •
Apple Horseradish Sauce (for Smoked Salmon or Beet Macarons)
French gingerbread or pain d'épices topped with glacé fruits next to the christmas tree
Breakfast •
Pain d'épices (French Gingerbread)
plate of snowmen, decorated trees and gingerbread men in front of the Christmas tree
Teatime •
Gingerbread Men and Decorating Ideas (Biscuits Speculoos)
plate of dark caramelised cannelés de Bordeaux with red edible Begonia flowers
Teatime •
Canelés (Cannelés de Bordeaux)
cookie jar spilling out granola next to orange and red ribbons
Breakfast •
Christmas Granola (Granola de Noël)
fondant slice of moist chocolate cake, topped with a little icing sugar next to a bowl of oranges
Teatime •
Chocolate Beetroot Cake (Fondant Chocolat-Betterave)
honey parfaits on shortbread with raspberries and a macaron
French Desserts •
Cranachan Parfait (Iced Scottish Dessert)
moist fluffy muffins with two topped with a spiral of cream cheese frosting with orange zest
Picnics •
Carrot Cake Muffins
plate with 2 cranberry cookies next to clementine oranges
Breakfast •
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies with Hazelnut & Cranberry
cracking a spoon into a chocolate creme brulee
French Desserts •
Milk Chocolate Crème Brûlée with Passionfruit