Book Review: Michael Smith’s Make Ahead Meals

Make Ahead Meals: Over 100 Easy Time-Saving Recipes By Michael Smith (Penguin Canada), $32

We know life is busy, especially as our kids get back to school, making getting a healthy home-cooked meal on the table impossible some nights. Michael Smith knows what you’re up against and is here to help you keep time on your side in the kitchen.

Make Ahead Meals includes soups, stews, slow cooker favourites and casseroles that take the stress out of cooking. You’ll impress family and friends with make-ahead dishes like Potato Bacon Cheddar Skillet, Beef Barley Kale Stew, Crockpot Chicken, Barley and Leeks, El Paso Shepherd’s Pie, Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas, Fruit Muffins and Orange Vanilla Pound Cake.

Michael shows you plenty of ways to cook ahead, from prepping dishes so you can finish them in minutes when needed to making full meals in advance and freezing them for later. Every recipe features ideas and tips on how to cook ahead to save time when you really need it, along with specific storage instructions. You don’t need hours to make great-tasting, healthy meals.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, October 2015.