The Comfort Foods You Can Reheat To Do A Little Less Cooking This Winter
If you’re looking to make the holidays a little easier this year, then you’re going to want to make it easier to get everything ready in time for those big days, from the presents to the catering to sending out Christmas cards, and so on. What’s more, the weather can be so chilly and unwelcoming that most of the time you’re at home, you want to be wrapped up comfy, and warm. As such, spending a lot of time on your feet might not sound like the most exhilarating concept. But you don’t have to be.
Here, we’re going to look at a few recipes that are perfect for the winter, but also perfect to reheat. Make a big batch of any of the following recipes, and you should easily be able to eat them for at least a couple of days on end.
Make your nights easier with a lovely, thick pie
One of the easiest foods to make more than enough of is a pie. A full pie takes a full family to eat, so if it’s just you and one or two more, then this chicken pot pie from happymoneysaver.com is not only easy to make ahead for the rest of the week, but it’s also fairly inexpensive to make. Pies are great at locking in heat when you cook them, as well, so they’re the perfect thing for warming your belly on a winter evening.
The easiest mac and cheese
That you can go back to the pot for mac and cheese time and time again should be no secret to anyone that has to make quick dinners for a full household on the regular. However, this specific recipe from bonappetit.com goes further than most recipes in its sheer convenience alone and this allows you to skip an entire step, ending up with a full pot without having to do any boiling at all. If you’re in a rush and you want to make sure that there’s never a night where dinner is in jeopardy, then this is going to be the lifesaver you need.
Nothing says winter like a lovely stew
Even thinking about stew is enough to start making one feeling a little warmer as the colder weather sets in. Aside from being rich with flavor and super filling, this beef stew recipe at blessthismessplease.com is excellent for reheating. If you’re worried about it losing a little of its stew-like consistency (though many do love a mushy potato stew), then you can just add more water as you’re heating it up.
A little spice to keep things nice
While you might usually opt for the heartier, savory dishes, as they’re most often associated with winter, you shouldn’t ignore the potent power of a good curry. This tikka masala from epicurious.com is far from the spiciest curry around, but it will heat you very nicely. What’s more, it’s a great make-ahead dish. You can make the curry ahead of time, then you just have to cook some rice or potatoes or whatever else you might want to serve alongside it on the night.
A little pasta goes a long way
One of the best things for a good, filling, and reheatable meal at home is pasta and you don’t have to keep it to mac and cheese alone, either. With the help of this Italian chicken and saucy pasta recipe from tasteofhome.com, you can make sure that you’re making good use of your pressure cooker or your slow cooker for a really low-effort meal that only takes twenty minutes to make, with its cooking time depending on how you make it.
How to reheat food safely
If you haven’t done it before, you might be a little unsure about the prospect of reheating meals to eat them again. If you have leftovers, then the best way to keep them fresh is to store them in a closed container, such as a Tupperware box, and keep them in the fridge. You want to keep them away from things like fresh meat or other ingredients that might lead to cross-contamination but, usually, once they’ve been cooked already, all you have to do is reheat them, which can be done in the microwave. Just make sure they’re hot all the way through before serving.
With the tips above, you can make sure that making dinner isn’t as much of a hassle, since you don’t have to do it every day a week, but you can still make sure that you and the family get to enjoy some delicious home-cooked meals.
This is a collaborative post.
