Apocalypse Dinners

Whether the world is really ending—or whether you're just having a busy week—these six make-ahead meals from cookbook author Lidia Bastianich freeze well and feed many.

By Lynn Andriani

Pin It

Comments

3 of 7

A Fresh Alternative to Lasagna

For this baked, layered dish, polenta stands in for pasta. And, like lasagna, it is marvelously versatile: Fillings can range from cheese to vegetables to meat—or a combination of everything. This iteration uses a mushroom ragu, which Bastianich says is "a great vegetarian sauce, very complex and satisfying."

Get the recipe: Baked Polenta Layered with Mushroom Ragú

Photo: Thinkstock

Published on December 08, 2012

3 of 7

Related Resources

Keep Reading

Pasta and Beans Recipe

This soup freezes well, but keep in mind that you should cook and add the pasta just before serving. I usually make a big batch, sometimes even double, and once they are cooled I pack them in a plastic quart container, label them and date them and they are good for 2 months.

Mushroom Ragú Recipe

The mushrooms you can buy at the supermarket will make a fine sauce, but if you have fresh wild mushrooms it will be even better. In either case, dried porcini provide the key flavor in this sauce. It is a sauce that freezes well, so freeze whatever extra you may have made.

Braised Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans Recipe

A favorite in Tuscany and at our house, this dish is also delicious served with grilled meats. (I love grilled sausages with it.) It is good just off the stove, but it gets better when it rests a bit and is reheated. It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, and also freezes very well.

Baked Stuffed Shells Recipe

The whole family loves this recipe, and it is a great dish to make when you have lots of guests coming for dinner. Once you've stuffed the shells and set them in the baking dish, the rest is easy. The delicious aroma will fill the house while your guests are having drinks, and the shells will arrive bubbling hot to the table.