My grandmother always told me that a smart kitchen works ahead. When I am tired at five in the evening, and my son asks what we are eating, staring at an empty fridge is the worst feeling. Cooking a meal that only lasts for one night leaves you stuck doing the exact same chores again the next day.
I finally learned that the best way to save my sanity is to make food that does the heavy lifting twice. These 19 easy dinner recipes for family work hard tonight so you can pack a quick lunch or have a backup plan ready for tomorrow.
King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Corn tortillas turn soft and noodle-like between layers of chicken, cheese, and mild green chiles. This cheesy Southwestern dish needs to cool completely so you can slice it cleanly. The next day, my son loves to wrap a cold slice straight inside a fresh tortilla.
Get the Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Casserole
TikTok Viral Dumpling Bake
Just grab frozen dumplings from the freezer and bake them in a mild coconut curry sauce with green bok choy. The starch from the dumpling skins naturally turns the curry into a smooth, rich gravy. Tomorrow, that extra gravy will taste amazing poured over a fresh bowl of rice.
Get the Recipe: TikTok Viral Dumpling Bake
Chicken Sancocho
I load this big Colombian soup with chicken, corn, and thick chunks of a root vegetable called yucca. Overnight, those starchy roots drink up the spiced soup like a sponge, soaking up all the flavor. When I heat it up the next day, it turns into a whole new, wonderfully thick stew that makes the easiest lunch.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Sancocho
Honey Beer Braised Chicken Thighs
These chicken thighs cook in honey and beer until the sauce turns dark, shiny, and sticky. Do not worry, the alcohol cooks completely away, leaving a deep flavor that balances the sweetness. The extra sauce turns into a thick jelly in the fridge that is amazing spread on toast.
Get the Recipe: Honey Beer Braised Chicken Thighs
Greek Vegetarian Moussaka
Picture a Greek veggie lasagna, but layered with soft zucchini slices and brown lentils instead of meat. A fluffy, creamy sauce cooks on top and hardens just enough as it cools down. The leftover squares will not leak in your lunchbox, and they taste great cold, too.
Get the Recipe: Greek Vegetarian Moussaka
Mushroom Leek Pasta Kugel
I love making this Jewish noodle bake because the top layer gets super crunchy while the inside stays soft. It is packed with sour cream, sliced mushrooms, and sweet green leeks. You can just pop a leftover slice into a toaster oven for an easy afternoon snack.
Get the Recipe: Mushroom Leek Pasta Kugel
Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs
Onions cook for hours until they are dark and sweet, then the meatballs simmer in that rich broth under melted cheese. The slow, sweet smell fills the whole house by afternoon. Tomorrow, you can smash the leftover meatballs into a piece of crusty bread for a killer sandwich.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs
Sheet Pan Paprika Chicken And Veggies
I use a single metal tray to roast this colorful dinner, wrapped in a smoky red spice. It leaves me with almost no dishes to wash when we are done. Even better, I can toss the leftover veggies into a pan with an egg for a fast Wednesday breakfast.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Paprika Chicken And Veggies
Instant Pot Chicken With Sweet Peppers
A pressure cooker makes quick work of this meal, melting onions and peppers into a sweet tomato sauce. The chicken gets so soft that it easily pulls apart with a fork. Save the extra sauce to scoop over cold rice or bread for a perfect lunch tomorrow.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken With Sweet Peppers
Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
This French stew cooks very slowly until the beef is soft enough to break with a spoon. Any stew made with a splash of red wine always tastes twice as good on the second day. All you need tomorrow is a piece of bread to clean your plate.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Chicken Hash Brown Casserole
Shredded potatoes make a loud, crunchy crust over tender chicken and lots of melted cheddar cheese. Slicing into the hot pan is the best part, and the leftovers cool down into solid blocks. You can even eat the cold cubes straight out of the fridge on a busy morning.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Hash Brown Casserole
Cabbage Rolls Casserole
Forget about spending hours rolling up individual cabbage leaves by hand. Instead, you just layer the leaves in a baking dish with meat and rice under a sweet tomato glaze. It slices up into neat squares that hold their shape perfectly for a quick lunch.
Get the Recipe: Cabbage Rolls Casserole
Chicken Borscht
Beets and cabbage turn this amazing soup a bright pink color, and I stir in plum jam at the end for a hint of sweetness. It needs a night in the fridge for all the flavors to mix together perfectly. It tastes surprisingly and deliciously cold the next day with a scoop of sour cream.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Borscht
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Casserole
Your kitchen will smell beautiful while this chicken bubbles in a rich, orange cream sauce made with sun-dried tomatoes. The leftover sauce thickens perfectly when it cools. Just toss it with some cold pasta the next day for a super-fast meal.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Casserole
Quinoa Chicken Casserole with Broccoli and Pumpkin
Baking this cozy meal lets me use up healthy quinoa seeds, sweet pumpkin, green broccoli, and whatever leftover chicken I have on hand. I add a pinch of nutmeg to keep the pumpkin from tasting ordinary, and the whole dish stays nice and sturdy in a lunch container without turning into a soggy mess. It makes tomorrow's routine so much easier when I'm packing up lunches for my kids before running out the door.
Get the Recipe: Quinoa Chicken Casserole with Broccoli and Pumpkin
Ajiaco Colombiano (Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup Recipe)
Imagine a chicken soup so thick and creamy that it does not even need flour. Colombia's secret is using three kinds of potatoes that melt right into the hot broth. It gets even thicker and richer in the fridge, making tomorrow's lunch a total breeze.
Get the Recipe: Ajiaco Colombiano (Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup Recipe)
Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken And Potatoes
Soaking the chicken in buttermilk makes the meat incredibly juicy while the oven crisps up the skin. Potatoes bake right in the same pan to soak up all the delicious juices. You will have plenty of extra chicken legs ready for a quick school lunch the next day.
Get the Recipe: Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken And Potatoes
Chicken Marengo
Chicken thighs simmer on the stove with green peppers, onions, and mushrooms in a light tomato sauce. Thighs are perfect because they stay juicy and never dry out when reheated. Just scoop the leftovers over cold rice with a tiny splash of water.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Marengo
Ravioli Lasagna
Just thinking about this bake makes me so hungry because you do not even have to boil any noodles. The store-bought ravioli pockets cook right inside the meat sauce as it bakes alongside layers of creamy ricotta cheese. Those cheesy, saucy edges get wonderfully crunchy when I heat up a leftover slice the next night for a quick meal.
Get the Recipe: Ravioli Lasagna
Go put the oven mitts on; your future, slightly less stressed self is already thanking you.
