Cynthia 
The best make ahead skewer appetizers use firm, well-dried ingredients threaded in an order that keeps the wettest piece, usually mozzarella, near the top and added last, with any dressing held back until right before serving. I have brought soggy antipasto skewers to a party exactly once, and the memory still makes me wince a
The easiest Christmas breakfast recipes are the ones you build the night before, and a hash brown sausage and egg casserole is the one that gets the whole table fed while you’re still in your pajamas. I used to think a big holiday breakfast meant getting up at 6 a.m. to stand over a skillet
A cranberry ginger ale mocktail that isn’t too tart or too sweet, made with real ginger beer, fresh lime, and a trick that keeps it from watering down.
Ham and cheese tortilla roll ups are a no-bake appetizer made by spreading a flour tortilla with seasoned cream cheese, layering it with deli ham and sliced cheese, rolling it up tight, chilling it, and slicing it into rounds. I make these more than almost anything else in my snack rotation, mostly because nothing gets
Wild rice stuffing with cranberries is a side dish made by simmering wild rice in stock until the grains split and go tender, then baking it with sautéed onion and celery, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and fresh herbs until the top turns golden. I make some version of this every year starting in October, long
The best back to school snacks pair a protein or fat with something crunchy or sweet, so kids stay full longer. Here are 14 snack combos, lunchbox ideas, and make-ahead tricks that actually work, plus the gear worth buying.
Yes, you can make deviled eggs up to two days ahead of time, as long as you store the hard-boiled whites and the yolk filling separately and don’t pipe them together until an hour or so before serving. I learned this the embarrassing way. I once assembled a full tray of deviled eggs the night
Goat cheese mashed potatoes are made by mashing boiled Yukon Gold potatoes with warm butter and cream, then folding in softened goat cheese off the heat, using about 4 ounces of cheese per 2 pounds of potatoes so the tang stays in the background instead of taking over. I love goat cheese, but the first
A poinsettia cocktail is cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and sparkling wine, and the cranberry base batches perfectly the night before. The ratio I use, why it isn’t quite a Christmas mimosa, and how to scale it for a crowd without losing the bubbles.
Spiked hot chocolate you batch the night before: a real melted-chocolate cocoa base, the spirit stirred in ahead, reheated on the stove or in a slow cooker, with toppings added only at serving.
A green bean casserole recipe without cream of mushroom soup swaps the canned condensed soup for a quick homemade mushroom cream sauce made with butter, flour, fresh mushrooms, and cream, so you get that same rich, creamy casserole without the tinny, oversalted flavor of the can. I used to think green bean casserole just came
My sugar cookie martini recipe mixes vanilla vodka, RumChata, and amaretto with cream for a dessert cocktail, plus the rim trick that actually keeps sprinkles on the glass.
My cranberry Moscow mule is built to be batched the night before, with the vodka, cranberry, and lime mixed ahead and the ginger beer poured in at the glass so it never goes flat.
My cowboy caviar recipe uses canned pantry staples, a tangy homemade dressing, and one trick that keeps it from turning soggy at parties.
To make mulled wine you can batch ahead, simmer a cheap dry red with cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, and sugar, stir in brandy off the heat, then chill it overnight and reheat it low and slow. The batch-ahead method, the wine to buy, and how to hold it warm in a slow cooker all night.