Holiday hosting can take up the hours you usually leave for planning dinner. These 17 recipes include soups, casseroles, make-ahead mains, quick skillet meals, and sides that help round out a plate. Some can be cooked or assembled early, while others keep weeknight cooking short when the schedule is full. Choose a batch to refrigerate or freeze, or save a fast recipe for the evening you need dinner on the table.
Turkey Meatloaf
Slices of turkey meatloaf give Turkey Meatloaf an easy place in a busy dinner plan. It takes 1 hour 15 minutes and serves eight, combining ground turkey with sun-dried tomatoes, feta, breadcrumbs, egg, marjoram, and parsley beneath a ketchup-Worcestershire topping. Bake it before a full stretch of hosting, then wrap and freeze portions for later. A slice reheats for dinner with vegetables or tucked into a sandwich.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf
Hamburger Soup
Evening plans stay simpler with Hamburger Soup, a one-pot meal that takes 50 minutes and serves six. Ground beef, potato, and frozen mixed vegetables simmer in a tomato broth seasoned with Worcestershire and Italian herbs. Cook a batch ahead and divide it into containers for quick dinners or lunches. The combination makes a filling bowl on its own, with bread on the side if you want to stretch the meal.
Get the Recipe: Hamburger Soup
Lemon Pepper Wings
Crisp edges and a buttery citrus finish make Lemon Pepper Wings an easy dinner to set out after a day of holiday errands. They take 50 minutes and serve four, using chicken wings, baking powder, salt, melted butter, and lemon pepper seasoning. Roast them until the skin is browned, then bring the tray to the table with vegetables or another simple side. The short ingredient list keeps this meal manageable when hosting prep takes priority.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Pepper Wings
Clam Chowder
Creamy chowder brings a full meal to the table in Clam Chowder, which takes 20 minutes and serves four. Potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and clams thicken with butter, flour, and half-and-half, while bacon, red wine vinegar, parsley, and green onions finish the pot. Make it ahead for a night when kitchen time is limited, then refrigerate or freeze extra servings. A bowl with crusty bread can cover lunch or dinner.
Get the Recipe: Clam Chowder
Corn Casserole
Spoonable and golden around the edges, Corn Casserole is a useful side to prepare before a holiday meal. It takes one hour and serves eight, mixing creamed corn, whole-kernel corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, butter, and cheddar in one dish. Bake it ahead to free up time when guests arrive, then reheat it alongside a main course. Its casserole format makes portions easy to serve at dinner or a potluck.
Get the Recipe: Corn Casserole
Panda Express Super Greens
Bright greens bring a quick vegetable side to the table in Panda Express Super Greens. The 20-minute recipe serves four, combining broccoli, green cabbage, and kale with garlic, soy sauce, vegetable broth, sesame oil, and olive oil. Make it on an evening when the main dish is already prepared, or cook it fresh beside a simple protein. It helps round out dinner without adding a long project to a crowded hosting schedule.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Super Greens
Stuffed Cabbage
Rolled leaves and tomato sauce make Stuffed Cabbage a hearty main that can be prepared before a full week of hosting. It takes 2 hours 10 minutes and serves four, filling cabbage with ground beef and pork, rice, breadcrumbs, onion, and parsley. The rolls bake in a sauce of crushed tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and oregano. Make the dish ahead, then reheat portions for dinner when time is short.
Get the Recipe: Stuffed Cabbage
Breakfast Pizza
Breakfast-for-dinner brings a change of pace with Breakfast Pizza, which takes 28 minutes and serves eight. Store-bought pizza dough holds eggs, fresh Italian sausage, mozzarella, and cheddar, with green onions for garnish. Cut it into portions for a casual family dinner, or serve it hot when holiday guests need an easy morning spread. Its familiar pizza shape makes the egg-and-sausage topping simple to pass around.
Get the Recipe: Breakfast Pizza
Ham and Cheese Quiche
Custardy slices make Ham and Cheese Quiche a flexible option for brunch or a light dinner. It takes 50 minutes and serves eight, with eggs, heavy cream, diced ham, Emmental cheese, nutmeg, and a pie crust. Bake it ahead and refrigerate the slices, then warm them when the evening schedule is tight. Pair a piece with a salad or cooked vegetables to make the meal more substantial without extra last-minute prep.
Get the Recipe: Ham and Cheese Quiche
Skillet Miso Butter Chicken Thighs with Burnt Honey
One-pan cooking keeps Skillet Miso Butter Chicken Thighs with Burnt Honey manageable during a packed week. The recipe takes 30 minutes and serves four, pairing chicken thighs with white miso, soy sauce, sesame oil, citrus, butter, and honey. Cook the chicken for dinner, then save portions for another meal; the recipe notes that leftovers freeze and reheat well. Serve it with rice or vegetables for an easy plate after a long day of hosting.
Get the Recipe: Skillet Miso Butter Chicken Thighs with Burnt Honey
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Velvety texture and savory toppings make Mashed Sweet Potatoes a side that can be handled before guests arrive. They take 55 minutes and serve eight, with sweet potatoes, caramelized onion, rosemary butter, maple syrup, milk, and Parmesan. Prepare them the day before, then warm them for a holiday dinner or a weeknight plate. The blend of herbs and cheese gives the mash a savory direction alongside roasted meat or vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Slow cooker timing lets Slow Cooker Pot Roast take care of dinner while other hosting tasks get done. The recipe takes 5 hours 10 minutes and serves 12, with chuck roast, onion, carrots, garlic, beef stock, red wine, potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, and rosemary. Add the potatoes and mushrooms later in the cooking process so they stay tender. Cook it earlier in the day, then serve a meal-sized portion with plenty left for another evening.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Four Cheese Mac n Cheese
Rich sauce clings to the pasta in Four Cheese Mac n Cheese, a 45-minute dish that serves six. Elbow pasta gets coated in a butter-and-flour base with milk, Cheddar, Gouda, mozzarella, and Parmesan, then finishes with parsley. Make it as a meatless dinner or a side alongside a main dish, and keep extra portions ready for reheating. It fits a crowded hosting week because the familiar casserole-style meal serves quickly.
Get the Recipe: Four Cheese Mac n Cheese
Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole
Golden edges and a soft egg center give Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole a make-ahead option for brunch or breakfast-for-dinner. It takes 1 hour 5 minutes and serves six, using hash browns, eggs, bell peppers, spinach, cherry tomatoes, peas, cheddar, sour cream, and milk. Assemble it before a busy morning, then bake and portion it when needed. The mix of vegetables and eggs makes a complete dish with little serving fuss.
Get the Recipe: Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Pressure cooking brings Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup together in just 14 minutes, with six servings from the pot. Bone-in chicken thighs cook with onion, carrots, celery, chicken broth, garlic powder, thyme, and fusilli pasta. Make it when holiday plans leave little room for simmering, then divide extra bowls for later meals. The broth, chicken, and noodles make a full dinner, and the quick total time is handy on a packed evening.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Spiced Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Crumbly topping gives Spiced Pumpkin Coffee Cake a spot on a holiday breakfast or snack table. It takes one hour and serves nine, with pumpkin puree, sour cream, and pumpkin pie spice in the cake and a pecan, brown-sugar streusel on top. Bake it ahead so a sweet bite is ready while you focus on hosting meals. Cut squares once cooled and offer them with coffee in the morning or after dinner.
Get the Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Marry Me Chicken Stuffed Shells
Plump pasta shells turn cooked chicken into Marry Me Chicken Stuffed Shells, a dinner that serves four in 35 minutes. The filling combines shredded chicken, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes, while a creamy sauce uses broth, heavy cream, garlic, oregano, and paprika. Bake the dish when dinner time arrives and serve the shells with a simple salad. The individual portions make serving easy on evenings when holiday guests or plans fill the schedule.
Get the Recipe: Marry Me Chicken Stuffed Shells
The post 17 meal prep dinners to have on hand when holiday hosting eats up your evenings appeared first on Food Drink Life.
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