1. Beef Bourguignon
Many braised stews take on flavour over time. One of them is beef bourguignon, whose spices, such as clove and bay leaf, are revealed, while the sugars get more concentrated and the melted fat of the meat enhances the entire dish.
BEEF
Beef Bourguinon
2. Braised Beef Pie
Among the pleasures of autumn is preparing braised dishes, such as beef. Don’t be surprised to find it tastes better several hours after cooking. The sauce having soaked in very well, the meat is permeated with the flavours that surround it.
QUICHES AND SAVOURY PIES
Braised Beef Pie
3. Spaghetti Sauce
To make a good pasta sauce, it takes time for the flavours to become refined. The dish thus acquires more aromas and food gets more tender. Here is a recipe that you can make the day before, to be enjoyed the next day. And the herbs will have done all the work!
4. Dal
This Indian-inspired recipe is a perfect example of a dish that takes on a whole new face the following day. Once the dal is reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave, the spices present on the first day (such as garam masala and cumin) subtly blend together and amplify. The broth is imbued with aromatic flavours for an even more pleasant experience.
VEGETARIAN
Dal
5. Chili
Have you ever reheated leftover chili for lunch and noticed how much flavour it has taken on? Dishes cooked in sauce are the ultimate “best the next day” meals. Enjoy the chili by heating it on the stovetop until boiling, then simmering it for a few minutes over low heat.
LEGUMES
Three Bean and Pork Chili
6. Chicken Pot Pie
Meat pies are often better reheated, not necessarily because the taste improves, but rather due to the fact that they hold together better and are less runny. In a chicken pot pie, for example, the béchamel tends to leak when it is just made. By the next day, it has thickened.
COMFORT FOOD
Chicken Pot Pie (The Best)
7. Moussaka
This Greek dish, traditionally made with ground lamb and eggplant, gains strength when made ahead of time. The meat of the moussaka relaxes once it has had time to soak in the tomato-based broth. Your patience will have been worth it!
MEDITERRANEAN
Moussaka
8. Vegetable Soup
In a soup, the various flavours will have had all night to develop and will just keep getting better. Carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes and rutabaga become more tender and, by releasing their juices, they’ll soak up the broth and become even tastier than when first cooked.
SOUPS AND BROTHS
Vegetable and Fava Bean Soup
9. Braised Cabbage
We love how cabbage softens when cooked so that by the next day it practically melts in your mouth. This braised cabbage dish with sausage and sweet potatoes is the perfect example. The aroma of the caraway seeds, which is similar to fennel seeds, will have had time to diffuse and the garlic becomes very tender.
10. Chickpea Salad
It’s not only warm dishes that gain flavour when you eat them later! Salads made with legumes, such as chickpeas, end up more flavourful because they soak up the dressing. That said, avoid doing the same with salads made of lettuce, because the latter becomes way too soggy by the next day.
VEGETARIAN
Chickpea Salad
Surprisingly, some dishes are simply better when eaten in the days following their preparation. By cooking them ahead of time, you not only gain in flavour, but also in efficiency and time!