Make-Ahead Mexican: Enchiladas and Other Recipes

Make dinnertime quick and easy with these meals made in advance

Weeknight dinners can be hectic for working parents with children. Preparing a couple of extra dishes over the weekend eases the stress. You just pop them into the oven on a busy night for an instant meal. Slow-cookers also save time. With a little advance preparation, you can come home to a home-cooked meal any night of the week.

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    Easy Enchiladas - Corn Tortillas Stuffed With Cheese

    Enchiladas

     The Spruce

    Highly customizable easy enchiladas make for an easy weeknight meal paired with a simple salad. Start with the basic recipe for cheese-stuffed enchiladas, then put your own spin on it by varying the sauce, adding shredded meat or trying different types of cheese. For make-ahead convenience, assemble the dish the night before or in the morning if time allows, cover it with foil and store it in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

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    Chile Colorado - Beef in a Red Chile Sauce

    Easy chile colorado recipe

    ​The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

    This family favorite lets you throw all of the ingredients into your slow-cooker, which you can store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When serving day arrives, take the crock pot out of the refrigerator in the morning, put it in the warming unit and set it to low. By the time dinner rolls around, you have a steaming pot of delicious ​chile colorado. Heat some tortillas, and your meal is ready to go.