I love having people over on weeknights.  It’s wonderful to break up the week with friends, laughter, and great food.

But, it stinks to race home from work, clean, cook, and try to look presentable in the 36 seconds between work and when your guests arrive.

So, why not make a crazy-easy make-ahead meal TODAY and have it in the fridge any day this week?

Let’s have baked spaghetti with eggplant and sausage, garlic bread, and Caesar salad.

Click on any of the pictures below for the original recipe for each of these dishes!

First, go to the store and buy whatever you need.  Having all your ingredients in one place will make your life easier!

For the spaghetti, you can make it in it’s entirety today.  When you’ve topped it with cheese, cover it and stick it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat.  Then bake it at 375F for 30 minutes or so until the topping is melted and the pasta is hot and bubbly.

Go ahead and make the salad dressing and schmear for the bread today too.  Then, when you’re getting ready to eat, butter the bread, cut it, wrap it in tin foil, and heat it up alongside the spaghetti.  While it’s cooking chop up lettuce and toss it with the salad dressing that you’ve already made.

Don’t be afraid to entertain!  With a teeny bit of planning you can have a great meal on the table FAST any day of the week, which leaves you more time to eat, drink, and be merrily stress-free.