Some recipes simply taste better the next day—and if you’ve ever heard someone say “this will be even better tomorrow” after making a big pot of chili, then you know what we mean. It turns out there’s a wide variety of dishes that enjoy the same benefits of time. Pasta salad, for instance, always benefits from marinating in the fridge and so do a variety of soups, stews, and curries. Read on for our best dinner recipes that taste even better as leftovers.
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World’s Best Lasagna
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Believe it, everyone. This lasagna is amazing! I served it tonight to at a dinner party and all my guests raved and went back for seconds!” —LifeguardM
Brunswick Stew
Allrecipes member
“I have made this recipe twice now…once for just my family, the second time for a large crowd. Both times received raved reviews… My 14 year old said, ‘Mom, this is the best stew we’ve ever had!'” —kleef17
Boilermaker Tailgate Chili
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“I can’t praise this chili enough! The meat melted in your mouth, the flavors tingled nicely all the way to your toes. I just won a chili cookoff with it so that might be a large part of the reason. The judges and the crowd loved it.” —VORCHA
Baked Beans from Scratch
ALLRECIPES / JULIA HARTBECK
“The flavor of the beans was spot-on for my taste. Perfect served alongside some brisket and coleslaw. I think you could easily adapt this for the slow cooker too, if you want to ‘set it and forget it’.” —LivelyCow1858
Baked Spaghetti
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This is a kid-go-to recipe for comfort food. I’ve made it many times for and with children. The only change I make is that our farm produces quark, a European style cheese, very similar to ricotta, not as sweet. Anyway we love it!!!!” —JulieD
Classic, Hearty Beef Stew
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Great recipe. Yes, it takes some time but it is so worth it… A definite keeper. Looking forward to making it again — it is delish.” —ReeZ
Baked Ziti
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“One of my go to recipes. Easier than lasagna and tastes so much better.” —Brittany
Bolognese Sauce
“This is an EXCELLENT recipe. I have made it a number of times both for my family and for dinner parties. I have gotten rave reviews each time I have made it, and there is rarely any left. Even my picky husband loves it.” —GIX2
Indian Chicken Curry (Murgh Kari)
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“Absolutely love this! This is my second time making it. I come from South east Asia where the curries are flavorful and aromatic and spicy. I had been trying out various curry recipes, only this one made the cut! For those who say the yogurt curdle, try beating it up until smooth before you mix it in. This method works for me!” —ChirpyPea5856
Birria
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“OMG! It was so-o-o-o-o good! The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender and the spices were just enough. Each day I had it in the refrig the spices came out a little more-just like a good stew should–taste better than the day before. It didn’t last long and I will definitely make it again.” —Pipper
Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“This made a wonderful meal to share with friends and family! I had plenty to serve at a gumbo party, and everyone enjoyed it! Used fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of stewed tomatoes, and it was delicious. Fun meal to cook and share!” —Alexander
Awesome Pasta Salad
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“I have made this recipe several times over the past couple years. It is a real hit at barbecues, graduation parties, family reunions. It is easy to make, makes a large bowl and devoured. Boar’s Head meats and cheeses work very well and the deli will slice meats and cheese in 1/2 inch pieces so all I need to do is cut into bite size pieces. Delicious!!” —grannyjan5
Kimchi Jigae (Kimchi Soup)
Delicious kimchee soup, easy to make, and very filling! Perfect for cold weather days—and even better reheated the next day.
Butternut Squash Soup
Allrecipes / Kim Shupe
“I loved this soup!! And I’m not usually a fan of butternut squash soup, either! It was so easy to make; and so flavorful! I took the advice of the recipe submitter to roast the squash vs just boiling it; and I’m so glad I did. The flavor is amazing! I will be making this again!” —Kim
Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
“This is absolutely delicious and full of flavor. My adult kids love this and asked that I double batch it to freeze. I did that and just slowly reheated it in my cast iron pot and tastes just as good or not better since the flavors were able to meld together.” —Shawna Palmer
Beef Ragu
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Like Bolognese, Beef ragu is a traditional Italian dish that’s slow-simmered with beef and tomatoes. Many newer ragu recipes use sambal oelek or anchovy paste to help build flavor, while this one uses harissa. The balance of spice, acid, and yummy beef make it even better the next day.
Easy Meatloaf
Grant Webster / Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling: Gabriel Greco
“Excellent recipe! And yummy! The real test will be a meatloaf sandwich tomorrow for lunch.” —Lisa
Simple Beef Short Ribs
lutzflcat
“Loved this recipe! It was simple! I made the ribs in my crockpot. I added a couple of extra cloves of garlic cause that’s what we like. The juice from the ribs made an outstanding gravy for potatoes! Yummy!!!” —skboardman
Chef John’s Classic American Goulash
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“I make this on the reg; it makes a lot of leftovers for a family of 2, but so, so worth it. I love this recipe with no changes!” —Nicole Rouen
The Best Meatballs
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Tasty and tender. Everyone always asks how are they so tender?…the water is the secret!To be honest, I always add more garlic because that it just what I prefer, and I always process the bread crumbs in the food processor.” —Charrigan