Be honest: The problem is not that you don’t have time to cook.

The problem is that you don’t have time to cook in the hectic 45 minutes or so between the time you arrive home from work and stomachs start growling.

After all, there’s the dog to walk, the mail to open, the laundry to start, etc. If you could just take some of the hours from those lazy weekend afternoons and insert them into the weekday Â

Well, you can, sort of. There are many dishes that can be made ahead, refrigerated or frozen and then popped into the oven or microwave when needed with little or no drop-off in quality. Some may even improve in flavor with time.

You can save money, eat healthier and eat better.

All that’s needed to become a successful make-ahead cook is a little resolve, organization and knowledge.

“Most things freeze, although there are some that don’t freeze well,” said Janice Hibarger, owner of the Creative Cook personal chef service in Wichita. She prepares dozens of make-ahead dishes each week for her clients.

Hibarger starts by shaping her shopping list around supermarket specials. Then she doubles or triples the recipe, saving additional money by buying ingredients in bulk.

“It’s going to cost less, and then you’ve got chili”  or whatever you’re cooking  “for the next few months.”

Make-ahead dishes basically take two forms: those that are fully cooked and only need reheating, and those that are frozen or refrigerated before cooking.

With the exception of cream soups, Hibarger said, most cooked dishes freeze well.

When it comes to uncooked dishes, however, Hibarger said those containing raw chicken or seafood should not be frozen. Those products have usually already been frozen before they reach the supermarket, and a second freezing is harmful to their texture. Additionally, salmonella is a concern with raw poultry.

Among Hibarger’s favorites to make ahead are casseroles, soups, stews and chili.

“Some of the flavors intensify. It’s actually better” than when first made, she said.

She also notes that when liquids, including many sauces, are cooled, the fat separates out and rises to the top. It can then be easily skimmed off.

Inexpensive storage products for freezing come in many shapes and sizes, and most of them are reusable.

For freezing solid dishes, Hibarger likes “double-wrap” freezer bags, in which the interior layer adheres to the food surface. There are also hard plastic containers that can go straight from the freezer to the microwave.

And for people with a little more money to spend, vacuum-packing devices for home use have become available in recent years.