There’s a lot to love about stew. You do work on the front and back ends, but mostly the pot just simmers on the stove, making your house smell good. The result is a warm, comforting dinner—the perfect winter meal. But perhaps our favorite thing is how easy, even advisable, it is to make stew ahead. Like those classic dishes that taste better after resting (Bolognese, we’re looking at you), stew almost always benefits from time in the fridge. The flavors deepen as the liquid takes on more character, elevating each pot. That’s why these dishes, all of which can be cooked three days ahead, are ideal for a homey dinner party. They need just a reheat (be gentle—you don’t want to turn the tender ingredients to mush or overreduce the liquid) and a final flourish, like the dumplings in the stew above, and you’ve got a winning meal for a crowd, with a house that smells as if you’ve been cooking all afternoon.