This hearty make ahead Après Ski Dinner menu is the perfect combination of dishes to serve at the end of a fun-filled day of skiing or snowshoeing. After hitting the slopes all day, my friends and family are hungry and looking for warm and comforting food. The beauty of this satisfying menu is that every dish can be made ahead of time, and then reheated (as needed) before serving.
Start the meal with a scrumptious Crab Dip, followed by flavorful and nourishing Italian-inspired Sausage and Orzo Soup accompanied by my grandmother’s Cornbread and an easy Caesar Salad. To end on a high note, serve an intensely flavored and moist Sticky Ginger Cake – the perfect end to a perfect day.
Après Ski Dinner Menu
4-Ingredient Hot Crab Dip
Quick and easy to prepare, this appetizer is always a crowd pleaser. The creamy herbed cheese is the perfect pairing with lump crabmeat. Almonds add a bit of crunch, and fresh chives finish it off. Yum!
Italian Sausage Soup with Spinach and Orzo
Hearty Italian Sausage, Spinach and Orzo Soup is a cozy combination of flavors that that result in a phenomenal one-pot meal to please even your pickiest of eaters. My husband is half Italian, and this dish ranks at the tippy top of his soup list! Plus, it’s easy to prepare from items usually on hand (with limited chopping), freezable and delicious the next day, too.
Parmesan Cornbread Recipe with Buttermilk
Parmesan Buttermilk Cornbread is moist, tangy and super delicious! Easy to make ahead, too. Don’t have (or can’t find) buttermilk? No worries – I provide substitutions in the Notes section below.
Homemade Caesar Dressing
This Homemade Caesar Dressing is thick, creamy and full of tangy, salty flavors. Our version of this classic dressing has been successfully prepared many times, by many people, making it both time and taste tested.
Sticky Ginger Cake
Intensely flavorful and super moist, Sticky Ginger Cake isn’t your typical gingerbread – and it’s super easy to prepare, too. The warm, earthy flavor of ginger is combined with molasses, cinnamon and allspice, resulting in a deeply spiced, scrumptious cake. A two-ingredient lemon-sugar glaze is the perfect finish!
Make Ahead Game Plan for this Après Ski Menu
- Up to one month ahead: Prepare and freeze Sticky Ginger Cake.
- Three days ahead: Make salad dressing; cover and refrigerate.
- Two days ahead: Make cornbread; wrap and refrigerate. Make soup up to point of adding spinach and cheese; cover and refrigerate (when reheating, add more broth as the pasta will absorb some of the liquid while sitting.)
- One day ahead: Make crab dip; cover and refrigerate.
Après Ski Drink Recommendations
- White: A nice dry Riesling.
- Red: A rustic and medium-bodied Chianti.
What is Après Ski?
Après ski is French for “after ski” or “after skiing.” It refers to the time at the end of the day, when the ski lifts and slopes are closed and you gather with friends and family. It usually involves drinking and often eating good food.
Other Après Ski Food Ideas
Here are some other ideas of hearty, warming dishes that can be made ahead to serve after skiing:
