This butternut squash soup recipe is a lovely addition to Thanksgiving dinner or any holiday meal. Its also ideal because you can prepare this soup two days ahead of time to lessen your stress.

If you are looking to cook cheap, yet nutritious meals, then there are plenty of good dishes you can make that don't cost a lot of money. If you have the opportunity to plan your meals ahead and if you have some storage to keep frozen food in, then you're even better off. Here are some affordable recipes, most cost under $2 or even as low as $0.80

Make-ahead meals put you in control of your schedule. You do the preparation when you have some extra time, then you're rewarded with a quick, home-cooked meal when things get hectic later in the day, week, or month.

Dream Dinners is a food preparation franchise operation based in Snohomish, Washington. It specializes in providing space for families to prepare meals ahead of time for freezing and cooking at home. There are currently 230 locations in 34 states in the United States. The company was founded by Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna.The concept of Dream Dinners is to give busy families the opportunity to prepare home-cooked meals ahead of time. Each month a fourteen-item menu is made available throughout the chain. The meals are purchased by servings. A medium size meal is (3) servings while a large size meal is (6) servings. Someone can come in for a public or private session to prepare these meals. All required ingredients are provided. The standard session provides all fourteen meals from that month's menu for around $225. Side dishes and salads for each meal are recommended but not provided. The cost per serving goes down the more servings you order for one session. Different franchise locations may offer their own discount offers.Dream Dinners has been featured in the Oprah magazine.Dream Dinners was profiled by the Food Network show Recipe for Success. See alsoThe Secret Chef, A locally owned (Doylestown, PA) Meal Assembly Company that specializes in fresh food (organic choices available), an immaculate kitchen and friendly service. Get Ahead with Make Ahead Meals! No Shopping, No Chopping, No Mess! www.TheSecretChef.comEntrees Made Easy, a meal assembly kitchen that utilizes a full-commercial kitchen to make everything in the store from scratch rather than a from a can. Also a franchise with local ownership.Let's Eat, a gourmet meal preparation kitchen offering guests a fast and delicious way to serve creative, nutritious meals while spending time with family.SupperThyme USA, meal preparation the way you like it. Locations throughout the United States with local owners. Also serves health foods and kids food.Dinners Ready, another meal assembly kitchen with locations throughout the United States.Super Suppers, another company with a similar concept.My Girlfriend's Kitchen (www.mgfk.com) is a leading meal prep company with locations across the country that are franchises owned by local owners.Dinner My Way, same concept, but you can select which meals you want, instead of all the menu items. Minimum of 3 meals that serve 4-6 people.Entrée Vous, How Dinner Gets Done. A meal assembly kitchen that uses fresh herbs, chops fresh vegetables and offers 14 family sized entrees every month.The Easy Entree, Hassle-free Home Cooking, focusing on nutrition, quality, and price. Locally owned and independently operated in Bellingham, Washington.