Shabbos Shortcuts

(updated 4/9/17)

There are many times we are down to the wire in preparing for Shabbos (or Yom Tov). Here are a few tricks and tips that have served us well.

No time to cook a chicken dish?

Grill! My husband loves grilled chicken and if you are using an electric grill it cooks much faster than a regular recipe in the oven. For us, it frees up the oven so we can cook other things, which ultimately means Shabbos cooking in less time. Plus, in the summer, grilling means the house gets heated up less from cooking in the oven.

Need a dessert in a hurry?

We love Rice Krispy Treats (click on the title for a kosher recipe from CookKosher). We can eat a pan in one Shabbos! Using store brand cereal and the marshmallow fluff, they are cheap, quick, and yummy!

Out of Shabbos candles?

Tea lights work well in a pinch. They won’t burn as long and certainly don’t look as nice. However, when we are out (or can’t afford a new box of candles), these work well. I set them right on top of my candlesticks.

Need an extra dish?

Pull one out of the freezer. If we can, when we make kugels, we make two and freeze one. The second gets made in a disposable aluminum pan, so it is easy to put in the freezer. Be sure to put it in a freezer bag, too, to avoid freezer burn and the foil coming off the top!

Another quick idea is to open a can or frozen package of vegetables. It may not be the fanciest side dish, but certainly for us and the kids, it works.

Home late from work and can’t get to everything on your prep list?

We have a Shabbos checklist with everyone’s jobs. The kids each have their own jobs now. The jobs shaded yellow are the ones that must get done before each Shabbos. So it we are short on time, we know which ones need to come first!

For more Shabbos tips, see my posts:

• Making your own challah
• Saving money and energy on Shabbos
• Review: Jewish-Life-Organized.com
• Soda Stream soda makers!
• Recipe favorites – Crumb Chicken
• Where do you find kosher recipes online?

* Do you have other shortcuts or easy recipes you like to use when you are out of time getting ready for Shabbos? Please share them here!