Kitchen lifesavers! 21 favorite easy holiday recipes made easier with kitchen shortcuts

Those of you who are also fans of Cool Mom Eats (and hey, thank you!) know that I'm all about coming up with smart solutions to help busy parents with home cooked meals that still feed our families quickly and easily. Especially this time of year, when presumably most of us would rather spend our time hanging with the family, not stuck in the kitchen. Well, depending on the family of course. (Heh.) So we're here to help with some smart kitchen shortcuts and easy holiday recipes that keep meals simple, speedy, healthy, and above all, totally delicious -- thanks in part to our fantastic sponsor Francesco Rinaldi. This family-run company makes delicious tomato-based and Alfredo sauces from authentic, handed-down Italian recipes, with the kinds of natural ingredients you'd use yourself -- if you were spending the time to cook from scratch. Yay for holiday cooking hacks! (Which include using an Instant Pot, by the way. Oh yeah...we're so all over that trend.) Check out this comprehensive list of 21 my favorite, easy holiday recipes made even easier when you substitute really top quality jarred sauces. Then start making lists all the other things you'll be able to get done with the time you'll save.  

7 Ideas for Easy Holiday Appetizer Recipes Made Easier

We've got 7 delicious, easy holiday appetizers made even easier, including my own amazing 5-Minute Spinach Artichoke Dip you can make in an Instant Pot. Literally. Five minutes. This is a favorite with my own kids, or for holiday entertaining and I think you'll love it. But if you want something more hearty, check out the other options, like Skillet Meatballs with Garlic Toast, or a crowd-pleasing Fried Bocconcini with Spicy Tomato Sauce.

Just a taste...

 

7 Ideas for Easy Holiday Side Dish Recipes Made Easier

I really think that fantastic side dishes can be the highlight of any meal -- or if you're like my family, sometimes side dishes are the meal! So I'm sharing 7 impressive but easy holiday side dish recipes, complete with shortcuts to make life easier. And this Eggplant Involtini from Alexandra Cooks is just the tip of the iceberg. It's delicious any way you make it, but I love how easy it gets with our hacks for simplifying the prep. Click over, and you'll also find gorgeous Ricotta and Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms (perfect for vegetarians who are still gunning for protein), and an outrageous Hasselback potato dish made rich and holiday-ready with a decadent cream sauce.

 

7 Ideas for Easy Holiday Main Dishes Made Easier

My family is a sucker for a good brisket, so I'm sharing my own family recipe for Quick Brisket with Tomato Risotto (mmmm...) among these 7 amazing holiday dinner recipes made easier. Spoiler: The Instant Pot means you're finished in half the time it takes using a slow cooker. You'll also find a nice vegetarian main dish idea, a spicy Calamari Fra Diavolo, and Spicy Shrimp Pasta in Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce for those of you doing "fishes" for Christmas Eve; and a Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank if you're going for the big wow.

 

Guaranteed crowd-pleaser, even for picky kids!

Thank you so much our sponsor Francesco Rinaldi for making holiday mealtime easier for busy families with their wholesome tomato-based sauces and Alfredo sauces, all made by Italians from handed-down family recipes using good, natural ingredients.  To learn more about their products, visit the Francesco Rinaldi website or find them on Facebook where you can share your Francesco Rinaldi creations -- including these recipes! -- using the hashtag #GetSaucy.