Here are our staff’s ideas for those suppers you can throw together, no matter what other chaos is going on!  

In these weeks before Pesach, we’re all just doing our best to get dinner on the table every night without adding unnecessary stress to the equation, and bonus points if we can use up the pantry stash while we’re at it. Here are our staff’s ideas for those suppers you can throw together, no matter what other chaos is going on!  

Oven-Baked Chicken Breast 

I hit upon this idea once when the store was out of thin schnitzel cutlets and I had to make do with what’s called in Israel “chazeh of” (chicken breast) and frantically googled some ideas. The best part of this dinner is that there’s no cutting up the chicken or cooking complicated sauces first. Just make your own mix of dry or wet spices (I use brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper, but you can play around with anything; honey and garlic is great too), and sprinkle it evenly over the chicken once it’s pounded to even height and laid in a baking pan.  

Bake uncovered at 425°F (220°C) for 18–20 minutes, then cover and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve over couscous or rice, or really anything. 

—Miriam Bloch, proofreader 

Use-Up-the-Chometz Dinners 

After Purim, do your best to use up the chometz! Make pasta or breakfast suppers — omelets with French toast or pancakes to use up flour. 

The hardest part is when the kitchen is upside down, not kashered yet, but you can’t cook there either. For the in-between times we buy cold cuts and pita, a jar of pickles, packaged coleslaw, maybe roast some potatoes. If you have a Pesachdig Crock-Pot, those meals (chicken and potatoes) are always practical. 

—Barbara Bensoussan, columnist 

Quick Sloppy Joes 

Simple, scrumptious, and perfect for feeding hungry people before Pesach! 

• olive oil, for sautéing  
• 1–2 large onions, diced 
• 2.2 lbs (1 kg) chopped meat or turkey 
• 2 15-oz (425-g) cans tomato sauce 
• 1 large jar marinara sauce 
• 1 14-oz (400-g) pkg pasta (small tube shape) 

Heat a little olive oil in a 6-quart pot. Add onions and sauté until light brown, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped meat and break up with a potato masher (or a special stick made for this purpose) until browned, about 5–10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, and fill each can with water and add that too. Add the marinara sauce, or more tomato sauce with spices of your choice to season. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook over low heat, covered, until all the liquid cooks out, about half an hour.  

Note: It pays to double the recipe and freeze half. It freezes beautifully. 

—Brynie Greisman, recipe columnist 

Turkey Tortillas 

It often feels that at least once a week, dinner is fueled on survival mode. As long as there’s a protein and vegetable mixed in somewhere, I am happy.  

The easiest thing to do is to warm up some tortillas (they freeze really well, so try to have a package or two in the house). Smear with horseradish mayo, techinah, or chummus. Add some romaine and sliced turkey breast. Roll it up, and dinner is done. Plus you get to use up the tortillas (chometz purge). 

—Chaia Frishman, columnist