1. Less Is More
You don’t need five courses when three will do just as nicely. Make fewer courses that really shine and no one will miss the extras.

2. Prep What You Can in Advance
Lots of little time-consuming tasks can be accomplished in advance. Chop vegetables, grate cheese, crush crackers and so forth the day before to save time and relax the pace on the big day.

3. Make What You Like
Plan your meal around foods you and your family enjoy. Don’t feel obligated to serve traditional holiday favorites just because they’re traditional: if you don’t like pumpkin pie, serve cheesecake.

4. Think Outside the Box
If you do prefer the traditional holiday favorites but want to speed up the process of meal preparation, think about how you can streamline your dishes. For example, instead of making an apple pie, make a freeform apple galette, which takes less time to assemble and to bake.

Next: Sample Holiday Menus ~ 3 course meals for Busy Moms

Sample Holiday Menus ~ 3 course meals for Busy Moms

Thanksgiving: Turkey Cottage Pie, Mesclun mix with blue cheese and thinly sliced tart apples, Apple Crumb Galette

For a lightning-quick Thanksgiving dinner that will satisfy everyone’s cravings, try serving your turkey in the form of a cottage pie. Brown some ground turkey along with a small diced onion. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour turkey into a large casserole dish, top with canned or frozen corn kernels, and pour turkey gravy over. Spoon prepared stuffing over the corn and spread a layer of mashed potatoes over this. Dot with butter and heat at 350 degrees F until heated through. Serve with cranberry sauce.

Hanukkah: Crock-Pot Brisket, Potato Latkes, Store-bought Applesauce, Green Salad, Jelly Doughnuts from the bakery

Cook your brisket in a Crock-Pot so you will be able to focus on the most labor-intensive part of the meal: crispy, golden potato latkes. Pick up jelly doughnuts from your favorite bakery.

Christmastime: Roast chicken with herbs and wine; roasted russet potato wedges tossed with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; Cranberry -Apple Crisp.

Put a good-size oven roaster in a 13- x 9-inch pan with a rack. Season with fresh herbs, inside and out, kosher salt, and pepper; brush with olive oil. Pour ½ cup of white wine around base of the chicken and roast at 375 degrees F. Assemble potatoes and crisp while chicken is roasting.