The first early Shabbat catches us all off guard, no matter how hard we try to wrap our heads around it. So we need to get creative to ace Shabbat prep. I find the best way to handle it is to work backwards and start thinking early in the week. Recipes that come together in a flash are the workhorses of these early Shabbats.

Pro Tip: Combining two dishes like chicken and rice into one pan kills two birds with one stone.
And here are some tips for last-minute desserts:

1. Always have crumbs from an apple crisp recipe in the freezer (Tip: make this tonight!) so you can quickly chop five apples on Thursday and bake it together on Friday.

2. Make lemon curd, and then serve with fresh fruit and your favorite store-bought cookies!

3. Make your favorite cookie bar recipe straight in the 9x13 pan. I throw in my favorite chocolate chip stick or brownie recipe ingredients, mix it in the pan, and then bake!