Happy Labor Day! We’ve put our heads together to come up with our favorite “labor-saving” ingredients and plan to employ as many as we can to keep the day easy and restful.

In no particular order, here are some favorites:

Already-boiled eggs (Saves time on homemade potato salad and deviled eggs – find them in packages in the deli, refrigerated section of the supermarket or on the salad bar.)

Peeled fresh garlic (When you’re harried every little thing helps. Now available in smaller jars so waste is not a concern. Usually found in produce.)

EZ peel shrimp, already-peeled and already-steamed shrimp (No matter what your recipe calls for, there’s an easier, quicker shrimp ready for you. EZ-peel is the newest category – the shell is split, the shrimp is deveined and with the flip of a finger the shell comes off. )

Refrigerated (not frozen) rolled pie crust dough (The updated crusts have no seam to seal, and everyone still asks for our pie dough recipe! Usually found in dairy.)

Rotisserie chicken (Makes quick work of hearty entrée salads perfect for picnics, lunch or a light dinner.)

Already-shredded cabbage (The package’s recipe is perfectly fine for traditional coleslaw, but this great ingredient will work in everything from your own slaw recipe to other salads and even stir-fries.)

No-cook noodles for lasagna (One step removed from the labor-intensive job of making lasagna. Recipes abound, just be sure to have plenty of sauce to prevent a dry casserole.)

Crock Pot ® liner bags (Beverly swears by these beauties that make clean-up a breeze. Found alongside plastic food storage bags.)

“Microsteam” bags (These ingenious bags provide easy, “no-fail” steaming of fresh vegetables in the microwave without dirtying a dish. Found alongside plastic food storage bags. Some vegetables in the produce section also come in microsteam bags.)

Of course this is a short list and there are bound to be tons of ingredients we are forgetting. Click on comments and tell us yours!