Prep-Free Meal for a Small Gathering-

 You can make a feast for yourself and several others without much work and no chopping or cutting.

First let's start with an appetizer. Antipasti Kabobs. Take ready-to-use help from the store such as cheese cubes, olives, small salami slices, basil leaves, soft peppers from the jar that you can tear into pieces and grape or cherry tomatoes. Place them on skewers, one per person. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until serving time.

Next how about some stuffed shells? You simply boil up some water in a pot with a basket insert so lifting them out is easier than carrying a heavy pot. Then toss them into a light-weight bowl with your favorite tomato sauce to coat and set aside. Note: A large container of ricotta cheese fills about 32 shells.

Separately, mix a large container with snipped fresh washed parsley (done with scissors, so much easier) and some grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, then stuff into the shells and arrange on two sauce-lined oven-proof pie plates. Spoon sauce over them all then cover and store in fridge until ready to heat through. You can heat each one in the microwave or both at once in the oven (takes longer.)  This can be done a day ahead of time too.

Serve with a prep-free salad or some steamed Prep-Free Broccoli, which is simply fresh broccoli washed, drained and broken into pieces. Place in a microwave-proof dish with a little water and olive oil. Cover with a plate and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and serve.