Scroll through for the printable recipe card at the end and enjoy the best cholent recipe ever!

I always hated cholent. I didn’t know what people saw in it. I preferred other Shabbat lunch ideas that were lighter and easier to digest.

As I grew and my taste matured I started to kind of like it. But I never really loved it until I started making my own, and slowly developed the best cholent recipe ever.

I started with my sister’s basic recipe, with my mother-in-law’s cooking method, and my a few of my mom’s tricks (whole potatoes, anyone?)

I slowly tweaked it over the years, always cooking it in a pot fully, then leaving it to slowly cook overnight on a hot plate, set on a timer to go off for 15 minutes every hour. (You can see my comparison of the top Shabbat hot plate options here)

Some of the best recipes are developed this way – a blend of assorted family traditions – just like my best potato kugel recipe.

Then, recently, I faced a pot shortage and realized I needed a new “power pot” for weeks when I have lots of company. I decided to try something new and due to some suggestions I got on Facebook purchased an inexpensive 6 quart dutch oven. I found mine for really cheap in Burlington Coat Factory, but there are other great options online if you can’t find it there.

A dutch oven was the final touch that the best cholent recipe ever needed to be perfect.

Why should the best cholent recipe ever be made in a dutch oven?

There are a few reasons why I love using the dutch oven but before I share them I want to make it clear that you CAN use this cholent recipe NOT in a dutch oven too. The cooking process is focused on using a dutch oven but it can easily be adapted for use in a crock pot or regular pot. I made it for years in a typical Farberware stainless steel pot and it was delicious. But here’s why I switched to the Dutch oven:

• The texture – oh, you simply cannot beat the perfect texture of a dutch oven cholent. If you’ve struggled with not drying out your cholent, but not having it too watery, the dutch oven will help you get that best cholent recipe ever. You’ll have barley that’s done to perfection, moist but not mushy. You’ll have creamy potatoes. You’ll have juicy, flavorful meat. And sometimes you’ll even get a slightly caramelized crispy crunch at the top that everyone will fight over. This is because of the way the lid locks in moisture.
• Oven to table – yep, you heard right! I bring the pot right to the  table, place it on a rustic wooden trivet and have a homely look. I’d never bring a pot to the table, but when you have a Le Creuset-style enameled cast iron dutch oven, it has that homely rustic feel and looks great on the table – I even do this for guests! It keeps the cholent hotter for longer, and saves you from having to wash doubles of the most pain-in-the-neck dishes.
• IT DOESN’T STICK!! – Yep, you heard right. I was SO frustrated with spending hours peeling cholent of the bottom of a pot after every Shabbos. With the Dutch oven, you do have a bottom layer that’s maybe a bit overdone, but it just comes right off!
• Looks great on the counter too – Do you ever get frustrated with how after cleaning your whole house so that it’s spotless for Shabbos, you’ve still got a pot sitting on the counter all day? The cast iron enameled dutch oven that I use looks amazing on the counter – like it belongs. This is the least of my reasons for making the best cholent recipe ever in a dutch oven, but still a nice perk.

Which dutch oven should you use to make the best cholent recipe ever?

I can’t honestly tell you which dutch oven works and which doesn’t because I’ve only ever tried one. I use an off-brand one that I found in-store at Burlington Coat Factory. The finish got a bit ruined, but it still works totally fine, so if you’re looking to save, I’d recommend just going for cheap – it’s worth it.

The Le Creuset one is the “main brand” – and the top rated. I don’t know if the quality is that much better and worth splurging on, because I haven’t tried it. It also costs MANY times the price of a cheaper option. If you’d like to weigh in on this in the comment section, feel free!

Lodge makes a great budget-friendly option as does Amazon Basics.

I’m assuming that non-enameled dutch ovens would work too, as long as they have that heavy, tight seal as well. I haven’t tried it, so I can’t share how well the non-stick feature works.

How to make the best cholent recipe ever in a dutch oven:

First of all, if you’ve made cholent before you’ll understand that cholent is very individual. There isn’t much of a scientific formula to the actual components (onion, potato, etc) – it’s about what your family likes. So I’ll share with you what I do, but adjust accordingly.

STEP 1: Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add a whole onion, turning it every minute or so so that a new part is browning. When it begins to brown, add your meat, and sear it. We use the cheapest meat that’s not a steak – so whatever’s on sale.

I use a two-pronged fork to hold it on its side so that it’s browned all around. Turn off your flame once your meat has been browned.

TIP: After my first time using my dutch oven to make the best cholent recipe ever, I started browning the meat and onions in a separate pot or pan. I try to use something I’ll be using for another recipe anyway, since I’m usually on a cooking spree when I’m prepping for Shabbos. I felt like frying in the dutch oven ruined the finish – I don’t know if this is usually the case – it could be just because mine was a cheap one.

STEP 2:  Peel 5 medium sized yellow waxy potatoes (such as Green Giant Klondike Goldust or Yukon Gold) and cut in half  or leave them whole. Cutting them too small will cause them to melt into your cholent. Using this type of potato gives you the creamiest, most delicious result.

STEP 3: Cover your potatoes with water.

STEP 4: Turn your flame back on and season your cholent! Add a generous amount of paprika (a layer covering your water), a few shakes of pepper, about 1-2 T of Iodized salt (depending how big your cholent is) and plenty of onion and garlic powder. You can experiment with other seasonings too, depending on the flavor you’d like. Lately, I put chili powder in mine.

I never actually measure the salt but this is what I put into a smaller cholent.

Add ketchup (optional) – about 1/2 cup and honey – about 1/4 cup. The honey helps the top caramelize a bit. If you have a baby less than a year old who eats cholent, you can substitute the honey with duck sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook about half an hour or until your potatoes begin to soften but aren’t falling apart.

STEP 5: Add your barley. No, I don’t put in beans; I simply don’t like them. Add those at your own risk… I have added lentils in the past, but I’ve been skipping that lately. I usually put in 1/2-3/4 of a 1lb bag. Cover your barley with water plus an inch, and let it simmer uncovered until the barley is cooked (about half an hour). Watch it to make sure you have enough water since the barley tends to absorb a ton of it, and quickly!

When your barley is cooked, make sure you have a thin layer of water covering your food (check it again right before Shabbos, since sometimes the barley absorbs more after you shut the flame).

Set it on your Shabbat hot plate to cook overnight. It’ll already be delicious after a few hours if you like to dig in early. We set our hot plate with a timer so that it’s not on continuously (we turn it off for 15 minutes every hour – not an exact formula, again, but short enough that the cholent stays hot enough to be cooking continuously even when it’s off).

I hope you enjoy the best cholent recipe ever! Comment below: what do you put in your cholent recipe?

Want another fantastic Shabbat afternoon dish? Try my crock pot mushroom barley soup – perfect for that frigid winter day! And if you’re in need of something gluten free or Passover friendly, try my gluten free cholent!

The post Best Cholent Recipe Ever – Jewish Overnight Stew in a Dutch Oven appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Even before I knew that Baby Y is allergic, I was already looking for a change from the same old sesame noodles. I needed a cold pasta alternative that will be a crowd-pleaser, easy to bring to family events, and not too complicated.

I ended up throwing some ingredients together with some friends’ suggestions that kind of mimic a caprese salad (tomatoes, herbs, mozzarella) but not in its true form. It’s quick and easy. It’s usually extremely popular. And best of all: it’s allergy-friendly!

I also put in black olives because M loves those, but they’re totally optional – be sure to leave that out if you’re working with a crowd who prefer a milder dish (I made that mistake at our family Chanukah party…) It adds a LOT to the salad but it doesn’t need it.

Instead of soft mozzarella balls I chunked up some cheese sticks. A friend of mine taught me this trick for when I want larger pieces of mozzarella without having to dissect a huge hunk… and without having to tear awkward slices, or putting in shredded cheese that disappears right in.

I serve it in this bowl.

It’s not as yummy, but much easier to find and more affordable if you’re cooking for a crowd, especially considering Kosher concerns. I did it the lazy way with Italian seasoning instead of fresh basil – you can pick your level of involvement!

Grape tomatoes cut in half keep it flavorful and sweet, while being easy to eat. I’ll bet it would taste great if you replaced it with sun dried tomatoes too! If you have babies eating it, quarter your grape tomatoes and olives, and cut your cheese stick chunks in quarters the long way too.

For the pasta I really like Ditalini but elbows work great too, as would any small pasta.

This pasta caprese salad is also very kid-friendly (leave out the olives if your kids don’t like it!!) and perfect for kids who will ONLY eat white pasta (like mine) and who end up without the veggies.

Ingredients for the Pasta Caprese Salad Recipe:

1 lb Ditalini pasta

1 6 oz can black olives

1 dry pint grape tomatoes

8-9 cheese sticks or string cheese

Dressing:

2 T olive oil

1 T red wine vinegar

1 T Italian seasoning or dry basil (or replace with fresh)

Garlic powder

Onion powder

How to make Pasta Caprese Salad:

1. Cook your pasta in salted water till al dente, drain, and rinse, and allow it to drain well. Add it to a large salad bowl.
2. Cut olives and grape tomatoes in half the long way and add it to your salad. Cut the cheese sticks into chunks. Add it to your room temperature or colder pasta. Make sure not to add it to the pasta while it’s hot – you DON’T want it to melt. You want to bite into nice chunks of cheese!
3. Mix together your dressing ingredients and add it to your salad. If you’re using fresh basil, add that right before you serve it so it doesn’t wilt.
4. Serves approximately eight. Doubles easily for a crowd. Serve chilled.

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What is your favorite pasta salad recipe? Comment below!

Print the recipe:

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Sesame snap peas are so simple to make and are the perfect last-minute veggie side dish. Whenever I can’t think of something exciting to make, I revert back to this tried-and-true recipe- they win every time. Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

My mother made these all the time when I was growing up (she still does!), so credits for this recipe belong to her. All I did was create proper measurements and cook time, since, of course, which one of our mothers has that?

I love the versatility of these sesame snap peas. You can throw them in the oven for a while, and come out with softer, more roasted snap peas, or pull them out earlier for a crunchy, satisfying dish. They don’t just make an easy side dish. This recipe is perfect for both Shabbos, Yom Tov and during the week. It’s even great as a healthy snack!

I hesitated posting these, only because the recipe is embarrassingly easy- it’s not much of a recipe! But then I decided that you all deserve to have some of these delicious sesame snap peas in your life. Besides, who can’t use another super simple recipe? Most of us don’t cook gourmet on a regular basis. (At least, I don’t!)

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Easy Sesame Snap Peas

1 bag frozen sugar snap peas

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 handful sesame seeds, lightly toasted

1/2 tsp – 1 tsp salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp – 1 tsp garlic powder, or to taste

How to make Sesame Snap Peas

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

3. Place the sugar snap peas in a large mixing bowl. (You can skip this step and mix everything together on the baking sheet. I like doing it in a bowl so that the seasoning is evenly distributed.)

4. Add toasted sesame seed oil, toasted sesame seeds, salt and garlic powder. (Note: I do not toast the sesame seeds before baking. However, my mother insists that it tastes much better when they are pre-toasted. If you have the extra couple of minutes, do it! Bake the sesame seeds for 8 minutes at 350 degrees, watching carefully so they don’t burn.)

5. Mix well.

6. Place the sesame snap peas mixture onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

7. Bake for 30 minutes or until edges are slightly brown and crispy.

8. Enjoy! I serve these sesame snap peas warm but they’re delicious cold too!

What is your go-to easy side dish? Let us know in the comments!

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