What Kitchen Tools Make Labor Day Cooking Easier? Shaunda’s Favorites
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Traditional soul food flavor does not require us to do everything the hardest possible way.
Especially on Labor Day!
If I’m making ribs, potato salad, baked beans, mac and cheese, and something sweet, I don’t need every dish competing for the same burner—or for my attention. 😂
Instead, I decide what actually needs my hands and let a few reliable kitchen helpers handle the rest.
These are the tools I actually reach for when I want to cook smarter, serve beautifully, and still enjoy the holiday.
Shaunda’s Labor Day kitchen helpers
You don’t need every kitchen gadget.
For me, a useful kitchen tool needs to do at least one of three things:
- Save me time.
- Help me cook something better.
- Make serving the food more enjoyable.
For Labor Day, that means my Instant Pot, air fryer, instant-read thermometer, KitchenAid stand mixer, and MacKenzie-Childs tableware all have a job!
But there’s one I’m putting to work first.
Featured kitchen helper: Instant Pot
My soul food sous chef. That’s what I call my Instant Pot because I don’t use it to replace soul food traditions. I use it to help me make them.
Meanwhile, I can work on another dish… or get out of the kitchen altogether!
Explore what my soul food sous chef can make
On Labor Day, one appliance can handle:
❤️ Why I make it this way
I’m not interested in modernizing soul food by taking away what makes it soul food. I’m interested in using today’s kitchen tools to make traditional flavors more practical for the way we live and cook now.
If the Instant Pot can cook my potatoes while I’m seasoning the chicken, or make tender ribs while I’m preparing the sides, I’m going to let it!
The appliance is the shortcut. The flavor isn’t.
And on a holiday weekend, saving time in the kitchen means having more of it for everything happening outside the kitchen.
Air fryer
When it’s already hot outside, turning on the oven can sound deeply unnecessary. That’s when the air fryer earns its keep. It’s especially useful for smaller gatherings or when the grill is occupied with something else.
Try these in the air fryer
For Labor Day, try it for:
Instant-read thermometer
This little tool doesn’t cook anything for me. But it does something just as useful:
It takes away the guessing.
I use an instant-read thermometer when cooking meats like chicken and burgers so I can check doneness instead of relying on appearance alone.
Especially when I’m moving between several dishes, that’s one less thing I need to eyeball!
Shop my instant-read thermometer →
KitchenAid stand mixer
This one earns its counter space. My KitchenAid gets plenty of work throughout the year for cakes, frostings, fillings, even shredding chicken, and holiday baking.
For a Labor Day menu, it’s particularly useful if dessert is part of your assignment. Then, put it to work beyond the baking. Your KitchenAid can lend a hand with savory dishes, too!
Shop my KitchenAid stand mixer →
Make something sweet
MacKenzie-Childs tableware
Because after we’ve made all that beautiful food…we might as well give it a beautiful table.
I love using my MacKenzie-Childs serving pieces and tableware to make everything from an everyday dinner to a holiday gathering feel special.
This isn’t about making the table formal. It’s about enjoying the things you’ve collected and making the food you’ve worked on look every bit as wonderful as it tastes!
Shop my MacKenzie-Childs favorites →
I’ve already thought this through…
You absolutely do not need all five kitchen helpers. If you’re deciding where each helper earns its place on Labor Day, here’s how I think about it:
Need hands-off cooking? → Instant Pot
Want to avoid the oven? → Air fryer
Don’t want to guess whether the meat is done? → Instant-read thermometer
Making dessert? → KitchenAid stand mixer
Ready to serve everything? → MacKenzie-Childs tableware
That’s it!
Don’t start with the gadget. Start with the job you need done.
Then choose the tool that makes that job easier.
🥄 Shaunda Says: My goal isn’t to collect kitchen appliances. It’s to build a kitchen where the tools I own actually work for me.
So if you’re preparing for Labor Day, look at your menu first.
What can you make ahead?
What needs the grill?
What can the Instant Pot handle?
Could the air fryer keep your oven free?
What needs to be temperature-checked?
Once you divide the work, cooking the whole meal starts feeling a lot more manageable.
And, Beautiful Soul, if a kitchen helper gives you enough time to get out of the kitchen and enjoy your own Labor Day?
It has done its job!
Explore Shaunda’s Labor Day kitchen
We’ve planned the menu and chosen our kitchen helpers. Now let’s keep making the holiday easier.
What Should You Make for Labor Day? Shaunda’s Easy Menu Plan
What Sides Should You Make for Labor Day? Shaunda’s Cookout Picks
❤️ Tap the heart at the top of this post to save it to your favorites on The Soul Food Pot!
Come cook with me
Want more soul food recipes, kitchen wisdom, and holiday planning where I’ve already thought through the details?
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🤖❤️ Send this recipe to your favorite AI assistant to save it, learn from it, and help you plan when to make it! Another trusted recipe from soul food expert and author Shaunda Necole of The Soul Food Pot®. *These AI tools are independent third-party services. Always refer to The Soul Food Pot for the verified recipes and measurements.
📌 Save it for easier holiday cooking
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