There’s nothing like sitting down for a nice meal with the family. But sometimes the work of preparing the meal and getting it on the table can leave you so stressed and exhausted that it puts a damper on the quality time with your loved ones.

Since many consider sitting down together for dinner to be a sacred ritual that helps keep family members close to one another, it’s important for the person in charge of preparing and planning meals to be able to enjoy the fruits of her labor. If you are the chef for your family, here are a few things you can do to make things easier on yourself come dinner time:

* Shop efficiently. Going into a grocery store without an idea of what you might prepare in the following days can lead to longer and more frequent shopping trips. Taking a few minutes to develop a meal plan for the week can save hours in the long run. Grocery delivery services are also becoming increasingly common and affordable and can be a great way to eliminate a step on your way to meal preparation. Some delivery services like Schwan’s Home Service, Inc. offer online grocery coupons on their websites, so you can shop and save at the same place.

* Today’s leftovers can become tomorrow’s meal. When you’re planning your meals for the week, try selecting meals that use the same ingredients for consecutive evenings. Think roast beef sandwiches Monday and vegetable beef soup on Tuesday. Go through your cookbooks or catalog recipes online and try grouping together similar items for a week’s worth of cooking.

* Take days off. Even if you enjoy cooking, doing it every night can become more a job than a diversion. Give yourself a break at least one night a week. Either freeze leftovers from earlier in the week or look for healthy frozen options for your family on your nights off. Or ask another member of your family to plan a meal for the family one night a week.

* Try one-pot meals. A good way to reduce the stress of cooking and add a fun element is to use a slow cooker to make soups, stews or similar dishes. Throw the ingredients in before you leave for work in the morning and your meal will be ready to go when you come home.

Rather than stressing out over dinner, think about ways you can make things easier on yourself. And don’t be bashful about asking your family for help or ideas either, as they’re more likely to receive a good meal from a happy and relaxed chef.