88070hHosting Thanksgiving dinner can be a daunting task for any seasoned chef. But with a few simple planning techniques and the right amount of help, you’ll focus less on the details and more on enjoying the process and a tasty outcome. Here are five easy ways to make sure your Thanksgiving dinner goes off without a hitch:

  1. Plan ahead. Without a clear plan of attack, festivities can easily get off course and create stress and distractions. Sitting down in advance to outline what you’ll need and when you need to do things will make your dinner prep a smoother process from start to finish. Tip: Make sure any allergies or dietary restrictions are on your radar prior to developing the menu.
  2. Keep it simple. Forget the complicated recipes and over-the-top décor you found in a magazine and stay focused on classic staples. Thanksgiving is not the day to experiment, so think about what can realistically be done in the amount of time given and stick to what you do best.
  3. Prepare what you can in advance. Cooking a large dinner is all about timing, and capturing the right cadence between each dish can be tricky. Eliminate some of the pressure by setting the table early or preparing part of the meal ahead of time.
  4. Enlist the help of others. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t mean having to do it alone. Asking guests to bring a small dish of their choice not only takes some of the pressure off you, but also helps guests feel that they’ve contributed to the meal. If it becomes too complicated, don’t turn down help when it’s time to clean-up either.
  5. End on a sweet note. The end of the meal is just as important as the beginning, so treat your guests to a delicious cup of coffee without having to leave the table. The Bluetooth-connected Saeco GranBaristo Avanti lets you prepare espresso-based drinks directly from your tablet or smartphone. Queue each of your guests’ orders right at the table with 18 fully customizable drink options to choose from.

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