Chef Nancy Silverton usually travels and takes the night off of cooking on Thanksgiving. But this year, the two-time James Beard Award winner and Michelin star chef is switching things up and hosting dinner at her own home.

"My favorite part of Thanksgiving, or any dinner party really, is the hustle and bustle of people in and out of the kitchen, of everyone pitching in to help put the meal together," says Silverton, founder of a slew of restaurants including Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles, Singapore and Washington, D.C.

Who better to offer tips on how to successfully pull off a Thanksgiving menu? Silverton is sharing her best tips for making stuffing this Turkey Day, and how to not feel totally overwhelmed tackling the rest of your ambitious collection of dishes.

How to make stuffing

Stuffing is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that's usually some combination of cubed bread; aromatics such as onions, celery, sage, thyme and rosemary; chicken, turkey or vegetable broth; and eggs to bind everything together before cooking on the stove and/or in the oven.

Historically, that mixture was stuffed inside a turkey (or other meat), which is how stuffing got its name. But that's not so much the case anymore. Stuffing is most often prepared and served outside of the turkey (some might also refer to this as dressing, rather than stuffing). Experts recommend cooking these two Thanksgiving stars separately for a handful of reasons: First and foremost, because of the risk of cross-contamination with raw turkey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mixing wet and dry ingredients, combined with raw meat, can create an environment where bacteria thrives, which increases risk of foodborne illnesses.

Stuffing a turkey before cooking also requires more time to safely cook both of them, the USDA adds – not exactly something you'd welcome on one of the busiest cooking days of the year. A regular, unstuffed 8-to-12-pound turkey usually takes about two hours and 45 minutes to three hours at 325 degrees Fahrenheit to cook, while a stuffed turkey of the same size could take up to 3 1/2 hours. Like the turkey, the stuffing in that case also needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, per the USDA.

What is the secret to good stuffing?

Your guests will also thank you for cooking turkey and stuffing separately for another very important reason: It's just better that way, Silverton adds.

"The biggest tip I can offer when making stuffing is to make it separately from the turkey so that it doesn't get dried out," she says. "I like to do more of a bread pudding stuffing as a side dish with Swiss chard, leeks and caramelized onions."

Another expert secret to a successful Thanksgiving: Not trying to do it all yourself.

"I'm a big supporter of enlisting my guests for help," Silverton says. "I'm not afraid to give my guests a job, and you shouldn't be either. It not only helps me immensely, but makes everyone feel like they've come together and contributed to the meal."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to make the best Thanksgiving stuffing

Reporting by Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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