This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com. Opinions are my own.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Tomorrow the start of holiday entertaining season officially begins. Family and Guests are traveling from all across the country to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with you. Holiday entertaining can be lots of fun but also very stressful. Entertaining guests requires some forethought, but if you have a plan in place and are organized, it can be done well.

I’m all about bringing food with me to share when attending other people’s homes during the holidays. Food has a great way of bringing holiday joy to everyone’s lives. Today my family and I were in a group text discussing what we all are preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. So today, I’m in full preparation mode.

Whether you are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow or celebrating Christmas with friends later in December, here are few tips on how to successfully have a stress-free holiday season. 

Work with what you already have at home

My pantry is always stocked with canned goods and jarred sauces. Anytime these items are on sale at the grocery store, I try to grab a few for meals at a later time. If I didn’t already have all of the ingredients to make my family’s famous Mac and Cheese recipe this year, I would whip up a semi-homemade version using the new RAGÚ® Butter Parmesan Sauce. This jarred sauce is the perfect pantry staple. To make a quick Mac and Cheese, all you need are macaroni noodles, the jarred sauce, shredded cheese, and some toasted breadcrumbs. Then you’ve got a delicious dish to take to a holiday gathering with friends and family.

Have snacks for the car ride home

If your family eats early on Thanksgiving like mine, you’ll need a snack for the car ride home. We typically have dinner before 5 p.m. These Peeled Snacks Baked Pea Crisps are perfect for munching on during the late evening hours when you are looking for something else to eat. 

Your holiday menu doesn’t have to be complicated

It can be easy to over-complicate your holiday menu. But for Christ's sake, we are just getting together to fellowship for one meal for a couple of hours. One piece of advice I love to share during the holiday season is that confidence is key to preparing a successful meal. People don’t have to know your entire recipe; they just want to know you enjoyed making the dish. That’s where your kitchen essentials like The Joys of Baking cookbook come in hand. This cookbook is filled with simple recipes that will make anyone look like a pro in the kitchen.

Add a healthy twist to your classic holiday recipes

Your holiday menu is filled with cookies, cakes, and pies, which are usually filled with unhealthy fats. Coconut oil is an excellent substitute for butter and canola oil when baking delicious holiday desserts. These Nutiva Squeezable Organic Coconut Oils are great for measuring portion control. When using coconut oil in recipes, use this measuring guide from the Kitchn.

Share your best holiday preparation tips in a comment below.