It has happened to the best of us – at the worst of times. Everyone has a holiday cooking horror story to share about the turkey still frozen in the middle, the sauce that was more burnt than browned, and the dog that ate the dessert.

This year you can relax. Here are a few tips to help your holiday meals turn out perfectly almost every time!

• Stew is a great hearty meal in the fall and winter, but it is easy to over-spice or salt. To avoid this, never measure seasonings right over the pot or bowl. It is too easy to accidentally over pour the salt. If it’s too late and the soup or stew is already too salty or spicy, add more of all the other ingredients to rebalance the flavors. Or you can try adding a teaspoon each of cider vinegar and sugar to help remedy the situation.

• Deviled eggs can be a great appetizer to bring to a potluck dinner, but they can be frustrating to peel! Place the eggs in a bowl of very cold water, and then gently tap the eggs against the side of the bowl. The cracks will allow water to seep in and help separate egg from shell.

• Soggy vegetables make a sorry presentation. If your vegetables go limp, whiz them in a food processor with a touch of cream or butter. With pureed veggies no one will be the wiser. Or add a bit more cream to make a tasty vegetable cream soup.

• Making sauces can require a close watch, which can be tricky when you’re trying to time a complete meal. So, if your sauce burns on the bottom, don’t stir! Remove it from the stove immediately and place the pan into a sink full of cold water to stop the cooking. The top 3/4 might still be OK, if you can pour it into a fresh pan without any of the burned sauce going with it. But if it doesn’t taste right, it’s best to start over.

• If you’ve burned something in the kitchen and the guests are already on the way, try this festive air-freshening solution. Mix 1/2 cup whole cloves with a cinnamon stick and 2 cups water in a saucepan and simmer for 15-30 minutes. It will make the entire house smell terrific with no hint of the burnt odor.

• Although some people fondly remember their mom’s lumpy gravy, we know a secret that will keep yours lump-free: simply pour the gravy through a sieve when transferring from the pan to the gravy boat. And if it happens to be too pale, just add a little bit of instant coffee to brown it up.

Hopefully your dinner will go off without a hitch and you won’t need our tips to recover cooking blunders. But, just in case, keep some ready-to-bake pizzas from our deli in the fridge so you can still feed the hungry masses and come out shining like a star!