(BPT) - Thanksgiving and Christmas meals often incorporate a lot of traditional foods and flavors, which as a host, may become a bit boring. But when you have friends and family visiting for several days, there are plenty of opportunities to shine with new flavors and interesting meals.

As a host, embrace all of the meals you’ll be serving, which provides you with an excellent chance to show off your culinary skills. To help you plan the menus and entertain your guests during their entire visit, Gaby Dalkin of What’s Gaby Cooking and Lindsay and Taylor Landis of Love and Olive Oil have recipes and tips to make everything much easier.

“I think like most people, I’m not just entertaining on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, but am making meals for my family on the days surrounding the holiday,” Dalkin says. “These are times when I feel like can stray from the ordinary holiday tradition and experiment with my recipes.”