If you’re hosting a holiday dinner this year, or if you’re bringing a favorite side dish to the festivities, it is only natural to want the meal to turn out as near to perfect as possible.

But as you’re scurrying around the kitchen trying to get the turkey in the oven and the potatoes mashed, don’t skip the basic steps to ensure the holiday meal is safe to eat for your guests, says Marianne Gravely, a food safety expert at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline.

"Most people don't normally cook a holiday dinner, and they don't normally cook for a lot of guests," Gravely says. "Also, it's an important meal that people don't want to mess...