Julie Benz does it all, from her roles on "Dexter" and "Defiance" to dinners and dessert.
According to FOX News, Benz, who is known for work on the small screen, has some major talent when it comes to quickly coming up with something interesting in the kitchen.
"As an actress, I have a very creative personality and cooking gives me another outlet for that creativity," Benz told FoxNews.com. "Plus, I love entertaining at home because it is an excuse for me to get my friends and family together."
The 41-year-old actress is the current spokesperson for Boston Market, said although she spends hours in the kitchen, she's not against asking friends for help, when needed and is not opposed to buying side dishes from the store.
"I learned that if someone else is an expert at something, I should let them do it," Benz said. "Don't try to do everything yourself. Why do everything yourself when someone else does it better?"
Benz said she uses Boston Market sides dishes as a foundation for her holiday recipes. The actress suggests cooking ahead of the time and using "prepared side dishes to skip a few steps in recipes."
"The quality is the same as homemade, but it allows me to have more time to spend with friends and family," Benz said. "Your family and friends are there to laugh about it with you."
Benz's advice to cooks is to remember that if something goes wrong, take a deep breath and know everything is going to be just fine. Before any type of preparation, Benz advises to calulate how much will be needed and ask guests to bring food.
Most important, Benz insists on keeping the kids busy.
"Have a few projects planned that the kids can help with while you cook, like setting the table, decorating cookies or designing creative name cards for all the guests," Benz said.
The actress recently shared her recipe for Apple Cranberry Walnut Stuffing on the Boston Market holiday site.
"No Thanksgiving is complete without stuffing," Benz wrote. "I like to add these toppings to put a little spin on the traditional dish. The walnuts and apples add a crispness to the side that I really love, and the cranberries add a surprise burst of flavor that's really unique!"
