THIS THANKSGIVING, EVEN IF YOU'RE A NOVICE COOK, DON'T SWEAT IT.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Daily News Food Editor

You've agreed to host Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year, but now you're filled with fear and trepidation. You're a novice. You're wondering how you'll ever get dinner on the table. Arm yourself with these 10 tips from Rick Rodgers, author of ``Thanksgiving 101,'' and you're bound for success.

1. The No. 1 rule is to be yourself. ``Know your cooking strengths and play them up. If you're a great baker, concentrate on desserts. If you're a guy who likes to grill, try grilling or smoking the turkey. Don't get sucked into televisionitis - meaning you see so many cooking shows that you think it looks easy and you overdo it.''

If you're new to the Thanksgiving routine, teach yourself to cook one new dish every year, he advised. This year, it might be turkey and gravy next year, you might hone your sweet potato technique. Also, rely on some convenience items - i.e. pie dough, ready-made pies store-bought dinner rolls. And make simple appetizers like a green salad topped with cooked, peeled shrimp from the seafood department of the supermarket.

2. Plan your menu in advance. (Three weeks is the best-case scenario. For this year, plan NOW.) Plot it out on paper, advised Rodgers, ``and you'll be one giant step closer to serving a perfect meal. The happiest Thanksgiving cook is the most organized.''

3. Make lists - the more the better. You can never have too many lists, said Rodgers. Make a guest list, grocery list, prep list, utensil list and a list of the menu.

Spread out the shopping. The grocery list should include a list of non-perishable items (i.e., soap, candles, napkins, film, foil, paper towels and other incidentals) that can be purchased a week or more before the dinner; a list of perishable items that can be picked up a week before the meal (produce that will keep a week, such as onions, garlic, potatoes, yams, carrots, lemons and limes; dairy items such as cheese, eggs and butter; beverages, including mixers and nonalcoholic and alcoholic drinks; spices and canned items); and a list of last-minute items that you'll need to buy on Tuesday or Wednesday, including the fresh turkey, cream, milk, veggies, fruit, ice, etc.

Order the turkey and other meat or seafood items a week before the dinner, if necessary. And don't forget to reserve pies and dinner rolls at the bakery if you don't plan to bake them yourself.

The prep lists should include cooking chores that can be done ahead of time as well as cleanup time. ``Be realistic about how much time it will take you to make each dish,'' noted Rodgers, who isn't partial to freezing items ahead (except for stock and perhaps some pie crusts).

Utensil lists should include all pots, pans, roasting racks and other things required in the recipes you're making and you'll need to get dinner on the table. The tableware list should include all of the serving dishes and utensils needed. Silver should be polished, linens cleaned and pressed, and dishes washed well in advance of Thanksgiving Day. Rodgers also favors using dishes and silverware and avoiding paper plates and napkins and plastic utensils. If you don't have enough plates or utensils, borrow from friends or head to a restaurant supply store where you can purchase them inexpensively.

Figure out what will fit on the table with the centerpiece and where you plan to serve the meal (from a separate sideboard or table) as well as if you need to borrow chairs or move any furniture to make extra room in the serving and dining area.

4. Although it sounds silly, tape your complete menu (including beverages and appetizers) on the fridge (and refer to it!) to be sure you serve everything you make, advised Rodgers. ``There are lots of dishes served on Thanksgiving, and it's easy to forget something.'' More than once, after the meal, Rodgers has found a bowl of cranberry sauce hidden in the refrigerator, as his guests have been too polite to ask for it.

5. Consider logistics, oven, stove-top and refrigerator space. Make a cooking timetable, advised Rodgers. ``Nothing is more satisfying than marking something off the timetable.

Balance your menu with dishes that need to be reheated in the oven and items that can be made on top of the stove or in the microwave. ``People often forget that if you have just one oven, you can't cram six casseroles in it.'' Rodgers recalled the last time, four years ago, that he was cooking Thanksgiving dinner at his parents' house in Castro Valley, Calif. ``People thought they were being helpful by bringing dishes - and everything had to be done in the oven.'' Rodgers made the best of the situation and reheated his brother's green bean bake in a skillet stove-top, then returned the mixture to the casserole, added the topping and broiled it to make it look like it had been baked.

6. Always serve a colorful menu - liven up some of the dishes with some bright reds and greens - with different textures and flavors, noted Rodgers. Also keep the garnishes simple. ``I do edible garnishes - like placing the turkey on raw curly kale and decorating it with lady apples, baby pears and tiny Indian corn or gourds. Don't try to carve the bird with the garnishes on the platter,'' he cautioned, adding that you should set them aside first.

7. Take the garnished turkey to the table to show it off prior to returning to the kitchen and carving it. Remember to let the bird rest at least 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to retract back into the meat and keep the oven free for reheating those casseroles your friends brought. Rodgers prefers to serve the white and dark on separate platters.

8. People think turkeys take forever to cook, noted Rodgers, adding that it is not true. ``A turkey takes about 15 minutes a pound to roast at 325 degrees F. So, even if you have a 25-pounder and want to serve dinner at 4 p.m., you can shove it in the oven at 9 a.m. and still have plenty of time for roasting and the resting period.''

9. Use a fresh turkey. ``There is only one kind of turkey - a fresh turkey - as far as I'm concerned,'' pointed out Rodgers. ``I have tasted many turkeys side by side, and frozen turkeys are usually much drier because turkeys are very lean and don't freeze as well as chickens. If you're a really good cook, fresh is the way to go. If you're an inexperienced cook, it is hard to mess up a self-basting, fresh turkey.'' However, Rodgers is quick to point out that you must avoid overcooking a turkey. And by all means don't torture the turkey by steaming it in a cooking bag. Rodgers' Perfect Roast Turkey recipe, included here today, solves the problem of the lean turkey breast drying out by covering it with foil to protect it from the oven heat.

10. Let your friends help you. ``Even if they're not good cooks, they can help you set the table,'' advised Rodgers. Although Rodgers isn't fond of potluck-style contributions (he prefers to be in complete charge of the menu), if you must go this route and want people to bring items, be as specific as possible to avoid having people bring anything and changing their minds at the last minute. For instance, ``tell a friend to bring two bottles of cabernet sauvignon and don't spend more than $10 a bottle. Don't just say bring wine.''

If people want to cook, assign them a dish according to their cooking skills and give them the actual recipe. Friends will be relieved, as they don't have to fret about their contribution.