What is the most beginner-friendly, step-by-step Skyrim modding guide?

[DonaldBR]

I'm a longtime player of Skyrim and have finally decided to dive into modding to refresh the experience, but I'm overwhelmed by the sheer number of mods and the complexity of load orders and compatibility patches. I've followed a few popular modding guides, but they often assume a level of familiarity with tools like Vortex or MO2 that I don't have, and my game ends up crashing or with broken textures. For modders who started from zero, what was the most beginner-friendly, step-by-step modding guide or process that helped you build a stable foundation? How do you methodically test mods, manage dependencies, and create a backup before adding new content, and what are the absolute essential utility mods and tools that every stable setup needs before adding any gameplay or visual changes?