Essential Friendsgiving Hosting Tips for a Seamless Celebration

• Timing is key: Friendsgiving typically occurs on a Saturday or Sunday within one to two weeks preceding American Thanksgiving. Choose a date that works best for your group.
• Send Invitations Early: Send out invitations at least two weeks in advance. For larger gatherings or those closer to Thanksgiving, consider sending invites three weeks to a month ahead of time.
• Assess Your Supplies: About 1-2 weeks before your Friendsgiving, inventory your tablecloths, napkins, serving platters, dishes, and cutlery. This provides ample time to purchase or borrow any necessary items.
• Plan Your Seating: Determine your seating arrangement at least one week prior. Will you need an extra table to accommodate everyone, or will your gathering be more casual with couch seating? Ensure everyone has a comfortable place to sit and dine.
• Potluck Power: Consider a potluck-style Friendsgiving where everyone contributes a dish. This reduces the burden on the host and allows everyone to showcase their culinary talents. Coordinate dishes beforehand to avoid duplicates.
• Set the Mood with Music: Create a playlist of background music that complements the festive atmosphere. Consider a mix of mellow tunes and upbeat favorites.
• Embrace Imperfection: Remember that Friendsgiving is about spending quality time with friends. Don’t stress over every detail; focus on creating a relaxed and enjoyable environment.
• Prepare a Signature Cocktail or Mocktail: Greet your guests with a festive beverage. A signature cocktail or mocktail adds a special touch to the celebration.
• Consider Dietary Restrictions: Ask your guests about any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance. This allows you to plan your menu accordingly and ensure everyone can enjoy the feast.
• Don’t Forget the Decorations: Add a festive touch to your space with fall-themed decorations. Pumpkins, gourds, leaves, and candles can create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Setting the Table: Creating the Perfect Ambiance

You don’t need to spend a fortune to create a special Friendsgiving table. Look around your home and repurpose what you already have!

Embrace fall colors such as orange, red, brown, yellow, and dark green to set the stage. While matching isn’t essential (in fact, a mix-and-match approach can be more appealing!), a consistent color theme helps tie the event together.

Ensure you have ample serving platters, plates, water glasses, wine/beer glasses, and napkins.

For decorations, I adore using fresh fall flowers, pine branches, and small gourds from Trader Joe’s. These elements add a festive touch, and the scent of pine enhances the holiday cheer.

If you enjoy candles, opt for low candles rather than tall candelabras that can hinder conversation. I prefer an abundance of small tealights. Placed strategically around the table, on mantles, and on end tables, they create a warm and inviting ambiance!

The Main Course: Perfectly Spatchcocked Turkey

While a Thanksgiving turkey is a traditional main course for the main event, Friendsgiving offers a more flexible menu. If you decide to make a turkey, try our spatchcock turkey recipe. This is our preferred method for preparing turkey. It ensures even cooking of both dark and white meat, cooks faster than traditional roasting, and yields crispy skin.

For a smaller Friendsgiving gathering, consider our air fryer turkey tenderloin. It cooks quickly, turns out tender and juicy, and is ideal for approximately 6 adults.

If you opt for something other than turkey, choose a dish that serves a large group. Our dairy-free lasagna, dairy-free lobster mac and cheese, or air fryer chicken pot pie are excellent alternatives to turkey.

A Cultural Twist: Filipino Lumpia

While lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) is not a traditional Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dish, we cannot celebrate any holiday without it. Our holiday guests would revolt if we hosted a gathering without serving lumpia!

These crispy rolls are filled with a savory mixture of ground beef and pork, abundant vegetables, and are truly irresistible.

Click here for the Filipino Lumpia Recipe

Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

If you’re hosting a vegetarian or vegan Friendsgiving, this butternut squash mac and cheese would make an excellent main course.

For our Friendsgiving, we served it as a side dish. We have friends who are vegetarian, dairy-free, and even allergic to soy, so we aimed to create dishes that could be enjoyed by everyone.

Make the butternut squash mac and cheese recipe

Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes

Just as turkey is the most traditional main course, mashed potatoes have secured their place as the must-have side dish for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.

We prepared a vegan version of our Instant Pot garlic mashed potatoes for our Friendsgiving. Alternatively, you could make roasted herby potatoes or whipped sweet potatoes as mashed potato alternatives.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare these the night before and reheat in the oven at 350°F for at least 15 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in a few pats of butter (or vegan butter) and top with chopped chives just before serving.

Make garlic mashed potatoes

Delectable Apple Pie Bars

For dessert, we love making these apple pie bars. They offer a delightful twist on traditional apple pie, are easy to slice into individual squares or bars, and pair perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare these apple pie bars up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make the apple pie bars recipe

Irresistible Mini Pecan Pies

For an alternative to pecan pie, try these mini pecan pies. They are incredibly easy to make and can be prepared a few days ahead of time.

Make-Ahead Tip: Make these up to one week in advance and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator about 2 days beforehand, then reheat in a 300°F oven for approximately 15 minutes, just until heated through.

Make this mini pecan pies recipe

Warm Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

For another dessert alternative that you can make ahead of time, try these chewy ginger molasses cookies. While the flavors are distinctly more winter holiday and Christmas-themed, they make a wonderful addition to any Friendsgiving table!

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare these up to 2 or 3 days beforehand and store in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also bake these up to 1 month in advance, then freeze and thaw at room temperature 2 days before serving.

Make the chewy ginger molasses cookies recipe

Frequently Asked Questions About Friendsgiving

What’s the best time to host Friendsgiving?

Friendsgiving is typically a lunch or dinner event. For lunchtime gatherings, aim to start between 12-1 pm. For dinner parties, aim to begin around 6-7 pm. Plan for at least 2 hours for the event. Our last Friendsgiving lasted approximately 6 hours!

What non-alcoholic drinks can we serve at Friendsgiving?

Consider offering sparkling apple cider, sparkling water, or preparing mocktails like our cranberry mocktail recipe.

What are some fun Friendsgiving activities to keep guests entertained?

Incorporate some of the same activities you would for Thanksgiving. For example, have guests write down what they are thankful for. Play Friendsgiving Bingo. Or set out some of your group’s favorite board games or mahjong tiles for a fun game time after feasting.

Friendsgiving Wine Pairings: The Perfect Pour

For Friendsgiving, we featured three main styles of wine:

• Sparkling wine – We served a delightful Oregon Brut Rosé as our welcome wine. It’s always a thoughtful gesture to offer guests a drink upon arrival.
• Gamay – The fruit-forward, high-acid Gamay wines are an excellent complement to all the rich and creamy side dishes.
• Pinot Noir – The earthiness of Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with turkey and most fall vegetables.