How To Host An Effortless Friendsgiving
‘Tis the season for all things family as the holiday season is officially upon us. While many of us have time-honored Thanksgiving traditions like watching the Macy’s Day Parade and making our great-grandmother’s cornbread dressing, others may be a little apprehensive about these so-called family gatherings. Navigating dinner conversation while avoiding topics like politics, religion and your current dating situation can be tricky. Let’s face it, people are often better at passing judgment than the potatoes sometimes, am I right? Forget the family drama and start a new tradition: Friendsgiving. Unlike your family, you can choose who you spend Friendsgiving with and if you’re like me, you’re going to invite all your favorite people that make you laugh until your stomach hurts!
If you are a first-time Friendsgiving host or an entertainer extraordinaire, I’ve put together some tips to ensure that your Friendsgiving is both effortless and enjoyable.
Save The Date!
I don’t know about you but as soon as October hits, my calendar begins to fill up with activities and events. While there is no “official” day for Friendsgiving, it’s better to get it on everyone’s calendar sooner rather than later. Some recommend hosting earlier in the month as it’s unlikely people have turkey fatigue while some experts suggest hosting it the day before Thanksgiving. In the end, choose a date that works for you and most of your guests. After all, this day calls for good food and good friends.
Making The Short List
I am one of those hosts that embraces the concept “the more the merrier” until it comes time for a seated dinner in my home. While I’d love to invite all my closest friends, realistically I can only invite ten or twelve and have them comfortably seated. When you're sorting out your invite list, invite your closest friends first and then extend an invitation to those who may not have Thanksgiving plans with their families.
I’m an old-fashioned kind of girl and love sending out handwritten invites. Of course, when you’re in a pinch, Paperless Post will also do the trick.
Friendsgiving Feast
Hosting Friendsgiving is daunting enough. Most people wouldn’t dream of trying to cook the entire feast, right?
Because you all are in the inner circle, I’ll let you in on my little secret- The Honeybaked Ham Company. When it comes to Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving, they have you covered. Not only is their turkey out of this world, but they have ten different heat-and-serve sides that will fool even the most discerning palate. And I promise I won’t share our little secret.
First, let’s talk turkey. The Honey Baked Turkey Breast ( aka The World’s Best Turkey) is fully cooked, pre-sliced and ready to serve. It’s topped with the same delicious crunchy glaze as their hams and is available smoked or roast. Typically, this turkey breast will serve six to eight people unless someone really brings their A-game appetite. For this Friendsgiving, I got one of both because who doesn’t like options!
While you’re picking up your turkey, you might as well pick up a few sides too! After all, who wants to spend unnecessary time in the kitchen when you can be sipping on wine and catching up with friends. The sides are the easiest part. You simply, heat, serve and enjoy. Because I don’t want to give ALL my secrets away, I will usually serve these sides in my own serving ware and no one is the wiser. The Honeybaked Ham Company has all of your Thanksgiving favorites but for this Friendsgiving, my go-to sides were the Country Cornbread Stuffing, Loaded Smashed Potatoes and the Double Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese. For my healthy friends, I threw in a few veggies like Green Bean Casserole and the Tuscan-Style Broccoli. They were all crowd favorites.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper Friendsgiving without dessert! While we are in the midst of pumpkin pie season, I decided to swap things up a bit this year and go all out with Triple Chocolate Cake! My guests were swooning and there was not one piece left.
Wine A Lot
Friendsgiving most certainly calls for delicious beverages of all types. But most importantly, you want to make sure you have enough. As the host, you have the food covered so this is a great opportunity to get your guests involved. Ask each person to bring their favorite bottle of wine or even a festive autumnal punch. For those guests who aren’t so wine savvy or creative, spirits, mixers, and ice are always necessary.
Pro-tip: Use a google doc and have guests sign up for their Friendsgiving beverage of choice to ensure they have a variety of beverages available.
Leftovers and Loungewear
Let’s face it, leftovers are inevitable no matter how hungry everyone was. One thing I like to do is purchase inexpensive plastic containers and have those available for my friends to make a plate or take home some of their favorite dishes. Not only does this save you from having all the leftovers at your home (ahem…gaining 10 lbs.) and ensures the food doesn’t go to waste.
There’s nothing more painful than partaking in a decadent feast with your friends and realize that you should have stopped with one serving of cornbread dressing because your pants are TOO tight. Of course, you can undo that top button but if it’s just me and my favorite girls, I encourage them to bring over their favorite loungewear to change into after dinner. Trust me, there’s nothing so satisfying as slipping into your favorite stretchy pants!
Enjoy!
Anytime you host a group in your home, things become stressful. Just make sure you have enough food and wine and don’t sweat the small stuff. Everything may not be perfect and that’s ok. This is a time to celebrate the beautiful friendships you’ve cultivated and enjoy one another’s company.
Wishing you all a Happy Friendsgiving!
Until Next Time!
Many thanks to the Honey Baked Ham Company for partnering with me on this post. Blonde Voyage Nashville readers can receive $3.00 off a turkey breast between November 12-29. Click HERE to access the savings!