Friendsgiving, minus the four desserts and no vegetables.

Friendsgiving is a potluck — run it like one

Nobody hosts Friendsgiving solo; that’s the whole charm. The host anchors the table — turkey, gravy, the house — and everyone else brings the thing they’re known for. The failure mode isn’t bad food, it’s uncoordinated food: four desserts, no vegetable, and two people walking in with the same mac and cheese.

So the real planning tool isn’t a bigger shopping list — it’s a signup board everyone can see. (Hosting the family version on the day itself? The Thanksgiving potluck sign-up sheet runs the same way, with the counts for 25 or 40.)

The host’s share, for 10–12 people

Hosting this one? Set up the signup board free → One link. Guests claim dishes. No account.

The Friendsgiving potluck sign-up sheet: who brings what

For 10–12 people, the slots that make a full table:

• 2 sides, starch — mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes
• 2 sides, vegetable — green beans, brussels sprouts, a real salad
• 1 bread — rolls (store-bought is fine, truly)
• 2 desserts — one pie minimum; the second can be anything
• Drinks ×2 — one wine/beer run, one non-alcoholic
• 1 appetizer — something to eat at arrival, because dinner will run late. It always runs late.

People sign up for a slot and bring their version — not a recipe you assigned. If someone’s stuck, ideas are one tap away. That’s potluck mode, and Friendsgiving is what it was built for.

Ask the dietary question on the invite — “any allergies or diets we should plan around?” — so the board can carry the answer. A vegetarian guest who can eat two sides and a dessert is fine; one who watches the table fill with turkey drippings is not.

What to bring to Friendsgiving

Invited, not hosting? Bring whatever fills an open slot on the board, not the dish you most want to eat. Check it before you shop.

• A side that holds — the host’s oven is full of turkey and stuffing, so pick something that’s good at room temperature or arrives hot: roasted vegetables, a grain salad, a sweet potato casserole wrapped in a towel.
• Can’t cook? Rolls, a bakery pie, a cheese board or the drinks run are real contributions. Store-bought is fine, truly.
• Bring it ready to serve — in the dish it goes on the table in, with its own spoon. There is no free counter.
• Say what’s in it — a card that reads “contains nuts” or “has bacon” tells the guests who need to know.

More ideas: what to bring to a potluck · potluck dishes that travel · if you can’t cook.

Quick answers

When should Friendsgiving happen?

The weekend before Thanksgiving wins — everyone’s still in town, and it doesn’t compete with family plans. That makes it earlier than you think: plan the board two weeks out.

Does the host cook everything?

No — that’s regular Thanksgiving with extra steps. Host covers turkey, gravy, stuffing, and the drink; the board covers the rest.

What should I bring to Friendsgiving?

Whatever slot is still open on the sign-up board. A side that’s good at room temperature is the safest pick, because the host’s oven is full; if you can’t cook, rolls, a bakery pie or the drinks run all count.

What if two people want to bring the same thing?

On a visible board it can’t happen by accident — the slot shows who claimed it. Duplicate mac and cheese becomes a choice, not a surprise.

What size turkey for Friendsgiving with 10–12 people?

A 13–15 lb bird — leaner than Thanksgiving proper because potluck sides are abundant. Two turkey breasts totaling 6–7 lb also work.