Long considered a replacement for a family-based Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving has recently emerged as a preferred alternative. Learn about why Friendsgiving is the best thing since candied sweet potatoes and how I keep mine low key and fun.

For the past few years weâ€™ve had two November turkey dinners. One is the traditional Thanksgiving with extended family. The other is a pre-thanksgiving weekend meal with a group of friends that I used to work with. Itâ€™s so fun that weâ€™ve kept in touch for all this time and whenever we get together itâ€™s like we just left the office and no time has passed at all. Weâ€™ve all gotten married, had kids, and moved on to different careers. But weâ€™re still friends, and we still love to eat together. I look forward to Friendsgiving all year long for both the food and the great company.

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Hosting a feast like Friendsgiving could potentially be very stressful, but follow these Friendsgiving tips to keep it low key and enjoyable for all!

Â Need Help Creating a Friendsgiving Invitation? See this post, where I teach you how to make your own, and help with creative friendsgiving invitation wording.

Now, On to the Friendsgiving Tips!

(This post is NOT going to tell you how to make a pinterest perfect turkey dinner, but it will tell you how to stress less while hosting an awesome Friendsgiving!)

Make it a Potluck

There is NO reason that you need to cook the entire meal yourself. Your friends will be glad to bring a vegetable side dish, dessert, or bottle of wine, and they may even insist upon it. Donâ€™t just leave it up to them though, delegate a dish to each person or couple invited so you know whatâ€™s coming and what youâ€™ll need to make to fill in the meal.

For my turkey dinners, I prepare the turkey, gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. I might also make a pie or two. Everything else comes from my friends: Green bean casserole, more pies, squash, cranberry sauce, rolls, etc.

Need a turkey roaster? I love this one from Calphalon .

I’ve had bad luck with non-stick turkey roasters, because I make my gravy by scraping up all the yummy stuff stuck to the pan (droool) and non-stick coating has the tendency to flake off. Stainless is the way to go if you really want to commit to Friendsgiving dinner.

Set a Pretty Table, Not a Perfect One

Itâ€™s totally OK if you donâ€™t have china service for 16. Most people donâ€™t, and you donâ€™t have to go out and buy new plates and silverware. Use what you have, and supplement with thrift store finds or inexpensive plates from a department store. With a little bit of creativity, a mismatched table will look eclectic and trendy, and Iâ€™ll bet you get complements on it.

Donâ€™t discount disposable tableware either. There are many fancy looking options for dishes and plastic ware that will save you from having a giant pile of dishes to do at the end of the night.

You can pick up these gilded dinner plates at Amazon.

I love these gold glitter cups too!

Serve a signature cocktail

I always have beer and a few bottles of wine to share at dinner, but when it comes to drinks you really donâ€™t have to have a full stocked bar with mixers and garnish. Create one or two seasonal signature drinks for the occasion and make up a batch ahead of time for convenience.

Try Hard Cider Sangria or a Cranberry Cocktail for a fall inspired cocktail that everyone will like. Whip up a non-alcoholic Autumn Chiller for those whoâ€™d rather not imbibe and youâ€™ll have everyone covered.

Do Something Different

Who says you have to eat Friendsgiving dinner at the dining room table? Put up TV trays and eat while watching your favorite sitcom if you want. (My choice would be to go through this list of Thanksgiving Friends Episodes, duh!) Or get some pillows out and have dinner on the floor!

The color of these floor cushions just screams autumn to me!

Maybe there should be a before or after dinner activity, like a board game, or a group photo shoot. Try asking your friends to write down thank you notes to each other and throw them into a basket. Take turns reading them out loud during dinner. I think this year we’ll send the kids outside to play and drum up a game of Cards Against Humanity for the adults!

The details of your Friendsgiving are what will make it memorable, so donâ€™t try to make Friendsgiving just like a normal Thanksgiving. Be unique and give your friends a night to remember.

Need some more holiday tips? Check out these posts:

4 Simple Ways to Say “NO” This Holiday Season

The Holidays Are Coming: Be Mentally Prepared For The Onslaught of Stress

4 Tips for a Fun and Low Key Friendsgiving Celebration