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Party guide

A Friendsgiving Potluck That Actually Works

You make the turkey and the drinks. Everyone else signs up for one dish, and you don't end up with four pies and no potatoes. The trick is a sign-up list that goes out two weeks early with the categories already filled in.

Host tip: Ask everyone to bring their dish ready to serve, in the dish it will sit in, with its own spoon. That keeps your oven free for the turkey.

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The menu

Starter
A big green saladAssigned to a guest
Main
Turkey, or a turkey breast if oven space is tightRecipe from Ina Garten, Food Network ↗
Side
Stuffing muffinsRecipe from Well Plated ↗
Baked mac and cheese for a crowdRecipe from Spend With Pennies ↗
Make-ahead mashed potatoesRecipe from Once Upon a Chef ↗
Dessert
Pumpkin pie barsRecipe from Sally's Baking Addiction ↗
Pumpkin cheesecake barsRecipe from Taste of Home ↗

Drinks and ice

  • A self-serve wine bar: one red, one white, one sparkling, plus sparkling water

Pomegranate-lime cubes and a punch ring

Fill a tray with pomegranate seeds and thin lime wedges for the sparkling water. For a big drink dispenser, freeze a ring in a bundt pan with cranberries, orange slices and rosemary; it lasts for hours. How to freeze fruit and herbs in ice

Make ahead

  1. 2 weeks before: Send the sign-up list: 2 sides, 1 salad, 2 desserts, 1 bread, 1 drink.
  2. 3 days before: Thaw the turkey. Freeze the ice ring and cubes.
  3. 1 day before: Make the mashed potatoes (they reheat beautifully). Set out serving spoons with a sticky note for each dish.
  4. Day of: Turkey in the oven. Set up the wine bar and the to-go station.
  5. Guests arrive: Point them to their labeled spot on the table.

The music

Upbeat, sing-along throwbacks

The 25 songs
  1. September, Earth, Wind & Fire
  2. Mr. Brightside, The Killers
  3. Don't Stop Believin', Journey
  4. Shut Up and Dance, Walk the Moon
  5. I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Whitney Houston
  6. Dancing Queen, ABBA
  7. Livin' on a Prayer, Bon Jovi
  8. Hey Ya!, OutKast
  9. Wannabe, Spice Girls
  10. Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
  11. Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
  12. ...Baby One More Time, Britney Spears
  13. Party in the U.S.A., Miley Cyrus
  14. Africa, Toto
  15. Valerie, Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
  16. Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper
  17. Bye Bye Bye, NSYNC
  18. Since U Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson
  19. Hey Jude, The Beatles
  20. Celebration, Kool & The Gang
  21. Shake It Off, Taylor Swift
  22. All Star, Smash Mouth
  23. Don't Stop Me Now, Queen
  24. Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves
  25. Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande

Little touches

  • A gift for the host

    What guests can bring.

    A bottle, a dessert, or a nice bag of coffee for the next morning

  • To take home

    A little something at the door.

    A leftovers kit: containers, labels and a little bag

  • Something to do

    A kraft-paper runner down the table. Everyone writes what they're thankful for before dessert.

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