Friendsgiving Dinner Party: Sidesgiving
There is no better way to gather all your friends this time of year than to host Friendsgiving! The theme of this dinner party was SIDESGIVING which is where everyone brings their favorite Thanksgiving side dish to share with friends. No turkey, no complicated menu items- just cozy, heart warming side dishes to share with your besties.
We all know the best part about Thanksgiving are the side dishes so this is a side dish only dinner party where guests can bring their favorite Thanksgiving side dish for everyone to enjoy!
The mood board for this dinner party was a traditional Thanksgiving color scheme- reds, oranges, browns and pumpkins of course. I made a giant wine cooler and floral vase out of a Cinderella pumpkin. And a fringe banner using plastic tablecloths from the dollar store for under $20, which made a fun backdrop and dropped the ceiling where our side dishes were all set up.
This was the inspiration mood board for the party! Very traditional color scheme and I wanted the whole room to be centered around everyone’s side dishes they brought to share. Using butcher paper will make clean up really easy and also allow friends to write their side dish on the paper so everyone knows what they are putting on their plate to enjoy!
tips to host a dinner party
CREATE A MOOD BOARD- this will really help set the ambiance and vibes for your dinner party. Usually I go on Pinterest and type in ideas for my party and put those pictures on one Canva doc that way I can see all the picture together and plan out what I really want to be a part of the party or not. This also helps me to stay on track with decor. Find the mood board I made for this party above.
CREATE A MENU- when curating a menu for a dinner party I write out an appetizer, main dish and dessert that I want to make and then I build from there. Do I need more appetizers? A fruit platter? Something to balance out all the cheese? I shift things around based on the original menu. This Sidesgiving menu is REALLY helpful for you as the host because it involves friends bringing side dishes. It helps SO much.
MAKE AN INVITATION- making and sending out an invitation is a lovely touch to send to the people you are inviting. I like to include the color scheme or overall theme in my invite so friends kinda know what to expect, gives them ideas on what to wear and is a little preview to the party all together! An invite gets people excited for the party you are having!
I made the finge banners using tablecloths from dollar tree! SO SO easy to make these on a budget. A simple tablescape that really draws in eyes right to all the beautiful food everyone made. If you’d like a tutorial on how I made these, let me know in the blog post comment below.
BELOW, you will find a video on how I organized all of the prep work for this Friendsgiving dinner party ⬇️⬇️
Pro tip:
Use butcher paper to cover your table or kitchen island when hosting this party. It not only makes clean up really easy because you can roll up the paper at the end of the night and TADA you have a clean table underneath.
As friends arrive with their side dish, they can place it down on the butcher paper and write with a marker what food they brought for a fun interactive touch!
A really fun way to get guests involved is to make a spot to write what they are thankful for. It adds a personal touch and gets everyone in the Thanksgiving mood!
Below you will find an editable invitation & menu card to make hosting this party that much easier! Simply add in your party details and send out the invitations to friends.
sidesgiving MENU
For this Friendsgiving themed dinner party, I decided to make it easy and no fuss but doing sides dishes only, because really we all know people care more about the sides than they do the turkey! Turkey is hard to cook and stresses people out, so let’s forget the turkey and stick to side dishes only. Think baked mac & cheese, green bean casserole, roasted carrots, EASY delicious side dishes that speak to the soul.
Appetizers
Vino and Bites Bar- I created a do it yourself wine and charcuterie skewer bar where my friends can pick their bite of choice and pair with a Bread and Butter wine. This takes some stress off you as the host where friends can help themselves to an appetizer and wine while you also enjoy some food and their company vs running around making sure everyone has a drink in hand.
This is the charcuterie skewer holder I used and the tooth picks that fit inside it. You have to use these toothpicks, other ones will not work!
These are the skewers I made and the wines that pair with them:
Havarti, salami and olive skewer- pairs well with a glass of Bread and Butter Pinot Noir
Mozzarella, prosciutto and apple slice- pairs well with Bread and Butter Chardonnay
Brie cheese, roasted red grapes and honey drizzle- pairs well with Bread and Butter Prosecco
I love serving up Bread and Butter wines because they are approachable, affordable, easy drinking wines. They have many varieties and there is an option for everyone at the dinner table 🍷 You all know I love their wines so much! They are a staple for all our holiday hosting.
side dishes- ALL recipes are clickable to bring you to the full recipe
Brie cheese mash potatoes- if you aren’t adding brie cheese to your mash potatoes, you need to!
Baked mac and cheese- one of my favorite recipes to make especially as a side dish for Friendsgiving. Layered with cheeses and topped with panko breadcrumbs. I brûlée the top using a torch which was a fun show for all my friends over!
Mini turkey meatballs- Instead of a turkey, I made my mom’s homemade turkey meatballs but in mini form. These are so easy to make because you can prep them days in advance and they just cook in the crockpot day of the party.
Christina’s Broccoli Cheddar Casserole
Natalie’s Roasted Brussel Sprouts
dessert
My Grandma Joan’s Apple Crisp is the BEST desert to serve up for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving! It is made with soft crispy apples that when baked melt in your mouth, topped with a crumble of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. It truly is the dessert we look forward to every year and I am so excited to share it with you! ❤️
