Hosting your first Friendsgiving? This guide covers the menu, the table, and the leftovers, with recipes for every course.

Friendsgiving is the holiday you get to build yourself. No inherited traditions to defend, no one asking why the stuffing is different this year. Just the people you chose, gathered around a long table, passing plates. In Sicily, a table is never just about the food. It is about staying. Lingering over one more glass, one more spoonful, one more story. These Friendsgiving ideas are here to help you host that kind of evening, whether you are cooking for six or sixteen, and whether you are the host or the friend who gets to say, "What can I bring?"

Friendsgiving Table Decor Ideas

Start with the room, because people feel a table before they taste it.

• Flowers. Keep them loose and low so everyone can see across the table. Branches, herbs, pomegranates, and small clusters of seasonal blooms all feel generous without trying too hard.
• Linens. Cloth napkins and a table runner do more than any centerpiece. Wrinkles are welcome. This is a dinner, not a showroom.
• Music. Choose something warm and unhurried for the first hour, then let it fade into the background once the conversation takes over.

Plan It Together: The Potluck, Without the Chaos

The easiest Friendsgiving is a shared one. Host the main dish and let friends sign up by category: a starter, a side, a dessert, something to drink. A simple shared note keeps you from ending up with five desserts and no salad. Ask guests to mention any dietary needs when they sign up, and set out small cards beside each dish naming what is in it. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten or dairy friendly dishes are easy to spot, and nobody has to ask.

How to Host a Sustainable Friendsgiving

A beautiful gathering and a thoughtful one are not at odds. A few easy habits:

• Buy organic where you can, especially for produce and pantry staples. It is better for the soil, the farmers, and the flavor.
• Compost peels, stems, and scraps as you cook, and set a small bin out for guests to use.
• Use reusable wares and linens. No disposable napkins, no paper plates. Washing up together is part of the evening.
• Collect mismatched glasses and cups from a thrift store. They look charming together, cost very little, and you will have them for every future gathering.
  

What to Drink at Friendsgiving

Pour something that invites people to settle in. Our guide to Piedmont is a lovely place to start when choosing bottles, and a pitcher of Campari Spritz at the door gives everyone something to hold while they say hello.

A glass for every guest

Give your non drinkers something as beautiful as the spritz. Sparkling water with blood orange and a sprig of rosemary, or warm spiced apple cider served in your mismatched cups, makes everyone feel like part of the toast.

Friendsgiving Appetizers and Antipasti

Give guests something to nibble on while the kitchen finishes its work. Our guide to building the best antipasti board walks you through it, and a few warm dishes make it feel like a welcome.

• Warm Citrus Marinated Olives by Anca Toderic of The Butter Table
• Pepperonata Dip by Mel Santell
  

A Tasting at the Table

Make it an activity. Set out two or three small dishes of Bona Furtuna extra virgin olive oil and a few aged balsamics, with torn focaccia for dipping. Ask everyone to name what they taste: grassy, peppery, sweet, bright. It gets strangers talking and gives the table something to remember.

Friendsgiving Starters

A bowl of soup is the quiet hello before the big plates arrive.

• Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup
• Italian Pumpkin Soup
  

Friendsgiving Side Dishes and Salads

This is where Friendsgiving really shines, because everyone's favorite dish lives here.

• Squash Caponata
• Burrata Salad with Delicata Squash and Pomegranate
• Green Goddess Kale Caesar Salad
• Creamy Pumpkin Ditalini
  

Friendsgiving Main Dishes

Choose one showstopper, or set out two and let guests build their plate.

• Vegetarian: Vegetarian Pasta Bake
• Seafood: Spaghetti with Garlic Infused Olive Oil and Red Shrimp
• Meat: Slow Roasted Chicken with Sicilian Lemon Blossom Honey Glaze
  

Friendsgiving Desserts

End on something sweet, simple, and a little golden.

• Blood Orange & Olive Oil Panettone (no baking required)
• Balsamic Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
• Spiced Apple Olive Oil Cake
• The easiest dessert of the night: a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a slow drizzle of 25-year aged balsamic vinegar. Nothing else needed.
  

If You Are the Guest: What to Bring the Host

A bottle is always welcome, but a gift from the pantry gets used long after the dinner ends.

• Swap the wine for a bottle of our best-selling Heritage Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• The Infused EVOO Collection, for finishing, dipping, and drizzling
• A ready-to-gift Italian Gift Set
  

Send Them Home Happy: The Leftover Swap

Ask guests to bring a clean container, and pack everyone a plate to take home. It cuts waste, and it means no one has to cook the next day.

What to Do With Thanksgiving Leftovers

Some say the best part of Friendsgiving is the day after. Here is how to make it count.

• Make the bread. Bake our Everyday Focaccia and slice it for sandwiches.
• Choose your spread. Stir up an aioli with one of our infused EVOOs and spread it on thick, or reach for our pestos and other spreads when you want zero effort.
• Top it off. Pile on leftover salad, greens, or roasted vegetables.
• Drizzle and sprinkle. Finish with olive oil, a little aged balsamic, and a pinch of your favorite seasoning.
  

Friendsgiving FAQ

How many dishes should each guest bring?

One is plenty. Ask each guest to bring a starter, side, dessert, or drink, and the host covers the main dish.

What should I serve at Friendsgiving?

Aim for one starter, a main, three or four sides, and a dessert. Choose dishes that can be made the day before so you can enjoy the party.

How do I host a Friendsgiving on a budget?

Make it a potluck, use thrift store glasses and cloth napkins, and keep the menu seasonal.

What should I bring to a Friendsgiving as a guest?

A dish from the sign up list, or a gift from the pantry such as olive oil, pesto, or aged balsamic.

How do I host a sustainable Friendsgiving?

Buy organic and seasonal, use reusable dishes and linens, compost scraps, and send leftovers home in containers.

However you gather, may the table be crowded, the glasses mismatched, and the leftovers better than the meal. Buon appetito, and buon Friendsgiving.