This time of year, it seems like everyone is throwing or attending a Friendsgiving! While these parties are typically far from your traditional family dinner, they’re usually super fun and filled with delicious food! Have you ever thought of throwing one yourself, but worried about breaking the bank? What if I told you throwing the ultimate dinner party was super simple and you won’t have to worry about spending your life savings?
I’ve teamed up with Coca Cola to share everything you need to know to throw the ultimate Friendsgiving (and even threw in a couple of recipes) that will make you momentarily forget about your mom’s famous green bean casserole.
The Guest List
If you’re like me and live in a tiny apartment (yay for your 20s), you won’t be able to fit a ton of people comfortably in your home. It’s important to remember that you should really only invite as many people as you have seats for. If your guests are feeling crowded and overwhelmed, they won’t even be able to enjoy their meal! This means you may have to be selective about who you invite or you can rent out a bigger space for your shindig. In Chicago, they have awesome venues like the Deb Lilly Loft that can accommodate more people but still make you feel like you’re in a home.
If you must cut down the list, I recommend focusing on inviting friends who are also far away from their families during the holidays. It can be a nice way for everyone to feel that sense of family that they long for this time of year.
The Food
The food can traditionally be one of the more expensive parts of throwing any Friendsgiving. I recommend turning it into a potluck to avoid this expense! Not only will it be a smaller burden on your wallet, but you’ll get to try the traditions of your guests’ families. As the host, I think you should be responsible for the protein (unless someone else is jumping up and down to do it) and some of the appetizers/sides. Don’t worry, you can easily create a couple of inexpensive dishes that will blow your guests away (and make them think you spent a ton of time and money on them).
One of my favorite appetizers is a burrata dip. To make it, all you need is 4 simple ingredients:
-1 ball of fresh burrata (I get mine at Whole Foods and am a fan of the BelGioioso kind)
-2 large diced tomatoes
-3 fresh leaves of basil, torn
-Sea salt, to taste
Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and mix until it turns into a dip! Serve with crackers and garnish with a few more sprigs of basil to make it look fancy. It’s that simple.
Another great dish that is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser during any get-together is my Kale and Butternut Squash Salad. It’s also on the lighter side so you can balance out some of the heavy food you’ll be eating during the meal.
All you need to make this is:
-Bunch of kale, boiled for one minute to soften then drained
-Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
-Shallot, thinly sliced
-Walnuts
-Dried Cranberries
-Cayenne Pepper
-Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper
To make this awesome salad, roast your butternut squash with a little olive oil and cayenne pepper for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. While the squash is cooking, caramelize the shallots. To do that, just cook the thinly sliced shallots in olive oil over medium heat and keep moving them around so they don’t burn. Once squash is done, combine with the kale, caramelized shallots, walnuts and dried cranberries. Add a little more cayenne plus some salt and pepper to taste.
Another one of my FAVORITE ways to save money on food is using up some of the things I have in my fridge or pantry. Whether it be a hodge podge of crackers and jams arranged rustically on a platter or some frozen dumplings I had left over from my last trip to Costco, I usually have something I can whip up and make it delicious!
The Beverages
Since holiday gatherings seem to be all about eating all your favorite foods, I try to find ways to balance out my calorie consumption (it’s all about moderation, right?). One of my favorite ways to do that is by serving smaller versions of the classic favorites. For example, Coca Cola has these awesome 7.5 ounce mini cans that are only 90 calories. They are the perfect way for your guests to enjoy one of their favorite beverages in moderation.
If you’re looking to save a little money on the booze side, I recommend creating one or two signature cocktails to serve at the party and that way you won’t have to buy all sorts of alcohol.
The Decorations
They say if there isn’t a photo on Instagram, it didn’t happen, right?! As an avid Instagrammer, the ambience is one of the most important things to me so that I can capture the perfect photo and share it with my followers! On top of creating a beautiful photo, you want your guests to get in the holiday spirit!
All you need to do to set the mood is grab a festive color table cloth, some fun napkins, light a few candles and snag a few pumpkins/gourds to decorate your table. I’ll even pop over to a local park to grab some pine cones and pretty fall leaves (hey, it’s free!). You can also grab some gorgeous plastic plates and cutlery that will spruce up your table, but won’t break your bank account.
As you can see, throwing an unforgettable Friendsgiving is super simple! I’d love to hear about some of the ways you celebrate. Share your tips and tricks below!
Love always,
Erica
This post was sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company. The opinions are completely my own and based on my experience.
