Keys to setting up a potluck Thanksgiving dinner

For Thanksgiving, it’s traditional for friends and family to go over to someone’s house where that host then cooks Thanksgiving dinner for everyone. But in recent years, people have started doing more of a potluck-style turkey day. This way, the host or hostess doesn’t have to slave over the stove for an entire day, and each guest can bring a dish that they love, ensuring that the dinner is just perfect for everyone. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind to make sure the event goes smoothly:

Invitations
Send out personalized invitations to your turkey day guests before the holiday sneaks up on you. Mail a Thanksgiving-themed card a few weeks before the date and fill in the details by suggesting that guests bring a side dish or a dessert of their choice to share with everyone. Your guests need to know ahead of time that they’re encouraged to bring a dish to pass so they can prepare.

Make the transfer
Once all of your holiday guests have arrived with their food, transfer everything to all-white platters and serving dishes for a striking display. Putting all of the dishes into similar glasswear creates a more streamlined buffet table. Store everyone else’s dishes in the next room to keep them out of sight and make room for the food.

Attach labels
Not everybody is going to be familiar with the foods that are on display on the buffet table. To make things easy, print out some labels to add the perfect finishing touch to your Thanksgiving table. When guests arrive, they can fill out the label for their own dish.

A signature cocktail
Since all of your guests will be bringing something unique, how about whipping up a little something special for them? A signature beverage is a fun way to amp up any celebration. Choose something seasonal like apple cider sangria or caramel apple martinis. Dress up the rims of the glasses with a bit of cinnamon sugar.