Host a Thanksgiving potluck

Get organized

Being organized is the key to a successful potluck. Although you can just ask everyone to bring something and see what happens, you don't want a Thanksgiving with 20 pies and no main course. Once you know who is coming, consider creating a sign-up sheet where everyone can list what they are bringing. Use a program like Google Docs so that everyone can access the list from wherever they are to see what everyone is making. Besides the turkey, there should be a few sides, bread or biscuits and desserts. Anyone who doesn't want to cook can bring beverages or sign up to help with clean up.

Prepare

On the day of the Thanksgiving potluck, as the host you need to anticipate your guests' needs. Some may need to finish assembling their dishes in your kitchen, and many may want to heat up what they've brought. Try to have your preparations finished by the time guests arrive so you have the space to accommodate everyone. Consider setting up some hot plates or chafing dishes to keep everything warm and clear out some space in your fridge for things people may bring that need to stay cool.

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Be thankful

Sit down, enjoy the meal and be thankful that you have such wonderful friends and family with whom to share an incredible, collaborative meal. Ask everyone to go around and share what they're thankful for or tell stories about their favorite Thanksgiving traditions or childhood foods.

Clean up

The other great part about hosting a potluck is that there's more likely to be a joint cleanup effort. When everyone chips in, cleaning up can be quick and even fun!