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Hosting a Potluck Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be a labor-intensive holiday for the person responsible for the meal. One option to add fun to the holiday and make things a lot easier is to host a potluck Thanksgiving. A potluck Thanksgiving is one where all guests bring a dish. Here's some tips to help your potluck go smoothly:

Plan early! A month or two in advance is certainly not too long. Contact all your guests and figure out who is going to bring what. That way, you won't end up with two identical dishes. The host or hostess will of course be responsible for the turkey, but as for the side dishes and desserts, well, that's up to the guests!

Gather your supplies. To make a potluck Thanksgiving even simpler, try paper plates and plastic utensils. Give your table a festive look with a Thanksgiving themed tablecloth and a nice floral centerpiece or some candles. Make sure you have enough plates, cups, utensils, and serving utensils. Even though your guests may bring their own, it's a good idea to have extras. Also, stock up with plenty of trashbags so you'll have a place for all the leftover garbage.

Make sure you have plenty of space where you can put all the dishes. Try putting the turkey on one table, the side dishes on another and the desserts on another. If you're short on space, why not try a folding card table or two? These can be unfolded for Thanksgiving and easily stored away afterwards. One good idea is to arrange all the food items in buffet style, so the guests can form an orderly line and get each food item in a logical order. This will keep things simple and clutter free.

For your guests that aren't kitchen inclined, ask them to bring things like candles, flowers, utensils, or drinks. Also, you'll want to designate a cleanup crew to help you take care of leftover mess. After the cleanup but before everyone leaves, take some suggestions for next year's potluck. It's never too early to start planning!

As you'll soon discover, a potluck Thanksgiving is a great way to have a holiday meal. You'll have a lot less work to do, and everyone will be able to share in the preparation of the feast. Once you try a potluck Thanksgiving, you'll want to do them year after year!