What to Bring to Friendsgiving: Easy Dishes and Host Gifts

If you are wondering what to bring to Friendsgiving, bring one dish that fills a gap on the host's sign-up sheet, arrives ready to serve, and holds up at room temperature: baked mac and cheese, a roasted vegetable side, a sturdy fall salad, rolls with flavored butter, a cheese board, a pie, or drinks and ice. If there is no sign-up sheet, ask the host one question: "What category do you still need?" If you do not cook, good store-bought choices include a bakery pie, a rotisserie chicken, a cheese and fruit board, sparkling cider or a bag of ice. The lists below are sorted by effort, with quantities, transport tips and host gift ideas.

Start with these four questions

1. What is already covered? Check the sign-up sheet or group chat before you decide. The host usually makes the main dish; the gaps are most often vegetables, bread, nonalcoholic drinks and ice.
2. How many people are coming? At a potluck with six or more sides, a dish that serves 8 is enough for a party of 12, because everyone takes a small scoop of each.
3. Can the host reheat anything? Assume the oven is full. Bring food hot in an insulated carrier, in a slow cooker, or choose something served cold or at room temperature.
4. Any allergies or diets in the group? If you can make your dish vegetarian or nut-free without hurting it, do. Write the main ingredients on a card either way.

What to bring, by category

Category	Reliable choices	Amount for 10 to 12 guests	Effort
Appetizer	Cheese board, baked brie, spinach dip, spiced nuts	50 to 70 bites total across all appetizers	Low
Starchy side	Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato casserole	One 9-by-13-inch pan	Medium
Vegetable side	Roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, green beans	About 3 pounds of vegetables	Low to medium
Salad	Kale and apple, shaved Brussels sprouts, roasted squash and farro	One large bowl, about 12 cups	Low
Bread	Dinner rolls, cornbread, biscuits with honey butter	18 rolls	None to low
Sauces	Cranberry sauce, gravy	3 cups cranberry sauce; 4 cups gravy	Low
Dessert	Pie, pumpkin bars, apple crisp, cookies	One pie or one pan of bars per 8 people	None to medium
Drinks	Wine, sparkling cider, beer, a batch cocktail, sparkling water	One bottle of wine per two drinkers, plus something nonalcoholic	None
Supplies	Ice, take-home containers, napkins, foil	About 1 pound of ice per guest	None

Easy dishes to bring to Friendsgiving

These take under an hour of active work and survive a car or subway ride.

Sides

• Baked mac and cheese. Assemble the night before, bake before you leave, and carry it wrapped in towels. It is good warm, not just hot.
• Maple-roasted Brussels sprouts or carrots. One sheet pan, 25 minutes, and they taste right at room temperature.
• Slow-cooker mashed potatoes. Make them at home, transport them in the cooker, and plug it in on warm when you arrive.
• Cornbread or corn pudding. No reheating needed.
• Kale salad with apples, dried cranberries and pecans. Kale does not wilt, so you can dress it before leaving.
• Cranberry sauce from scratch. Cranberries, sugar, water and orange zest, simmered for about 10 minutes. Make it two days ahead.
• Roasted sweet potatoes with a hot-honey or maple-pecan drizzle.

Appetizers

• Baked brie topped with cranberry sauce or fig jam, with a sliced baguette. Bake it at home and wrap in foil; it stays soft for a while.
• Whipped feta with honey and walnuts, served with pita chips.
• Stuffed dates with goat cheese and almonds; no cooking required.
• Spiced nuts toasted with rosemary, brown sugar and cayenne.

Desserts

• Pumpkin bars or pecan pie bars, which cut into more portions than a pie and stack in a container.
• Apple crisp, which is easier than pie and can be made gluten-free with certified gluten-free oats.
• A loaf or sheet cake. Our pumpkin cake travels without a cake carrier.
• A classic pie. If you want to bake one from scratch, start with this apple pie or the crumb-topped apple crumble pie.

For complete menus and more ideas in each category, see Friendsgiving food ideas.

What to bring to Friendsgiving without cooking

Not cooking is fine. Showing up with a thoughtful store-bought item is better than a stressed homemade one, and several of the most useful contributions are not dishes at all.

• A cheese and fruit board. Three cheeses, crackers, grapes, sliced apples and a jar of jam, arranged on a cutting board when you arrive.
• A bakery or grocery-store pie and a carton of heavy cream to whip, or a pint of good vanilla ice cream.
• Rolls from a bakery with a good salted butter.
• Rotisserie chicken. A welcome second main, especially when the turkey is small. Keep it hot, and get it to the party within 2 hours of buying it.
• A vegetable tray with hummus, or a shrimp cocktail ring kept on ice.
• Olives, pickles, nuts and good chips for the appetizer table.
• Drinks: wine, a seasonal beer, hard cider, sparkling cider, flavored sparkling water, or the ingredients for one batch cocktail.
• Ice. Hosts often run out. Two 10-pound bags will be used.
• Take-home containers and a roll of foil, so leftovers can be shared.
• Coffee for after dinner, with cream, or a box of good tea.

Store-bought, upgraded

A few minutes of work makes a packaged item feel homemade.

Buy this	Do this
Canned whole-berry cranberry sauce	Stir in orange zest, a splash of orange juice and chopped toasted pecans
Refrigerated mashed potatoes	Heat with butter, sour cream and roasted garlic; top with chives
Boxed stuffing mix	Add sauteed celery, onion and mushrooms, fresh sage and extra broth; bake in a dish until the top is crisp
Bakery dinner rolls	Brush with melted butter, garlic and flaky salt and warm for 5 minutes
Store-bought pumpkin pie	Add fresh whipped cream with a little maple syrup and a dusting of cinnamon
Frozen green beans	Saute with garlic and butter, finish with lemon and toasted almonds
Plain hummus	Swirl in olive oil, smoked paprika and roasted pumpkin seeds
Vanilla ice cream	Bring warm caramel sauce and salted pecans for a sundae bar
Apple cider	Warm with cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange slices in a slow cooker

Move the food into your own dish before you leave home. Nobody needs to see the packaging, and the host will not have to find you a bowl.

If you were assigned a category

• "Bring an appetizer." Choose something that does not need the oven and does not fill people up: a cheese board, a dip, or stuffed dates.
• "Bring a side." Ask whether the table needs a starch or a vegetable. When in doubt, bring a green vegetable; potlucks rarely have too many.
• "Bring a dessert." Find out whether pumpkin pie is covered. If it is, bring something different: apple, pecan, chocolate or a tray of cookies.
• "Bring drinks." Bring more than alcohol. A mix of one or two bottles of wine and a nonalcoholic option covers everyone.
• "Just bring yourself." Take the host at their word about the food, but bring a small host gift.

What to bring in common situations

Your situation	Good choice	Why
You are on a tight budget	Roasted carrots, cornbread, cranberry sauce or a big pot of mashed potatoes	Each costs a few dollars to make and feeds a crowd
You are coming straight from work	Wine, sparkling cider, a bakery pie or a cheese board picked up on the way	Nothing to keep hot or cold all day
You are taking public transit	Bars, cookies, rolls, a salad in a lidded container	Flat, sealed and safe at room temperature
You are meeting a partner's friends for the first time	A familiar dessert or a good bottle, plus a small host gift	Low risk, easy to share, and it gives you something to talk about
It is an office Friendsgiving	A slow-cooker side, a tray of cookies or a vegetable platter	Works with a break-room outlet and no oven; skip alcohol unless told otherwise
You are vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free	A hearty dish you can make a meal of, such as stuffed squash or a grain salad	You are guaranteed something to eat, and others will want it too
You have a signature dish	Bring it, even if it is not traditional	Friendsgiving menus have room for dumplings, tamales, jollof rice or kimchi next to the turkey

How to transport your dish

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says bacteria grow fastest between 40°F and 140°F and that perishable food should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Your travel time is part of those 2 hours.

• Hot dishes: take them straight from the oven, cover with foil, wrap the dish in bath towels and set it in a box or an insulated carrier. The goal is to keep it at 140°F or warmer.
• Cold dishes: carry them in a cooler with ice packs so they stay at 40°F or below. That includes deviled eggs, dips made with dairy, shrimp and cream pies.
• Long trips: if you are traveling more than an hour or so, bring something that is safe at room temperature, such as bread, cookies, fruit pie, nuts, whole fruit or drinks.
• Salads: pack the dressing in a jar and toss when you arrive, unless the base is kale or cabbage.
• In the car: put dishes flat on the floor, not on a seat, with a towel underneath.

Also pack a serving spoon, a trivet or towel to set the dish on, and a card with the dish name and whether it contains meat, dairy, gluten or nuts. Put your name on the bottom of the dish with tape so it finds its way home.

Friendsgiving host gift ideas

At a potluck, your dish is your contribution, and a separate gift is optional. It becomes a good idea when the host cooked most of the meal, when you were told to bring nothing, or when you are staying overnight. Aim for something small that does not create work during the party.

Budget	Gift ideas
Under $15	A candle, a jar of good jam or local honey, a bag of coffee beans, a small potted herb, a handwritten card
$15 to $30	A bottle of wine or nonalcoholic sparkling wine, a set of linen tea towels, good olive oil, a box of chocolates, a breakfast kit (pancake mix and maple syrup) for the morning after
$30 and up	A serving board, a cookbook, a flower arrangement already in a vase, a set of cloth napkins

• If you bring wine as a gift, say it is for the host to enjoy later, so they do not feel obliged to open it.
• Bring flowers in a vase or jar. Loose stems send the host hunting for scissors and a container while guests are arriving.
• A thank-you text the next day counts for as much as a gift. If you want to send more than a text, our thank-you messages have wording for hosts, and the free card maker turns one into a card.

What not to bring

• A dish that needs 40 minutes in the host's oven, unless you arranged it.
• Something that has to be assembled on the host's only free counter.
• A second turkey or another main dish the host did not ask for.
• An uninvited guest. Ask first.
• A dish with a common allergen hidden in it and no label, such as nuts in a pesto or a crust.
• Nothing at all. Even a bag of ice counts.

A quick packing checklist

• The dish, covered and labeled with your name
• Serving spoon or tongs
• Ingredient card for allergies
• Garnish or topping packed separately (crispy onions, nuts, whipped cream)
• Towel or trivet
• A container for taking leftovers home
• Drink of your choice if the party is BYOB

Hosting instead of attending this year? The full plan, from the date to the leftovers, is in our guide to Friendsgiving ideas.