Potluck

Whether you'll be celebrating with friends or family this year, consider making it a potluck affair. Not only will it feel more inclusive and allow your guests to show off their kitchen prowess, but it will also ease the burden of expense and stress on your end. With a few tips and tricks your Thanksgiving spread will be picture-worthy, full of diverse offerings (woe be the meal with four versions of green bean casserole, but no pie in sight), and — dare we say it — fun.

• Divvying up dishes: While elegant snail-mail or Paperless Post invites are tempting (and are great to send out in addition), stick with email, Evite, or a Facebook invite when it comes to planning. This way you can easily lay out what dishes you'd like guests to bring, and ask each to reply all or post on the group board with what they've chosen to take on. Make sure to list out what you consider absolute musts (stuffing, mashed potatoes, pie) but also leave room for guests to share their family traditions by including open-ended categories as well (other sides, dessert, etc). As a helpful reminder, update the list as assignments are snapped up, so that guests don't have to read through the whole conversation thread.
• Signature components: If one of your guests makes a signature dish that you can't do without, feel free to send them an additional email asking them to bring it, and consider leaving it off of the list of assignments. Just make sure to include a note in the thread that they'll be bringing it, so that other guests won't think that a crucial element is missing.
• Provide the turkey: Turkey is cumbersome to transport, and won't benefit from the requisite reheating come meal time. Prepare this and gravy from its drippings at home. As a bonus, its mouth-watering perfume will entice guests when they enter your home.

Keep reading for four more tips.

With the holiday season approaching, it seems inevitable that you'll be invited to one, if not several, potluck-style parties. To make sure you show up bearing dishes that feed numerous people without compromising taste, we've gathered a few of our favorite recipes. Let us know if you have any of your own!

Mini Red Potatoes	Quinoa Salad	White Chocolate Blondies
Patatas Bravas	Herbed Rice Salad	Fudge Brownies

What is it about baked pastas that's so wildly comforting? Could it be their starchy goodness? Cheesy topping? Hearty filling? It's probably a combination of all these factors that makes a dish, like this spicy baked penne with sausage and chard, a winner. It can be assembled in advance and baked just before serving, thus it's an ideal dish for entertaining. An item like this is also great after a long day on the slopes. If you build it in the morning, when you arrive home, all you have to do is bake it. It's easy to make and absolutely delicious to eat, so check out the recipe now.

With Christmas just around the corner, you may find yourself doing more than your fair share of celebrating at other people's houses. And, as good as classic holiday dishes are, they tend to be rich in flavor because they're full on fat. It's definitely OK to indulge a little, but to balance out all of the high-calorie meals being served this season, bring a dish with you. It's an easy way to guarantee that there will be whole grains and fresh veggies wherever you are.

The next time you're invited to a dinner party, check with your hosts to see if you can bring a healthy appetizer like this chipotle hummus with veggies or a filling side dish like this quinoa with roasted butternut squash. While I've yet to encounter anyone who has taken offense, gauge your hosts first — chances are they won't say no once they know you're bringing a batch of these pumpkin-carrot bars with cream cheese frosting!

Be savvy this weekend by throwing a Thanksgiving potluck. This will definitely cut down on the time in the kitchen, and even save you some cash. Not only that, you'll be surprised at how creative your friends and family can get! It'll be a chance to try their spins on traditional recipes.

Our pal YumSugar has some great tips for having a Thanksgiving potluck, which include assigning dishes and creating an oven schedule for each guest. Do you have any savvy tips for this gratuitous holiday?

When hosting any Thanksgiving dinner, be it a potluck or one where you do the majority of the cooking, it's a good idea to set the table a couple of days in advance.

Start with a seasonal tablecloth, then add the good china, polished flatware, and wine glasses. Serve the cocktails in tumblers and the turkey on a large platter.

Lots of candlelight creates a festive atmosphere, so place votives on the table and pillar candles around the dining room. Don't forget a bouquet or two of fresh flowers.

Consider the counter space; a lot of it might be in use during the hours before the meal, so a folding table where guests can place their contributions is crucial. If you are attending a potluck, make your dish in a vessel that has a cover or in a disposable pan that can be discarded at the end of the night.

If your house is the location of a Thanksgiving potluck, your hosting duties not only include making the turkey, but also preparing a cocktail. When guests arrive offer them a glass to get things started. Since the meal is a big one, serve an apéritif — something not too sweet that will stimulate the palate like these campari and triple-sec concoctions.

On the flip side, when attending a Thanksgiving potluck, don't show up empty handed. Bring a bottle of sparkling wine or Beaujolais Nouveau or a six-pack of festive pumpkin ale.

To look at the campari cocktail recipe, which can be easily adapted for a crowd, read more