Keep it classic

If your friends love cooking, dressing up or lingering around the dinner table, embrace the traditional feast or give it a potluck twist. Encourage guests to bring family recipes, cultural favorites or simply foods they love. Who said turkey and stuffing are the only ways to feel festive?

Meet for brunch

When evening calendars are crowded, move the celebration to earlier in the day or even a few days before. Breakfast casseroles, pancakes, pastries, fruit, coffee and seasonal drinks can create a cozy get-together without the expense or preparation of a full dinner. Brunch also leaves everyone free for other plans later in the day.

Plan something to do

If your friend group isn’t one to spend hours at a dinner table, try creating a night of activities! Make a board-game tournament, sports watch party, movie marathon or craft night the main event instead. Serve finger foods, dips or a snack board guests can enjoy throughout the gathering. The result feels less like hosting a dinner and more like spending quality time together.

Save room for dessert

Friendsgiving can be as simple as partaking in something sweet. Ask everyone to bring a favorite pie, cake, cookie or other treat, then serve coffee, cider or hot chocolate. A dessert party works especially well when guests already have family celebrations or other commitments competing for their time.

Give leftovers a second life

Rather than squeeze another festive event into the week, meet on a Friday or Saturday for a leftovers party. Everyone can bring whatever remains from their holiday meals and turn it into turkey sandwiches, stuffing waffles, snack plates or a casual buffet. There’s little additional cooking and good food gets eaten instead of forgotten in the refrigerator.

There’s no single recipe for a memorable Friendsgiving. Serve a full feast, have a friendly competition or skip straight to pie and coffee. When the plans reflect the people in the room, even the simplest get-togethers can become a tradition worth repeating.