The word around the block is that you’re officially moved into your first apartment. Your coats and boots are in the closets, and your kitchen is fully unpacked and ready to have a dinner party with your best friends. However, you may not be entirely sure how to host Friendsgiving like an adult, and serve a dinner with all that glitz and glam.
When you have friends over, you may typically make pasta or order pizza. You might pull out a bottle of wine if you’re going to watch a movie, or stay in and have a chill night with your buds. There are no cheeseboards, casseroles, or place settings required. That’s all well and good, but Friendsgiving can be a special adventure and rad way to learn valuable lessons about #adulting.
Being a beginner in the hosting and cooking game means you get to learn how to properly lay out appetizers for your guests, or coordinate a potluck with your BFFs. You get to try out different utensils, serving dishes, and pans in your new kitchen, and invest in some entertaining essentials. Here’s how to host Friendsgiving like an adult in your first apartment. (Spoiler alert: It’s easier than you may believe.)
1. Create The Ultimate Cheese Board
Appetizers are necessary when you’re hosting a dinner party. They prep your guests for the delicious food they’ll be having, and make sure your friends don’t become #hangry while waiting for the turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce to be ready. So, create the ultimate cheese board before they arrive. It can include multiple kinds of cheese, crackers, salami and prosciutto, olives, and fruit.
2. Decorate Your Place With Festive Decor
As much as your friends might not admit it, they want to take a lot of Instagram pictures at your Friendsgiving dinner. Some of your BFFs want to get pics of their colorful plate, while others may want to pose in front of festive decor. Be sure to get pumpkins at the grocery store that’ll look good on social media, as well as a garland of fake leaves or a felt sign that reads "Friendsgiving." They’ll complement your event and spread.
3. Set Up A Drink And Coffee Station
When you’re cooking and preparing your Friendsgiving meal, you won’t want to be running around getting everyone drinks. Instead, you’ll want to give your guests a chance to pour their own wine, soda, tea, coffee, or water at a perfectly-designed drink station. When you’re prepping it, make sure to put plenty of ice, glasses, and mugs out so your friends don’t have to dig through your cabinets and freezer.
4. Ask Everyone To Bring Something
Being an adult means realizing you might not be able to do everything. You need your friends to pitch in and lend a helping hand at times, especially when it comes to Friendsgiving.
If you’re hosting the event at your first apartment, ask everyone about a week or so in advance to bring a dish, dessert, or kitchen utensil you don’t have but need. This will take the pressure off of you a bit, and make it a more collaborative event.
5. Prep Your Place Settings
In true adult fashion, you’ll want to prep your place settings before your guests arrive. This requires pulling the nice dishes out of your cabinets, along with the proper amount of utensils your friends will need during dinner.
6. Turn On Some Chill Music
Friendsgiving is a time to turn on some chill music that’ll set the tone for an epic and #adult dinner. This may be the latest album from The Lumineers, Bon Iver, or Hozier, or a playlist of music from the ’90s that everybody knows and loves. That’s totally up to you to decide.
7. Check In With Everyone Every Once In A While
Part of being a good host is checking in with your guests. Even if they’re your best friends who have been over your new place before Friendsgiving, you want to make sure they have everything they need. You may ask your guests questions like, "Do you need a refill?" or "Can I get you anything else?" It’s simple, polite, and shows you care.
8. Give Everyone Leftovers At The End
Last but not least, to successfully host a Friendsgiving like an adult, don’t send your guests home empty-handed. Give them a container filled with leftovers and goodies so they don’t have to worry about making lunch or dinner the next day. Make sure they take a few extra cookies or slices of pie too.
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