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Did you know it’s possible to host a holiday dinner party without the stress? After all, the holidays are supposed to be about gathering with friends and family, right? Learn how to host Thanksgiving the Curamia way—with a laid-back, delicious, and heartwarming dinner filled with laughter, love, and tequila.

Plan the Menu and Guest List in Advance

At least three weeks before your Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or dinner event, send invites to your guests and indicate the deadline for their RSVPs! It’s important to get the correct guest count, not just for the food but also to prepare for the place settings, drinks, and more. You may also want to check if any guests have food allergies.

Once you know how many guests to expect, you can plan the menu and quantity of food needed. Always err on slightly more food than needed if you have unplanned guests or extra hungry attendees.

Traditional Thanksgiving dishes include, but are not limited to:

• Whole roasted turkey
• Glazed ham
• Gravy
• Stuffing or dressing
• Mashed potatoes
• Sweet potato yams or casserole
• Green beans (or green bean casserole)
• Cranberry sauce
• Macaroni and cheese
• Dinner rolls
• Pumpkin pie

However, why stick to just the traditions? If you’re wondering how to host Thanksgiving your own way, put your personal spin on any of the traditional recipes, or add in your favorite foods. They may just become a new menu tradition!

Latinos like to serve rice instead of mashed potatoes, stuff the turkey with chorizo and other delicious meats, and serve tamales or anything stuffed in a tortilla. After all, we know what goes best with a fiesta.

Stock Up on Kitchen Essentials Fit for a Chef

There’s nothing worse than preparing a meal, and halfway through, you realize you don’t have a pot to cook it in; that calls for an instant panic. Stock up on the essential cookware for hosting Thanksgiving, so you won’t find yourself unprepared.

• If there’s one dish to focus on, it’s the turkey. Set yourself up for success with a quality roasting pan large enough for your bird.
• A juicy bird is a delicious bird! Use a long baster to suck up the juices from your turkey pan and drizzle them over the meat. Real Simple recommends basting every 30 minutes or so for the best flavor.
• How to host Thanksgiving without getting sick? Make sure you cook the meat entirely. Use a reliable meat thermometer to ensure your meat is cooked thoroughly.
• Make sure you have at least one casserole dish per casserole you plan to make. Don’t forget baked desserts!
• Serving spoons might be the most forgotten essential. Don’t make the same mistake! Have extra serving spoons in case of the inevitable accidental floor drop.
• Trust us when we say you need an electric knife to slice that turkey! 
• Don’t make the mistake of forgetting the pumpkin pie. A beautiful pie dish puts the finishing touch on the meal.
• Before making a mess of your special outfit, feel like a chef in a leather apron that keeps the splashes at bay!

Our family tip: A few days before your event, set out all the ingredients for each dish you plan to make and the pots and pans you’ll need to cook them with.

Batch Prepare Your Tequila Cocktails

If you really want to know how to host Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving the Curamia way, tequila is the only spirit at the bar. Because of the wide range of tequila expressions, you can create a whole menu of tequila cocktails that are comforting and harvest-themed.

For example, the Cranberry-Ginger Jalisco Mule. This festive cocktail will get everyone in the spirit as a warm-up to the winter holidays. Plus, the fresh cranberry pairs well with the salty and savory turkey. Serve it in a punch bowl so guests can choose their own amount.

Our Tequila Añejo is a fair replacement for whiskey in some of your favorite cocktails, such as the Tequila Old Fashioned. It’s also a simple two-ingredient cocktail mixed with Coke—just like a Jack and Coke.

As you prepare your menus, ensure you have enough Curamia on hand. You can find a list of our stockists or buy a bottle and ship it right to your door at Curamia.com.

Set a Beautiful, Bountiful Table

Now that we’ve covered food and drinks, we have to talk about the other half of the job—how to host and serve Thanksgiving aesthetically. Your house doesn’t have to be turned into a five-star dining experience, but there are some serving essentials you’ll need to avoid hosting faux pas. 

• Plates for appetizers, the main course, and dessert. At least one per person in attendance! Remember, some may go back for seconds—especially when it comes to dessert.
• You’ll always need more flatware than you think, so be sure to have extras on hand. If you’re low on the nice stuff, stock up on plasticware for dessert.
• We recommend at least two types of glassware for each guest at the table. One for water and one for your cocktail(s) of choice.
• Placemats aren’t necessary if you have a nice tablecloth stretching the length of the table and napkins at each setting. 
• Set a warm, cozy aesthetic with glass candlesticks and conversation-starter taper candles.
• Pick up fresh flowers and greenery from your local flower market and arrange them in mismatched vases throughout your home for a cozy atmosphere.

The most important part of the tablescape is the food and friends gathered around it, so don’t stress too much about the decor.

Send Guests Away with Treats

A special little touch we like to incorporate into our dinner parties is extra-aesthetic to-go boxes. You can find cute designs in the party section at your local store or even on Amazon! Or, go the extra mile and create personalized boxes for your event. This tip is the definition of how to host an extra special Thanksgiving.