ListingResearchOS

Friendsgiving Potluck Planner: Who Brings What

Enter your guest count and whether you are cooking the turkey, tick any diets at the table, and get how many mains, sides, desserts and drinks to assign, a sign-up list to copy, and a check that everyone has something to eat. Every count is a planning estimate you can change.

Free · no signup · runs in your browser — nothing you type leaves your device.

Your potluck

Sample choices are filled in. Change anything and the plan updates.

Diets at the table

Check your sign-ups (optional)

Paste the dishes people have claimed, one per line, with tags in brackets, like Pecan pie (V, N) or Roasted carrots (VG, GF).

What to assign

Sign-up list

Diet coverage check

    How the counts are worked out

    Everything starts from the guest count, and all of these are our own planning estimates rather than rules. Sides: one per 4.5 guests rounded up, with a minimum of 4, split half starches (potatoes, stuffing, mac and cheese) and half vegetables. Bread: one dish of rolls per 10 guests, rounded up. Desserts: one pie per 8 guests, rounded up, plus one non-pie dessert once you reach 8 guests, with a minimum of 2 desserts, raised if needed so there is one dessert slot for each of the nut-free, gluten-free and vegan diets you tick. Drinks: one drink bringer per 8 guests, with a minimum of 2, and at least one should be alcohol-free. Ice: 1 pound per guest, which is one 10 pound bag per 10 guests. Turkey: one bird per 16 guests if a guest is bringing it, at 1.5 pounds each.

    For example, 12 guests with the host cooking the turkey and a vegan and a gluten-free guest: sides are 12 ÷ 4.5 = 2.7, rounded up to 3, raised to the minimum of 4, so 2 starches and 2 vegetable sides. Rolls: 12 ÷ 10 rounds up to 2. Desserts: 12 ÷ 8 rounds up to 2 pies plus 1 other dessert, so 3. Drinks: 12 ÷ 8 rounds up to 2. Ice: 2 bags. The vegan guest adds 1 vegan main, so there is 1 main in total. That is 1 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 14 items for the 11 guests who are not the host, so a few people will bring two small things or the host will pick up the ice.

    Tags and the coverage check

    The sign-up list reserves slots for the diets you tick: a vegan main, vegan and gluten-free sides, a gluten-free and a vegan dessert, and a nut-free dessert if there is a nut allergy. The check reads the tags you paste in. V is vegetarian, VG is vegan (and counts as vegetarian), GF is gluten-free and N means contains nuts. It asks for at least 2 tagged dishes for each diet ticked, which is our own minimum, and it lists how many dishes contain nuts. It only reads tags, it cannot know what is actually in a dish, so a guest with an allergy should ask the cook. Pair the plan with the turkey size and thaw calculator and the Thanksgiving dinner timeline.

    Questions

    What should I bring to Friendsgiving?
    Ask the host what is missing before you pick. If the host is cooking the turkey, the useful dishes are sides, a dessert or a drink. A dish that travels well and reheats or serves at room temperature is easier than one that needs the oven, since the oven is usually full. Bring it in the dish you will serve it in, with a serving spoon, and label it if it contains common allergens.
    How many dishes should a Friendsgiving potluck have?
    There is no fixed number. This planner uses our own planning estimates: about 1 side per 4 to 5 guests with a minimum of 4, 1 pie per 8 guests plus one non-pie dessert once you reach 8 guests, 1 bread or roll dish per 10 guests, and 1 drink bringer per 8 guests with a minimum of 2. Change them to fit your crowd. A table where everyone brings something very different needs fewer dishes than one where three people bring mashed potatoes.
    How do I stop everyone bringing the same thing?
    Use a shared sign-up list with the category filled in before anyone claims a dish. The planner writes one for you with numbered slots by category. Paste it into a group chat or a shared note, and ask people to put their name next to a slot before they shop.
    How do I cover vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and nut-allergy guests?
    Reserve a few slots on purpose instead of hoping. Ask guests about restrictions on the invitation, then tag dishes: V for vegetarian, VG for vegan, GF for gluten-free and N for contains nuts. The planner reserves tagged slots for the diets you tick and checks your sign-ups for tags you paste in. It cannot know what is in a dish, so a guest with a serious allergy should always ask the cook.
    Should the host make the turkey at a Friendsgiving potluck?
    Most often yes, because the turkey needs the oven and a thaw schedule that is hard to coordinate across several kitchens. Untick the box if guests will bring it, and the planner adds a turkey slot. The turkey size and thaw calculator works out the size, the thaw day and the oven time.
    Does anything I type leave my device?
    No. The math runs in your browser and nothing is stored or sent anywhere. Close the tab and it is gone.

    What to bring to Friendsgiving · All free tools

    Printable Friendsgiving suites

    Ready-to-print Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving dinner suites

    Invitation, a potluck sign that fills itself, food labels, place cards and a turkey timing plan, editable on a laptop (it also opens on a phone or tablet). Three kits per theme, with games and a planner in the bigger ones. Digital download, nothing ships.

    Harvest Gingham Friendsgiving printables: welcome sign, invitation, Who's Bringing What potluck sign and the editing studio on a tablet and phone

    Harvest Gingham

    Pumpkins, pies, leaves and acorns in warm peach, cream and olive. A cozy, classic Thanksgiving table.

    Thankful Hearts Friendsgiving printables: welcome sign, invitation, Who's Bringing What potluck sign and the editing studio on a tablet and phone

    Thankful Hearts

    Sage leaves, hearts and wine glasses in tan and brown. Quiet and warm, for a dinner built around gratitude.

    Gobble Gobble Friendsgiving printables: welcome sign, invitation, Who's Bringing What potluck sign and the editing studio on a tablet and phone

    Gobble Gobble

    A doodled turkey, pie and pumpkin on a soft aqua page. Playful and a little silly, for a casual potluck.

    Kit contents, side by side: compare all three kits.

    Free download

    The Etsy Listing SEO Checklist

    The exact title, tag, image, and pricing checks the top digital shops run on every listing — one page, no fluff. Get it free, plus the occasional new-dashboard drop.

    No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. One opt-in, one email.