Friendsgiving with Johnsonville

“Friendsgiving” is the opportune time to gather all your friends together to celebrate the holidays. Something I have started learning and I grow up more is how much our friends are like family to us. We always have people over for Sunday night shows and mid weekly dinners. Living in a different state than my parents it has become especially fitting that our friends have become our family.

Lots of you I am sure have been going to “Friendsgiving” dinner parties or are planning on attending some this week. If you are hosting a “Friendsgiving” follow my tips to make your evening easy and fun! Attending one and bringing a recipe? I have teamed up with Johnsonville and am sharing an easy recipe full of fall flavors, perfect to bring to a “Friendsgiving” dinner as a pre dinner course.

Floral: I would say flowers should be no more than a foot tall—about one foot or lower is perfect. That way they’re still lush, but not overbearing. You’re likely going to have food and gravy and stuff on the table too, so you don’t want the flowers to take over.
Table Settings: My philosophy on table setting is that you want to create an experience for your guests when they sit down. Make the setting its own dimension. When I hosted Friendsgiving, we laid down kraft paper on the table instead of a cloth, and set out crayons and markers. By the end of the night, people were drawing and writing, and playing games of tic-tac-toe. Other than flowers, you can also think about using fall fruits at the table to decorate, or spray painting leaves gold and scatter them around. For a play on place cards, you could slice the top off a mini pumpkin and put the place card on top. If you have friends coming that are going to get rowdy, save the nice glassware for a more traditional holiday gathering. Read your crowd.
Place Cards: I always do place settings whenever I throw a dinner party. It’s just more fun to be in charge of who sits next to each other. I don’t think of it like breaking up couples—I break up friend groups rather than couples. This encourages new friendships and conversations.
Table Decor: I always love candles. It’s never a bad idea to have a few fall-scented candles burning when guests arrive. Then, I would say bring in natural elements. Mini pumpkins are always great, or forage your backyard. You could literally forage anything—pinecones, leaves, crabapples. We’re lucky here in Colorado, there are so many spaces to go and just look at what’s there. And if you set up a buffet table for the food, don’t forget to decorate that too.
The Food: Have everyone bring a different side dish (made sure to keep track of who is bringing what) and plan on cooking the main. I suggest a ham since everyone might be turkey’d out and it is super simple to make. A great side dish to contribute that may not be so traditional but is oh so delicious, a white bean, kale and Italian sausage soup using Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage.

Photos by Meredith Moran Photography

White Bean, Kale and Johnsonville Itallian Sausage Soup

Indredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Johnsonville Mild Italian sausage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 (15 ounce) cans white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 bunches kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
52 oz. good quality low-sodium chicken stock
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and brown, stirring occasionally to break into smaller pieces, approximately 10 minutes.
Add onion and bay leaves. Season generously with kosher salt and cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, approximately 10 minutes. Add garlic and beans, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add kale, and cook until it becomes slightly wilted. Add chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, and cover with lid.
Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and keep at a simmer for about 45 minutes, although a bit longer is completely fine.

// Recipe adapted from here.