Friendsgiving Potluck: Bring the Pickle Tray (No Cooking Required)

You have been invited to Friendsgiving (or a Thanksgiving potluck, or the office "everyone bring something" lunch), and you do not want to cook. Good news: the best dish to bring needs no oven, no foil, and no reheating. Bring a pickle tray.

Every Thanksgiving table is heavy on butter, gravy and starch. A tray of cold, crunchy, tangy pickles is the thing everybody reaches for between bites, and it is the one dish nobody else thought to bring. Here is how to pick the jars, what to put next to them, and how to get it to the party looking like you tried.

Why a pickle tray is the best potluck dish

• Nobody else brings it. There will be three green bean casseroles. There will be one pickle tray, and it will be yours.
• It cuts through the heavy food. Something sharp and crunchy between forkfuls of stuffing is what the old-fashioned relish tray was for.
• It suits almost everyone. Our jars are gluten-free and vegan, with no dyes, and made with 90% less sodium than leading brands*, so the guest who is watching salt can still grab a spear.
• Zero stress. No recipe to follow, nothing to burn, nothing to keep warm. Open, arrange, done.

The five-jar Friendsgiving tray

Five jars covers a table of 10 to 15 people with a little left for the host. Think of it as one jar per job:

1. The classic: The Vintage or Kosher Dill Spears

Start with something everyone recognizes. The Vintage is our medium-sour classic with earthy pickling spice. If your crowd likes garlic, go with The Kosher Dill Spears. Spears are easy to grab with fingers, which matters on a crowded table.

2. The color: Pickled Red Onions and Golden Beets

A tray needs color to look like a centerpiece. The Pickled Red Onions are bright magenta and sour (not sweet), and they double as a topping for leftover turkey sandwiches. The Golden Beets add a sunny yellow and an earthy-sweet bite.

3. The sweet one: The Bread and Butter or The Grape Pickle

Someone at the table always says they "don't really like pickles". Hand them The Bread and Butter, sweet and tangy with enhanced cinnamon pickling spice. Or, for a seasonal pick, The Grape Pickle is our November and December holiday pickle, sweet with warm spice. Not sure which is which? Our sweet-pickle guide sorts them out.

4. The kick: Sweet Jalapeños or a Spicy jar

The Sweet Jalapeños are heat with a hint of sugar, and they are usually the first bowl to empty. For real heat, anything with "Spicy" in the name, like The Spicy Cauliflower, is a 3 out of 5 made with chili flakes and habanero. The full lineup is on our heat scale.

5. The conversation piece: Pickled Watermelon Rind

Every tray needs one jar that gets people talking. The Pickled Watermelon Rind is a Southern classic, and people say it tastes like Sour Patch Kids. Put a little card next to it and watch the double-takes.

What to put next to the pickles

You are not cooking, but you can shop. Grab a few things on the way and the tray becomes a full grazing board:

• Cheese: sharp cheddar, a creamy brie, and pepper jack next to the spicy jar.
• Something salty: salami or a cured sausage, plus a bowl of olives or roasted nuts.
• Crunch: crackers, pretzel crisps or sliced baguette.
• A little sweet: grapes or dried apricots to sit beside the Bread and Butter.

More pairing ideas are in our charcuterie board guide. Heading to a football game before the feast? Our tailgate pickle spread packs the same jars for the parking lot.

Hosting instead? Stock the table

If the dinner is at your place, our Thanksgiving hosting guide has the full board. And if you are a guest who wants to bring something that lasts past the night, a gift box makes a host gift that gets opened at the table, not shelved. Our holiday hostess gift guide has the picks.

Order early for Thanksgiving

Every jar is handcrafted to order in small batches in our Atlanta kitchen with Georgia-grown cucumbers, so give yourself a week or two before the big day. US shipping is free on 2+ jars, and if you spend $150 a jar is on us. Want to pick every flavor yourself? Build Your Pickle Box lets you choose 2, 3 or 6 jars.

Build Your Pickle BoxChoose every jar for your tray: 2, 3 or 6 of 40+ flavors.Shop · $45.003-Jar Pickle Party PackA classic, a kick and a wildcard, ready for the potluck.Shop · $65.00The VintageThe medium-sour classic every tray starts with.Shop · $16.95The Heat and SweetThe kick for the tray: red jalapeño heat, wrapped in sweet.Shop · $16.95

Friendsgiving pickle tray FAQ

How many jars do I need for a Friendsgiving tray?

Plan on one 17 oz jar for every two or three guests when the pickles are one dish among many. Five jars is plenty for 10 to 15 people.

Do the jars need to be kept cold on the way?

No. Unopened jars are shelf-stable for up to two years, so they travel fine at room temperature. Chill them before serving for the best crunch, and refrigerate after opening.

What if some guests do not like spicy food?

Plenty of our jars have no heat at all, like The Vintage, The Bread and Butter and The Golden Beets. The jalapeño jars bring a kick, anything named "Spicy" is a 3 out of 5, and The Ghost Pickle is a 4 out of 5. Label the hot ones and everyone can choose.

Can I send a pickle tray to a party I cannot attend?

Yes. Send a 3-Jar Gift Box or a 6-Jar Gift Box straight to the host. The packing slip has no prices on it.

*Per 1 oz serving vs. leading national dill pickle brands. Details.