19 Easy Friendsgiving Recipes for a Stress-Free Party
Friendsgiving is the best kind of holiday gathering. No pressure to follow traditions, no dress code. No family fights breaking out before desserts. Everyone just comes in, grabs a seat, brings food to share, and has great conversation. Add in a few party games, and it’s one of the most memorable nights of the year. Here’s all sorts of ideas for things to bring to Friendsgiving celebration from little nibbles and finger foods to warm cookies.
Also Read: 21 Delicious Thanksgiving Potluck Dishes that Travel well
Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board
A charcuterie board is always a hit and it’s informal style perfectly complements Friendsgiving. Start with a few cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, creamy goat cheese, or gouda. Add meats like salami and prosciutto, then fruits like grapes, apples, pears, and berries. Fill the gaps with crackers and add seasonal touches like figs, pecans, and dried cranberries. Add couple of little pots of fig jam and hot honey.
Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce
Baked Brie is ridiculously tasty. While a whole wheel may feel too heavy for traditional Thanksgiving dinner, it goes amazingly well for Friendsgiving party. Wrap the cheese in puff pastry sheet, top it with cranberry sauce, and bake till dough is cooked and cheese is melty. Serve with crackers, baguette slices, apples, and pretzel sticks for dipping.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
This creamy party dip is always a hit with my group of friends. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella, and Parmesan together with chopped spinach and tender artichoke hearts. Let it melt and blend in the oven. A little garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes is all the flavor you need. Serve topped with tomatoes and parmesan cheese with bread for dipping.
Deviled Eggs
Definitely a classic dish to take to a potluck. The yolks are mashed with mayo, mustard, and a splash of pickle juice or vinegar for that zing of tanginess. Pipe the filling bag into the egg whites for a polished look, or just spoon it in if your group is more laid back. Top with some paprika or chives or crumbled bacon or hot sauce. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Jalapeno poppers are just delicious. The mixture of heat, smoky bacon, and creamy cheese in one bite is addictive. Halve the jalapenos, scoop out the seeds and fill each pepper with mixture of cream cheese and cheddar. Wrap it in a strip of bacon and bake till the bacon is crisp and the filling has melted and is bubbly. Serve with a ranch sauce on the side.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
While a whole turkey might seem a bit much, a slow cooker turkey breast is the perfect dish to bring to your Friendsgiving dinner. Marinate the turkey breast in a mixture of butter, garlic, thyme, and sage for an hour, then let it cook on low till it is juicy and tender. The slow cooker traps the moisture and avoids the meat from drying out. Get the drippings at the bottom to make a flavorful gravy. Let the turkey breast rest for a few minutes before slicing it.
Honey-glazed Ham or Pineapple Ham
Pineapple cherry ham or a honey glazed ham is a perfect protein for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. I love making the old style pineapple ham where you just add the pineapple rings and cherries over the ham for a sweet and tangy finish. Let the slow cooker do most of the work in cooking the ham.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
No Friendsgiving is complete without a giant bowl of mashed potatoes flavored with a whole garlic cloves. Simmer the potatoes till they are tender, then mash them up with butter, cream, salt, and garlic. For smooth texture, use Yukon Gold potatoes and avoid overmixing. Serve with chives on top for that classic look.
Green Bean Casserole
This casserole made from tender green beans, creamy mushroom sauce, and crunchy fried onions is extremely popular amongst Thanksgiving side dishes. I love to use fresh green beans so that they don’t get too soft while baking in the oven. Add the onions just when the casserole is about to be done so they stay golden and crispy.
Green Beans Almondine
Green bean almondine is a great option to the traditional green bean casserole. Blanch the beans so they still look bright green and are crisp. Then toss them in a skillet with butter and garlic. Toast slice almonds and mix them in with the green beans. Squeeze some lemon juice to finish the dish.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Brown Sugar Crumble
This casserole is pure comfort food. Mash the sweet potatoes with butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup till they are smooth and creamy. Layer them in a baking dish and add a crumble of pecans, brown sugar, and butter on top for that crunchy second layer. You can also switch the pecan layer with marshmallows for that gooey texture.
Sourdough Stuffing
Sourdough is having a moment, and what better way to celebrate it than to use it for Friendsgiving stuffing. Cube the bread and dry it out, preferably in the oven. Toss it with sauteed onions, celery, fresh sage, thyme, and chicken broth. Bake till the top is set and the inside is soft and jiggly. And the tangy flavor of this stuffing is just delicious.
Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce
Homemade sauce from fresh cranberries is so much better than the canned cranberry sauce. Simmer fresh cranberries with sugar, some orange juice, plenty of orange zest, cinnamon, and a pinch of cloves. Keep them on high heat till the berries start bursting, then lower the heat and let the sauce blend and come together.
Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter
While we all can’t make Texas Roadhouse style dinner rolls, these get pretty close to it. Make the dough, shape the bread, and bake it. Brush some melted butter on top to make them shine. The real star is the honey butter made by whipping soft butter with honey and just a pinch of salt. It melts in the warm bread and tastes so good.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasting is the secret to making Brussels sprouts taste delicious. Halve the sprouts, toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them at a high heat till the sugars inside the sprouts caramelize and give it that sweet, smoky taste. Drizzle some balsamic glaze on top, sprinkle parmesan cheese, or my favorite, some crispy bacon to take them up a notch. Trust me, these will be gone in under 15 minutes.
Cheesy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Baked mac and cheese is Friendsgiving comfort food. Make a triple cheese sauce with some sharp cheddar, gruyere, and cream cheese. Then fold in the elbow pasta. Top it with buttery breadcrumbs and bake till the edges are starting to separate and the top is golden.
Dutch Oven Apple Crisp
Apple crisp baked in a Dutch oven is simple but looks so fancy. Tossed sliced apples with cinnamon, sugar, squeeze of lemon, then cover them with oat, butter, and brown sugar. The heavy pot distributes heat evenly so the apples soften while the crumble turns crisp and golden. Serve it with some vanilla ice cream on top.
Pumpkin Pie
No Friendsgiving feast is complete without the pumpkin pie. Make a nice smooth custard with the pumpkins, eggs, cream, heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. And let it cool. Meanwhile, blind bake the crust to prevent the soggy bottom. Add the pumpkin filling and bake the pie, then let it cool so it sets properly. Serve with whipped cream on top.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
A chocolate chip cookie is essential to holiday gatherings and the pumpkin version is just perfect for Friendsgiving! The cookies are soft, cakey, and full of autumn flavor. Pumpkin puree keeps them moist, while cinnamon and nutmeg give all the seasonal feels. Semi sweet chocolate chips create richness. I love to warm the cookies the teeniest bit in the microwave before serving.
More than perfection and presentation, a great Thanksgiving is about spending time and being grateful for your found family. Gather your people, pour something to drink, and enjoy every bite. Happy Friendsgiving!
