Our greatest Friendsgiving meals concepts! Discover straightforward recipes for a festive fall gathering—crowd-pleasing appetizers, enjoyable drinks, desserts, and extra.
When you’re celebrating Friendsgiving this yr, you’re in the appropriate place! Under, I’ve rounded up my finest Friendsgiving meals concepts—bite-size appetizers, batch cocktails, traditional facet dishes, and straightforward desserts. Whether or not you’re internet hosting or simply bringing a dish to go, you’ll discover Friendsgiving recipes to strive.
Again within the day, Jack and I celebrated Friendsgiving on Thanksgiving, as a result of we lived removed from our households and didn’t all the time journey for the vacation. Now, it’s extra widespread to do each—a Friendsgiving earlier in November and a standard Thanksgiving feast with household in a while. I’m all for this, as a result of it turns Friendsgiving into a possibility to get inventive together with your vacation cooking.
I’ve included a mixture of conventional and ingenious Friendsgiving recipes beneath—I hope they make it easier to craft a menu you like!
Basic Friendsgiving Meals Concepts
Finest Stuffing
It doesn’t matter whether or not I’m celebrating Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving—both manner, stuffing is a should. As an alternative of reaching for the boxed type, I make this from-scratch model with good bread, celery, and tons of herbs. It will likely be the star of your Friendsgiving unfold!
Finest Mashed Potatoes
Meet the creamiest mashed potatoes you’ve tried! They’re straightforward to make with 7 components, they usually reheat properly in case you make them forward.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels sprouts are an excellent easy manner so as to add one thing inexperienced to your Friendsgiving desk. For a contemporary pop of taste, costume them up with lemon, herbs, and Parmesan cheese.
Home made Dinner Rolls
These bakery-worthy rolls are gentle, flaky, and buttery. They’re assured to impress company!
Candy Potato Casserole
No mini marshmallows right here! This vegan spin on the Thanksgiving traditional has a savory pecan and oat topping as a substitute.
Inexperienced Bean Casserole
I grew up consuming inexperienced bean casserole made with canned cream of mushroom soup, so belief me after I inform you that this from-scratch model is so significantly better. It stars contemporary inexperienced beans and a do-it-yourself mushroom sauce.
Home made Mac and Cheese
I contemplate mac and cheese non-obligatory at precise Thanksgiving, however on Friendsgiving, it’s important. This over-the-top model is made with a crispy breadcrumb topping and three forms of cheese.
Cranberry Sauce
In search of fast and straightforward Friendsgiving recipes? This traditional cranberry sauce comes collectively in quarter-hour with simply 4 components!
Friendsgiving Drinks and Snacks
Puff Pastry Brie Bites
These fig and brie bites are one among my favourite Friendsgiving meals concepts! They’re elegant, lovable, and straightforward to make with store-bought puff pastry. Company will love them!
Stuffed Mushrooms
If Jack may choose an appetizer to your Friendsgiving unfold, it might be these stuffed mushrooms. Juicy, savory, and filled with a crispy breadcrumb filling, they’re his favourite celebration snack.
Apple Cider Sangria
No have to make cocktails to order—this glowing apple cider sangria serves a crowd!
Whipped Feta Dip
This 5-minute dip is tangy, creamy, and completely addictive. Serve it with contemporary veggies, pita, or crackers for dipping.
Make a Cheese Board
The simplest Friendsgiving appetizer! Seize a number of cheeses from the shop, and set them out with different nibbles like contemporary fruit, olives, and nuts. Company will love grazing earlier than the massive meal.
Apple Cider Cocktail
This autumn bourbon cocktail is fizzy, boozy, and brilliant. Garnish it with heat spices and contemporary apples for a festive Friendsgiving drink.
Butternut Squash Hummus
Blended roasted squash provides a delicate sweetness to this enjoyable fall hummus. I like it with crumbled feta and bursty pomegranates on prime!
Enjoyable Friendsgiving Aspect Dishes
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
This straightforward salad is one among my favourite Thanksgiving recipes. Contemporary and brilliant, it completely balances richer dishes like mashed potatoes and stuffing. You can also make it forward too!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Fall flavors, meet mac and cheese! This comforting pasta is our editor Phoebe’s favourite dish to carry to a Friendsgiving celebration. Her mates ask for the recipe each time.
Focaccia Bread
Who wants dinner rolls when you may have crispy, fluffy focaccia on the desk? This recipe seems to be and tastes spectacular, nevertheless it’s surprisingly straightforward to make.
Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Even carrot skeptics will fall for this inventive Friendsgiving facet dish. It options tender, caramelized carrots topped with nutty tahini sauce, bursty pomegranates, and a contemporary carrot prime gremolata.
Cornbread Stuffing
Don’t count on to have leftovers of this candy and savory stuffing. Your folks will devour it very quickly—it’s that scrumptious!
Mashed Candy Potatoes
Don’t really feel like making a full-blown candy potato casserole? This creamy mash captures the identical flavors, nevertheless it comes collectively shortly with 7 easy components.
Garlic Knots
A enjoyable twist on traditional dinner rolls! These cute little knots are gentle, fluffy, and filled with garlic taste.
Butternut Squash Salad
Whereas most different company carry an appetizer or hearty facet to Friendsgiving, you may all the time discover me with a salad. This one is contemporary and sudden, made with roasted squash, chewy dates, and a spiced cider-date dressing.
Scalloped Potatoes
Don’t restrict your self to mashed potatoes at Friendsgiving! Layered with onions, béchamel sauce, and plenty of cheese, these scalloped potatoes are all the time a crowd-pleaser.
Hasselback Potatoes
One other potato possibility to your Friendsgiving desk! These sliced spuds are tender within the center, crisp across the edges, and infused with wealthy, earthy taste from garlic butter and sage.
Mushroom Gravy
This straightforward plant-based gravy is simply as scrumptious because the traditional type! Plus, everybody on the desk will be capable to get pleasure from it, no matter dietary restrictions.
Wild Rice Pilaf
This wild rice pilaf is among the Friendsgiving recipes I make most frequently. It could go as a vegetarian primary if wanted, however for meat eaters, it may possibly additionally double as a salad or stuffing different.
Spinach Salad
When you love traditional fall flavors, this salad is the Friendsgiving recipe for you! It options crisp apples, chewy dried cranberries, goat cheese, and candied pecans. A tangy apple cider vinegar dressing ties all of it collectively.
Roasted Honeynut Squash
When you ask me, no Friendsgiving feast is full with no roasted squash dish. You may’t go unsuitable with this one! Candy, creamy honeynut squash tops a thick layer of whipped ricotta.
Friendsgiving Recipes for Dessert
Pumpkin Tiramisu
Quick on oven house? Wow company with this no-bake pumpkin tiramisu! It has luxe layers of chai-soaked ladyfingers and pumpkin mascarpone cream.
Simple Pumpkin Cake
This moist, warmly spiced cake is simpler than pie…and simply as scrumptious! Gown it up with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting to take it excessive.
Apple Crisp
A traditional apple crisp will all the time be the most effective Friendsgiving meals concepts. It’s straightforward, scrumptious, and excellent for fall. Don’t neglect the ice cream for serving!
Comfortable Pumpkin Cookies
Primarily miniature pumpkin truffles. L&L reader Andrea known as them, “Really easy and scrumptious!”
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
When you don’t inform anybody this pie is vegan, they’ll by no means know. It has a wealthy, custardy filling and flaky vegan crust.
Finest Home made Brownies
Brownies might not be a standard Thanksgiving dessert, however they’ll undoubtedly be successful at Friendsgiving. These ones are wealthy, chewy, and fudgy—higher than the boxed combine!
Finest Friendsgiving Recipes: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Serves 8
This butternut squash mac and cheese is one among our favourite Friendsgiving recipes!
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Preheat the oven to 425°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
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Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the lower sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place lower facet down on the baking sheet. Place the shallots on a bit of foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, and wrap tightly. Place on the baking sheet and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or till the squash is gentle.
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Make the topping: In a small bowl, place the panko and olive oil. Toss to mix.
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Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Put together the pasta in line with the package deal directions, cooking till al dente. Reserve 1½ cups of the starchy pasta water earlier than draining.
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Measure 2 cups of the cooked, gentle squash flesh and switch to a blender with the 1½ cups pasta water, the shallots, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, sage, nutmeg, and a number of other grinds of pepper. Mix till creamy.
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Return the pasta pot to the range and warmth the almond milk over medium warmth. Stir within the squash sauce and cook dinner, stirring typically, for 3 minutes, or till warmed by way of. Whisking consistently, progressively add the cheddar, Gruyere, and pecorino cheeses, ensuring every addition is absolutely melted earlier than including the following. Whisk till all of the cheese is absolutely melted and the sauce is creamy, then add the pasta and stir till coated.
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Preheat the oven broiler and switch the pasta to the ready baking dish. Prime with the panko and broil for five to 10 minutes, or till the topping is crisp and browned.
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Let stand for quarter-hour earlier than serving.
