19 Easy Friendsgiving Recipes to Rock at Your Next Holiday Feast (2024)

Thanksgiving celebrations with the fam are something we look forward to all year long. There is something incredibly comforting and nostalgic about digging into the same ol’ turkey and over-the-top sweet potato casseroles from when we were kids. Sadly, not all of us live close to home anymore, and most of us save our trips home for the December holidays.

In an effort to feel the warm spirit of Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving (as in, having Thanksgiving with your friends) has become a trend and we’re *so* grateful. These 28 Friendsgiving recipes will give you mad inspo whether you’re trying to be hip and mix things up, keep it classic or a little bit of both.

Fig + Brie Crostini

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This recipe is the ultimate Friendsgiving finger food. Bread, jam, and cheese all combine to make an easy and delicious treat that looks so much fancier than it truly is! (via Brit + Co)

Thanksgiving Turkey Cheese Board

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This cheese board is so simple to make but looks *amazing*! It includes all of the tried and true staples, including cheese meats, fruits, and crackers. (via Half-Baked Harvest)

Pumpkin Cauliflower Mac

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Thanksgiving is the poster holiday for comfort food, and mac and cheese is the poster dish for comfort food. But for some reason, homemade mac isn’t a regular on the TG menu. This needs to change, and a pumpkin cauliflower mac is OBVI the way to go this holiday season. (via Spicy Ice Cream)

Crockpot Turkey Breast

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Okay, #realtalk for a second: cooking a Thanksgiving bird can be intimidating, y’all. So if this is your first time hosting, or if your proverbial plate is *really* full, throw a turkey breast in the slow cooker. You’ll get a tender and mouth-watering turkey without the stress. (via Chelsea’s Messy Apron)

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

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Despite the fact that the turkey is the centerpiece of a holiday dinner, let’s not lie — it’s ALL about the stuffing. And for those who prefer to not stuff their bird, this slow cooker version is a *huge* time saver. Just set it and forget it. (via Damn Delicious)

Crispy Parmesan Crusted Potatoes

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This recipe only takes 10 minutes to prep and is made with just 6 ingredients! It's the perfect savory side dish that will become a Thanksgiving favorite. (via The Real Food Dietitians)

Homemade Brown and Serve Rolls

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Hey, nice buns! If you want to set yourself up in advance, you can make these beauties ahead of time and freeze them. On the day of, thaw them and bake for 7-10 minutes; you get bragging rights about making homemade rolls, and you didn’t even sweat it. (via I Heart Eating)

Homemade Turkey Gravy

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Piling your plate high with turkey and all the fixings is OH-SO satisfying — but without the thick drizzle of gravy on top, it’s incomplete. Ditch the gravy packets, because this gravy uses turkey drippings to get its drool-worthy flavor. (via What’s Gaby Cooking?)

Brown Rice and Sweet Potato Salad

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This salad is the ideal fall side dish and it’s perfect for your holiday spread. Every holiday needs a dose of nutrition to balance out all of those heavy carbs and gravy, and this is it. Your friends just *might* forgo the mashed potatoes for more of this good stuff. (via Healthy Seasonal Recipes)

Rosemary Potatoes Au Gratin

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There are so many ways you can incorporate potatoes into your Friendsgiving feast, but few are as cheesy as these. They're made with rosemary and Comte cheese which gives it the perfect savory and creamy taste. (via Vikalinka)

Herb Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast

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Sometimes simple is better, and if you can get tantalizing turkey out of two ingredients and some fresh herbs, we’ll chalk that up to being amazing. Despite this being a no-fuss recipe, this bird comes out like a gourmet meal. (via 24 Carrot Kitchen)

Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots

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For an easy and flavorful side dish, you can't go wrong with these brown sugar honey-glazed carrots. They're perfectly crispy and caramelized and the pinch of cinnamon gives it a yummy fall flavor.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

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Brussels sprouts — people either love ’em or hate ’em. We’d like to think that if you fall into the latter category, it’s because you haven’t had them cooked properly, because these little guys are AH-MAZING. Especially when roasted, and *especially* with bacon. (via I’d Rather Be a Chef)

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

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If you don’t feel like serving can-shaped cranberry jelly this year, awesome. We’ve got you covered. This slow cooker cranberry sauce simmers for hours and makes your home smell amazing and, in the end, you get to slather it all over your eats. YUM! (via Little Spice Jar)

Maple Dijon Roasted Butternut Squash

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If you grew up on boring squash dishes, we’re sorry. This tender and buttery roasted squash will make up for it. It’s got a little bit of sweet with a wee bit of spiciness, and it pairs amazingly with all of your other holiday fixings. (via Flavour and Savour)

Caramelized Onion Gravy

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One of our fave things to do is debunk the idea that vegetarians miss out on Thanksgiving. This thick and savory onion gravy is a perfect example of how much folks on a plant-based diet *don’t* feel neglected. Actually, they feel quite victorious. (via Oh My Veggies)

Autumn Kale Salad With Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli and Brown Rice

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When it comes to holiday dinners, our eating habits seem pretty universal — we don’t eat until we’re full, we eat until we hate ourselves. Ugh! This is what happens when you’re faced with too many gravy-slathered carb-filled goodies. This nutritious kale salad will help us feel better about it, though. (via Gimme Some Oven)

Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup

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This soup is so creamy and just feels like fall in a bowl. It is perfectly spiced and the most beautiful shade of orange that will look amazing in any Thanksgiving spread. (via Crowded Kitchen)

Za’atar Crusted Cauliflower Steaks

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If you’re looking to show off your veg game and prove that healthy can be *just* as delicious as the not-so-healthy, save this recipe now. These crusted cauli-steaks are jam-packed with flavor and really easy to throw together. (via The Lemon Bowl)

Savory Sweet Potato Casserole With Chili

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Ditch the sugar and marshmallows — this savory sweet potato casserole is the best thing since sliced bread. Smothered in gruyere or parm and sprinkled with chili powder and smoked paprika, you’ll never look back. This is how sweet potatoes were meant to be enjoyed. (via Natural Comfort Kitchen)

Dessert Recipes

Chai Latte Cupcakes

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Mix up Thanksgiving dessert with these chai-spice cupcakes that are easier to serve than pie. (via Brit+Co)

Apple Cider Glazed Cake

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With pumpkin and apple, this bundt cake is all good things that are fall. (via Brit + Co)

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

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These adorable mini pumpkin cheesecake bars are so simple to make but taste absolutely delicious. (via The Real Food Dietitians)

Classic Pumpkin Pie

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We can appreciate that people want to be innovative and create unique pumpkin pie recipes these days, but some of us just want the REAL DEAL. If you’re keeping it classic with dessert this year, this recipe is exactly what you’re looking for. (via Foodness Gracious)

Super Easy Vanilla Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

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Let’s swap the sweet potato casserole baked with a thick canopy of sugary marshmallows for this sophisticated spin. This recipe brings the classic casserole to a whole new level with some vanilla, crunchy pecans and tart cranberries. (via With Salt and Wit)

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies

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Baking a fresh pie before guests arrive — ain’t nobody got time for that. These cookies are a mouthful of sweet and salty goodness along with that classic apple pie flavor you pine for all year long. (via Yummy Addiction)

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Loaded up with white chocolate and chewy pumpkin chocolate chips, these super soft cookies are to die for. (via Clean Cuisine)

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

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These twice-baked sweet potatoes are made with orange juice and brown sugar and topped off with vegan marshmallows and brown sugar pecans. Each and every bite is crispy, fluffy, and caramelized. (via Crowded Kitchen)

Looking for more holiday nosh inspo? Follow us on Pinterest!

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Dana Sandonato

Born in Canada and now living in the beautiful state of North Carolina, Dana is a coffee-reliant food writer with a healthy appetite, a taste for culinary adventure, a thirst for good beers, and an endless hunger for food photography. When not writing for Brit + Co, she can be found pouring herself into her blog-turned-webzine, Killing Thyme, or taste-testing at local breweries with her husband. Dana's ideal down time includes pizza, marathoning on Netflix, or watching her fave flicks from the 80s and 90s - no matter how great or awful they are!

19 Easy Friendsgiving Recipes to Rock at Your Next Holiday Feast (2024)

FAQs

How do you throw awesome friendsgiving? ›

You can do a potluck where the host makes the main dish and guests are asked to bring something specific like a side. If you enjoy cooking you can cook it all yourself and maybe ask the guest to bring desserts and wine.

How do you have awesome Friendsgiving? ›

10 Friendsgiving Ideas and Hosting Tips to Have the Best Time
  1. Pick a theme. Pinterest content. ...
  2. Make a sign-up sheet for dishes and decor. ...
  3. Add a game element. ...
  4. Get into the place settings. ...
  5. Don't forget about drinks (and bring extra drinkware) ...
  6. Label the dishes. ...
  7. Let the menu stray. ...
  8. Set out a bunch of cozy items.
Nov 1, 2019

What drinks to serve at Friendsgiving? ›

Here's our list of the best dinner party drinks for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.
  • Cranberry Moscow Mule. ...
  • Apple Cider Prosecco Spritz. ...
  • Apple Cider Old-Fashioned. ...
  • Spiced Cranberry Hot Toddy. ...
  • Apple Cider Bellini. ...
  • Irish Cream Affogato. ...
  • Cranberry Cobbler Smash. ...
  • Cranberry Margarita.

How do I host a small Friendsgiving? ›

How to Host Your First-Ever Friendsgiving
  1. Make sure you have enough plates, silverware, and cups. ...
  2. Assign everyone a dish to bring. ...
  3. Let your friends help you. ...
  4. Give people something to eat (and drink) upon arrival. ...
  5. Don't get too hung up on the classics. ...
  6. Get creative with your space. ...
  7. Skip formal place settings.
Oct 20, 2023

What are the rules of Friendsgiving? ›

The 10 Essential Rules for Every Friendsgiving Guest
  • Put your host first. ...
  • Arrive on time, with a bottle of wine. ...
  • Do not arrive with extra, unexpected people. ...
  • Let your dietary needs be known in advance. ...
  • Don't bring anything fussy. ...
  • Bring your own serving dish. ...
  • Bring your own container for leftovers.
Jun 8, 2019

What day is best for Friendsgiving? ›

What Day Do People Celebrate Friendsgiving? There's no official date for Friendsgiving, like there is for Thanksgiving (which is celebrating on the fourth Thursday of November, by the way). Many people choose to host it before legit Turkey Day, if they spend Thanksgiving traveling home to be with family.

What activities to do at Friendsgiving? ›

31 Friendsgiving Party Ideas That Will Make Your Guests Actually Want to Attend
  • Decorate with banners.
  • Everyone gets a special (non-plastic) straw.
  • Lay out place cards.
  • Make an ice cream bar.
  • Play Thanksgiving bingo.
  • Send out actual invites.
  • Gift everyone their own special wine glass.
  • Turn it into a pajama party.
Sep 29, 2023

Do you give gifts on Friendsgiving? ›

Whether you are invited to dinner to meet your partner's family for the first time or attending a Friendsgiving celebration hosted by your closest pals, a side dish or gift is certainly appreciated.

What is the best time to host Friendsgiving? ›

Friendsgiving symbolizes breaking tradition, so there are no rules. You can have it anytime in November. Don't wait until the last minute to send out invitations. Give yourself time to contact your guests and give them plenty of time to RSVP.

What is a good Friendsgiving food? ›

Next, make sure all of the Thanksgiving side dishes get their moment to shine: baked potatoes, green bean casserole, and candied carrots. You'll want to serve a few appetizers (think: small bites, bread basket ideas, and party dips) and a signature drink or two (apple cider co*cktails and mocktails, included).

What is a Friendsgiving party for adults? ›

Friendsgiving is a modern celebration that brings friends together to share a Thanksgiving-like meal. It is typically held before or after the traditional Thanksgiving holiday. It's a time to thank your chosen family for their friendship, indulge in good food, and spend time with people you really care about.

What are 3 main foods on Thanksgiving? ›

Many Americans would regard Thanksgiving dinner as "incomplete" without stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cranberry sauce. A recipe for cranberry sauce to be served with turkey appeared in the first American cookbook, American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons.

What does Friendsgiving consist of? ›

Friendsgiving is a blend of friend and Thanksgiving, and it refers to a large meal eaten with friends either on or near Thanksgiving. People are serious about their Friendsgiving celebrations: there are how-tos, sample menus, rules, and even commandments for Friendsgiving.

Do people bring food to Friendsgiving? ›

Are you hosting Friendsgiving this year? Don't panic! Think of it this way: You've got the chance to share some of your family's favorite recipes or invite friends to bring a dish and share theirs, potluck-style. Either way, it's a win-win!

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