20 Delicious Friendsgiving Food Ideas Your Guests Will Love
This post is all about Friendsgiving food ideas.
Jokes aside about getting together with the family on Thanksgiving, most of us have at least one fond memory of this favorite holiday. Problem is, it’s not always possible to celebrate the day with family. But this doesn’t mean that you have to spend Thanksgiving alone – eating fast-food on the sofa and bingeing TV series.
Friendsgiving is not just a trendy new word but a way for all to show their appreciation to the people that mean the most. What is it? Thanksgiving celebrated with friends. The bonus is that you don’t have to follow all the rules and traditions of a family Thanksgiving. That means that you can think out of the box and offer up some insanely simple Friendsgiving food ideas.
What Should You Serve At a Friendsgiving?
There are no rules when it comes to designing a food menu for your Friendsgiving feast. When coming up with Friendsgiving food ideas, you can be as creative as you like, keep it simple or go the traditional route. However, keeping it simple so that you aren’t stuck in the kitchen while your friends are having a good time is definitely preferable. Get inspired and cook easy Friendsgiving recipes that may not be traditional but still retain all the flavor and comfort of a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal.
READ: 10 Friendsgiving Ideas To Make Your Party More Memorable
What Do You Bring To A Friendsgiving Last Minute?
When thinking about Friendsgiving food ideas and what to bring, just about anything goes. You can contribute with snack foods or bring along a dish that forms part of the main meal. Devilled eggs are extremely easy to make in just a few minutes and add flair to any Friendsgiving feast. Mac n’ Cheese with or without a twist is definitely trending as a comfort food and is simple to put together. Snickerdoodles are the ideal last minute addition to the meal and only take 30 minutes to make.
Remember that you can always message your host and ask to use their kitchen and take your own ingredients along if you are really pressed for time.
When Should Friendsgiving Be?
Once again, there are no rules when it comes to hosting a Friendsgiving. So you can have it on the day before or after Thanksgiving or the week of it. In fact, if you feel like celebrating in June, there is no reason you shouldn’t. Choosing a day that doesn’t fall on Thanksgiving is however a good idea because it will mean that your friends who are spending Thanksgiving with their families can attend. Once you have a date settled, send out invites and have them rsvp too.
Now on to what you’ve been waiting for, a Friendsgiving food ideas list with recipes so you and your helpers can easily recreate!
Simple Friendsgiving Food Ideas
And here’s where we finally get to those insanely simple Friendsgiving food ideas. We’ve listed 20 of our favorite appetizers, main dishes, side dishes and of course desserts to add to your Friendsgiving menu. Enjoy!
READ: 10 Fun Friendsgiving Theme Ideas That’ll Up Your Party Game
Friendsgiving Main Dishes
Here’s a list of Friendsgiving main dishes to serve your guests this holiday season.
1. Crockpot Turkey Breasts
Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey to perfection is enough to strike fear into the hearts of many a chef. And don’t even mention the amount of time it takes to prepare, baste, stuff and cook the bird. Turkey breasts in the crockpot is the ideal alternative to roasting a whole bird in the oven. It cuts your cooking time down plus you will be sure to serve up succulent breasts. A bonus is that all the moisture leftover in the pot after cooking is the perfect stock to create a tasty Friendsgiving gravy. What would any feast be without the gravy?
2. Roasted Chicken
Roasting a chicken is much easier than most people think and a great alternative to a serving a whole turkey on Friendsgiving. Simply brush the skin with some olive oil, sprinkle it with spice and fresh herbs and place in the oven to cook for the recommended period relative to the size of the bird. You can even go the extra mile and make stuffing to cook inside the chicken while it is roasting. The drippings leftover in your roasting pan can be turned into that must-have gravy.
3. Honey Baked Ham
Instead of making turkey, let your guest enjoy a honey baked ham. I think this is actually one of the better options for the main course at Friendsgiving so they can enjoy turkey on Thanksgiving with their family. This baked ham recipe is the perfect centerpiece to your holiday meal. Definitely add this one to your Friendsgiving food ideas list.
4. 5-Minute Gravy
You can’t enjoy your turkey, chicken or ham without gravy. I mean gravy just makes everything taste better because it’s just so flavorful. You can whip one up in just 5 minutes with this recipe!
5. Green Bean Casserole
Oh yes, nothing says Friendsgiving than green bean casserole. I make a mean green bean casserole too! I’ve never been to a Friendsgiving without it. Here’s a yummy recipe that you can try and recreate that added bacon to put a small spin to the classic version. One of my favorite Friendsgiving dishes.
6. Jalapeno Cornbread
Like I mentioned earlier, Friendsgiving is the perfect time to experiment and put a twist on classic Thanksgiving recipes because your friends can give you honest feedback. Instead of the traditional corn bread, why not spice it up this Friendsgiving with a jalapeno version. I like things spicy and if your friends do too, this will be a hit!
7. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are one of those dishes that are easy to prepare but like so many simple dishes, can go horribly wrong. Buy potatoes that are specifically cultivated for mashing. Peel the potatoes before boiling and make sure that they are chopped up into chunks that are more or less even in size. This will ensure that all your potatoes cook evenly and that some aren’t undercooked while others are falling to pieces. The trick to perfect mash potatoes is adding a good dollop of butter and a dash of milk to create the creamiest, yummiest side dish.
8. Stuffing
Stuffing it’s the first thing that should be adding to your Friendsgiving food ideas list. Just like Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving wouldn’t be complete without it. I love me some stuffing and it’s a classic dish that all my friends love.
9. Sweet Potato Casserole
It’s true when they say the best food comes in a casserole dish. Sweet potato casserole is another one of my favorite dishes that I often go back for seconds (or thirds, haha). I love sweet potatoes especially in a casserole and this is a delicious dish that everyone enjoys! This loaded sweet potato casserole is easy to make and just looks so beautiful. Am I right?
10. Honey-glazed Carrots
This is a very traditional dish and you will probably find that your grandma has a recipe stashed away somewhere. It only takes a few minutes to lightly boil (or steam) some peeled, baby carrots and strain them. Drizzle some honey over the carrots in the pot and then turn the heat up to medium. Allow the honey to coat all the carrots and be careful not to burn them. You can replace the honey with maple syrup or even some light, brown sugar to caramelize those carrots and make a side-dish that is also a sweet treat. One of my favorite veggies on this list.
Friendsgiving Side Dishes
You can’t have a main course without a few side dishes. Here are some of our favorite Friendsgiving side dishes. If you’re having a potluck Friendsgiving, share this list with the guests attending.
11. Sweet Buttery Bread Rolls
Here’s another side to add to your Friendsgiving food ideas list. No feast is complete without bread and these buttery, sweet rolls are the ideal treat. Just remember that bread recipes take time and you will need at least 3 hours to deliver soft, warm and fresh rolls. However, most of that time is spent proofing the dough and baking in the oven so you can carry on with other dishes while your bread rolls are getting ready on their own. Also keep in mind that kneading is critical to for light and fluffy bread so make sure to dedicate time to this task.
12. Mac ‘n Cheese
As mentioned above, Mac ‘n Cheese has become a very popular choice as a Friendsgiving comfort food. It’s so super simple to make but brings back all those favorite childhood memories of home-cooking. You can make it the traditional method using noodles and home-made cheese sauce or you can substitute cauliflower for pasta and pureed pumpkin can replace the cheese for a low-carb, vegan friendly option. Remember that your Mac ‘n Cheese will only be good as the seasoning. Add some bacon bits or ham to give it an extra punch.
13. Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Just like Thanksgiving, there is no Friendsgiving without cranberry sauce. And don’t try and buy the canned version. A homemade cranberry sauce version tastes so much better! It’s a holiday tradition at my house on Friendsgiving and this can be the start of a new tradition at yours. Make sure to add all the necessary ingredients on your Friendsgiving food ideas list.
14. Healthy Cranberry Apple Pecan Salad
With all these unhealthy side dishes we tend to enjoy during both Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving, it’s good to have at least one healthy dish. It doesn’t get any healthier than this cranberry apple pecan salad. I love pecans and there’s even feta cheese tossed in and paired with a poppyseed dressing for the perfect fall salad to serve at Friendsgiving. You can buy a healthy vinaigrette or make the poppyseed dressing found in the recipe. It’s a super easy side dish to make.
Friendsgiving Appetizers
Before you break out the main meal, give your guests a wine cocktail and something to snack on like these Friendsgiving appetizers.
15. Cheesy, Bacon Holiday Crack
Who doesn’t love cheese and bacon? This recipe is super simple and a crowd pleaser. Simply layer kettle-fried potato chips with grated cheese and crispy bacon bits in an oven-proof dish. Place in the oven just until the cheese has melted and allow to cool before serving. You can serve this dish as an appetizer or a snack. Add a dip of your choice – avocado is a great idea because this dish really is just a take on nachos or you can try something different like garlic dip.
16. Pumpkin Soup
Thanksgiving simply isn’t thanksgiving without pumpkin. Pumpkin soup is incredibly easy to make for even the most cooking-challenged amateurs in the kitchen. All you need is some pumpkin pieces (peeled and de-seeded), cream, honey and salt and black pepper to season. You can replace the cream with coconut milk and the honey with maple syrup for a yummy vegan alternative. You can even roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for a few minutes to top the soup and add a little crunch.
Friendsgiving Desserts
Finish off your party with dessert. Check out some of the most popular (and a few of my favorite) Friendsgiving desserts. Enjoy with a warm drink.
17. Snickerdoodles
When it comes to simple, there is nothing quite like serving snickerdoodles at the end of your Friendsgiving feast as desert. These cookies should be soft and chewy and served straight out of the oven while they are still warm. A light dusting of cinnamon and the treats have all the flavor associated with Thanksgiving. The entire recipe takes just minutes from start to finish and can be placed in the oven at the end of the main meal to be served warm. Enjoy it with a warm cup of hot cocoa.
18. Pumpkin Roll
If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, try this pumpkin roll recipe for desert. While it looks extremely complicated, it is actually quite easy to make. The recipe uses both pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice in the cake layer to ensure sufficient flavoring. The cream cheese frosting is the ideal flavor combination to compliment pumpkin.
A generous sprinkling of frosting sugar will add sweetness and a nice decorative flair to the pumpkin roll. You can also sprinkle a little cinnamon to give it that Thanksgiving flavor that tastes just like home. The perfect end to the perfect Friendsgiving feast. Click image to follow the exact recipe!
19. Dutch Apple Pie
Instead of the traditional apple pie with a woven crust top, try baking the dutch version. A dutch apple pie is the perfect holiday dessert for Friendsgiving. Honestly, I find it a lot easier to make and it’s just as delicious or for some even better than the traditional apple pie. Top it off with some vanilla ice cream and it will be a hit at your party. Yes, ice cream is a must so remember to add it to your Friendsgiving food ideas list too!
20. Mini Sweet Potato Pie Bites
Instead of pumpkin pie, try something different for Friendsgiving. My favorite Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving dessert is good ole sweet potato pie topped with whip cream. It’s just sooooo good! All of my friends love this as dessert too and I’m sure it will be a hit at your Friendsgiving party. Instead of making the traditional, try these cute and easy mini sweet potato pie bites. They’ll enjoy every bite.
Friendsgiving Food Ideas – Final Thoughts
Cooking a feast can be a time-consuming task no matter the Friendsgiving food ideas you choose or how simple they are to prepare, cook and serve. Keep in mind that the whole point is to share with friends so get them involved with the preparations and you will have double the fun. Otherwise, ask your guests to each contribute a unique or traditional family Thanksgiving dish to add to your feast.
Which of these Friendsgiving food ideas will you be serving your guests? Share your thoughts by commenting below!
