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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Mix up Thanksgiving dessert with these chai-spice cupcakes that are easier to serve than pie. (via Brit+Co)
Apple Cider Glazed Cake
With pumpkin and apple, this bundt cake is all good things that are fall. (via Brit + Co)
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
These adorable mini pumpkin cheesecake bars are so simple to make but taste absolutely delicious. (via The Real Food Dietitians)
Classic Pumpkin Pie
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
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
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
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
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!
