Looking for simple and delicious Friendsgiving food ideas to make for the holidays? Look no further than these crowd-pleasing recipes.
Whether you are planning to have an intimate gathering with family or “Friendsgiving” for Thanksgiving, and you’re looking for easy holiday recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
Now, if you’ve never heard of it before, you may be wondering what is Friendsgiving? It’s a Thanksgiving gathering with friends rather than family – simple as that! The kind of dishes served at Friendsgiving is typically not as involved as traditional Thanksgiving recipes would be. So you’ll find a variety of dishes that are simpler in preparation, but still full of flavor!
And today, I’ve rounded up some seriously delicious recipes that are crowd-pleasing, elevated in flavors, and a lot of them can be made ahead to make things even easier. Shall we get started?!
1. Air Fryer Turkey Breast
If you’re looking to skip making a whole turkey for your holiday gathering, try this juicy turkey breast recipe that’s made in an air fryer for a quick and easy cooking process. The turkey is basted in butter and a maple and herb glaze that will wow in flavor!
2. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze and Pomegranate
Friendsgiving is all about simple recipes! These roasted Brussels sprouts are a super easy side dish to make with some elevated flavors from the balsamic glaze and sweet pomegranate seeds.
3. Perfect Sausage Stuffing
This sausage stuffing recipe is perfect for the holidays! It’s hearty and full of sausage, apple, sage, and onion flavors. Plus some dried cranberries for that extra burst of flavor. You can even make it ahead of time and freeze it to make the holidays even easier!
4. Slow Cooker Autumn Squash Soup
Compliment your meal by adding this luscious butternut squash soup as a side dish! It’s made simple in a slow cooker and is full of autumn flavors.
5. Crispy Herb & Garlic Roasted Chicken Thighs
Want a main dish other than turkey? These crispy roasted chicken thighs are perfect if you want to keep the main dish simple! They take no time at all to prepare and the end result is full of fresh herb and garlic flavor, with the crispiest chicken skin and tender meat on the inside.
6. Cranberry Walnut Bread (No Knead)
What could be better than having homemade bread to compliment your turkey dinner? This foolproof cranberry bread requires no muscle action for kneading the dough, and the festive cranberry walnut flavor is always a crowd-pleaser!
7. Sweet Potato Casserole
Serve this delicious sweet potato casserole on the side of your feast! It consists of layers of creamy spiced sweet potatoes with a nutty topping for texture and sweetness.
8. Turkey Gravy
Every holiday meal needs to have a delicious gravy! This turkey gravy recipe is super simple to make and uses pan drippings from roasted turkey to add a rich savory taste.
9. Apple Pomegranate Harvest Salad
This apple pomegranate salad is the perfect salad to serve as a Friendsgiving side salad. It’s beautiful, flavorful, and easy to toss together!
10. Homemade Dinner Rolls
Skip the store-bought rolls this year and serve these homemade dinner rolls at your holiday gathering! They are super soft in texture and perfect for a holiday tear and share.
11. Vegan Cornbread Stuffing
For a healthier stuffing, serve up this vegan cornbread stuffing that’s gluten-free friendly as well! It’s not only full of wholesome ingredients but is a recipe everyone will love.
12. Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
Skip the store-bought cranberry sauce and make this super quick instant pot cranberry sauce! It’s perfectly tart and sweet with flavors of cinnamon and orange.
13. Autumn Roasted Chicken and Butternut Squash Skillet
This autumn skillet is perfect if you want to keep your main meal simple! It’s filled with tender roasted chicken with a simple dijon and rosemary sauce served alongside sweet roasted butternut squash, tart cranberries, and brussels sprouts.
14. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Looking to serve a potato dish that’s not mashed? Try these cheesy scalloped potatoes that are filled with caramelized onions. Who can resist cheesy potatoes?!
15. Healthy Green Bean Casserole
A classic Thanksgiving side dish. This healthy green bean casserole is made with fresh green beans, mushrooms, a creamy parmesan sauce, and topped with homemade crunchy baked onions.
16. Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
These crockpot mashed potatoes are the creamiest, dreamiest buttery mashed potatoes that are perfect for making ahead of time to free up the stove!
17. Pear and Gorgonzola Salad
This pear and gorgonzola salad will wow your guests with flavor and its beautiful presentation! It’s paired with a delicious white balsamic dressing for bright flavor.
18. Mini Pumpkin Hand Pies
Make pumpkin pie without all the hassle! These mini pumpkin pies are baked with store-bought pie crust, pumpkin cream cheese filling, and a coating of cinnamon sugar.
19. Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
Impress your guests with this delicious apple cake with salted caramel frosting! The applesauce and the fresh apples result in an intense flavor that perfectly complements the cinnamon-spiced cake.
20. Classic Pumpkin Pie
Complete your dessert table by serving this classic pumpkin pie recipe! Quick and easy to prepare and a dessert that everyone will love.
21. Dairy-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Everyone will love these doughy dairy-free cinnamon rolls! They’re a crowd-pleasing dessert that is perfect to share with those who are sensitive to dairy (and no one will even know they don’t have dairy in them!).
22. Pumpkin Head Punch
The perfect Friendsgiving cocktail! With spiced pumpkin butter, vodka, cinnamon, and ginger. All mixed together to create an autumn punch that’s great for any gathering!
Very helpful for planning the holiday meal, thanks Bethany! They all look very yummy