Friendsgiving Recipe Ideas
By Ela Rybak
With Halloween now behind us, Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, which means it's time to start planning for Friendsgiving! Whether you're hosting or just attending, the big question is: what will you bring? Friendsgiving is all about sharing delicious food, laughter, and memories with friends, but choosing the right dish can be tricky. Do you go with a classic side like mashed potatoes or stuffing, try a new dessert, or bring something unique to the table?
Let’s start with some more traditional Thanksgiving recipes and meals:
1. Mashed Potatoes (the detailed ingredients and amounts are located in this link):
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 4
Boil the potatoes: Add the potatoes and garlic to a large pot of salted, boiling water. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Heat the milk: Heat the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter is melted.
Mash the potatoes: Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pot. Slowly add the warm milk mixture, mashing with a potato masher or blending with a mixer until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Season to taste.
2. Turkey:
Turkeys can be some of the most difficult foods to prepare, which is why buying a precooked one can be a lifesaver. With the challenges of ensuring it cooks evenly, staying moist, and timing everything perfectly, opting for a precooked turkey takes the stress out of the process. It allows you to bypass the tricky preparation steps, and with Honey Baked Ham's pre-cooked turkey, you can easily order a whole smoked, roasted, or Cajun turkey online, which arrives frozen and ready to thaw when you're ready to serve.
3. Stuffing (the detailed ingredients and amounts are located in this link):
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix the ingredients on the skillet: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and poultry seasoning (and rosemary if using). Reduce the temperature to medium low and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly.
Prepare the bread: In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, onion mixture, parsley and fresh herbs.
Combine all of the ingredients: Pour 1 cup of broth overtop and toss the cubes. Add the remaining broth, a little bit at a time until cubes are moist (but not soggy) and gently toss. You may not need all of the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake the dish: Place the bread mixture in a baking dish, dot with additional butter if desired, and cover. Bake 35 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Now let’s delve into some more unique recipes and meals:
1. Sushi Bake (the detailed ingredients and amounts are located in this link):
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Make the sushi rice:
Rinse the sushi rice for a minute or two until the water runs clear. If you have time, soak it in water for 15 minutes prior to rinsing.
Add 3 cups of water to a pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the salt and rice and once boiling, lower the heat and cover to simmer for 20 minutes. After, turn off the heat but leave covered for 10 more minutes. Then fluff it up.
In a small bowl, add the rice vinegar, granulated sugar, and sesame oil. Microwave for 30 seconds or quickly warm it up in a pot just so the sugar dissolves.
Pour this over the rice and mix so that each grain of rice is coated evenly. It should be very sticky!
Spicy mayo: To make the spicy mayo, mix together mayo, sambal, sriracha, sesame oil, sugar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Once it's creamy and smooth, set aside
Crab and shrimp filling: In a bowl, combine crab meat, shrimp, mayo, cream cheese, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha or sambal, and lime juice. Mix together well until evenly combined.
Assemble and bake:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
To a casserole dish or 9x9 baking pan, add the rice on the bottom. Add as much or as little rice as you’d like to the desired thickness. Then add a layer of seaweed on top to cover the rice. Add all the crab and shrimp mixture on top.
Pop in the oven to bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until golden on top. For more crispiness and color on top, you can broil it for a few minutes but keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Once out of the oven, drizzle with the spicy mayo and unagi sauce. Add avocado, green onions, and sesame seeds on top and enjoy!
2. French Apple Cake (the detailed ingredients and amounts are located in this link):
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch (23-cm) springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.
Mix ingredients together: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.
Prepare for baking: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan.
After oven: Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Using a fine sieve, dust with confectioners' sugar (if using).
Serve: Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
3. Fried Gnocchi Bites (the detailed ingredients and amounts are located in this link):
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Cook gnocchi: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi, stirring occasionally, until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Spread on a baking sheet and let cool 5 minutes.
Bread gnocchi: Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, whisk eggs to blend; season with salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, whisk bread crumbs and Pecorino.
Sprinkle flour over cooled gnocchi and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.
Fry gnocchi: Into a large heavy skillet, pour oil to a depth of 1/8". Heat over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, transfer gnocchi to egg mixture and toss to coat. Let excess egg drip off, then add to bread crumb mixture, gently tossing to coat. Return to baking sheet.
Working in batches, fry gnocchi, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; season with salt.
Serve: Transfer gnocchi to a platter. Top with more Pecorino and parsley. Serve with marinara alongside.
Here are all of the Friendsgiving recipes, from appetizers to desserts, that will make your gathering deliciously unforgettable. Most importantly, Friendsgiving isn't just about the perfect dish; it's about spending time with all of your close friends.
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