Friendsgiving Day Spread – lightened up a bit! The holidays are here and in full swing. If you’re looking to host a Friendsgiving Day party with friends, loved ones, or even have a small dinner with your family – then you’re in the right place!
Can’t make it home this holiday to see your family? Don’t drown your sorrows in booze, reruns of Seinfeld, and a boring tv dinner. Host a Friendsgiving Day instead! And hey, some can probably agree that friends are way better people to spend their time with than family at Thanksgiving (we all have those family members), anyway.
Here you will find recipes to the main dish, rolls, side dishes, and even an incredibly decadent, sinful dessert.
THE ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING DAY MENU
Menu planning for your Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving dinner just got easier! In this post I will be listing off every delicious item you see pictured above with direct links to each post that provides the recipe to each, as well as other recommendations for your upcoming Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving Day celebrations.
The holidays are all about coming together with friends and family to catch up, share memories and stories of those present and those passed, as well as enjoying the time off of work. It’s not meant to be a stressful occasion.
So here is a surefire menu that I hope you, your family, and your friends enjoy this holiday season!
All recipes are meant to serve between 4-6 people. Get a head count for the number of guests you will be cooking for and adjust the recipes on each recipe card to suit the number of people being served. So, if you’re serving 8-10 friends (or family), I would double each recipe. It’s better to have leftovers over running out of something.
With that being said, onto the menu!
MAIN DISH:
- Easy Tender Instant Pot Turkey Breast – take the guesswork, extra time, and effort generally put into cooking a Thanksgiving Day turkey and try this recipe in the Instant Pot! Packed full of flavor, very easy to make and takes approximately an hour or so, from start to finish! This recipe calls for a 6.5 pound turkey breast. Gravy recipe is included from the broth! Alternate oven instructions included if you don’t have an Instant Pot.
SIDE DISHES:
- Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower – very easy recipe to make that is a great substitute to the traditional mashed potatoes! Cooked cauliflower is pureed with some amazing, flavorful ingredients to create the most delicious mashed faux-tatoes! You will b (barely 😉 ) notice that its not potatoes!
- Maple Roasted Carrots – a lighter side dish option that is very easy to prepare – in 30 minutes or less! Fork tender carrots with a subtly sweet maple flavoring.
- Simple Traditional Herb Stuffing – Made like traditional herb stuffing with day old Italian bread, light butter, eggs, flavorful herbs, and loaded with vegetables. Baked until the topping has that perfectly crisp coating, yet still soft on the inside – just the way stuffing should be!
- Garlic Parmesan Skillet Rolls– homemade bread dough that is baked in an iron skillet until soft, fluffy, golden perfection and then topped with an incredibly easy and delicious garlic butter and parmesan cheese coating. Very easy to make, flavorful, and sure to be a crowd pleaser!
- Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes – buttery, creamy and smooth sweet potatoes that are the perfect, healthier side dish for your upcoming Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving festivities. Easy to make, full of that brown sugar, cinnamon flavor – but on the lighter side of things.
DESSERT:
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting – not on the lighter side of things, but should a holiday dessert be made so?? Wouldn’t that be wrong? Ha! Incredibly decadent recipe that you’re going to love from start to finish! Easy to make, soft and gooey, and full of that amazing fall flavor. The smell alone will fill your home with the best fall scents and leave you eager for your first bite.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!
An easy, lightened up, yet absolutely delicious, Friendsgiving Day Spread!
Don’t forget these ever-so-important items:
- Plenty of utensils (to eat and serve) and platters.
- If anyone wants to bring something more than a side: suggest napkins, ice or wine/drink of choice.
- Have your friends bring snacks, hors d’oeuvres, or dessert to relieve some of your host/hostess stress.
MORE DELICIOUS HOLIDAY RECIPES TO TRY:
Here are a few more side dish recommendations in case you would like to swap any of the ones from above for a recommended one below! I promise they are all delicious!
Cheesy Broccoli Ham Casserole – perfect side dish, with or without ham, for your upcoming holidays. Made with a homemade creamy, cheddar cheese sauce, broccoli and ham that is topped with an incredibly delicious parmesan cracker crust. Perfect for any leftover ham or turkey!
Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes – traditional hasselback potatoes with an au gratin twist! Creamy and cheesy potatoes on the inside, baked with a crispy topping. Full of flavor and a fun spin on the traditional potato side dish!
Garlic Butter Parmesan Roasted Carrots – tender, sweet, and delicious carrots that are drizzled in garlic, butter, and parmesan cheese. These roasted carrots make an excellent side dish to any meal – even your upcoming holiday dishes! An easy 10-minute prep while the oven does the rest!
