This Saturday is our annual Friendsgiving party!
We have a group of about 20 of our closest friends driving in town to celebrate Thanksgiving and enjoy some indulgent and delicious food!
I have the best time prepping for Friendsgiving and am beginning to brainstorm menu items for this year’s feast. We have some dishes that have become staples thanks to rave reviews from our guests, but I always love searching for some fun new recipes to try.
Our staples include:
- My Mom’s Stuffing Recipe <—Without a doubt my favorite dish!
- Bubbee’s Glazed Carrots
- Cooking Light’s Sweet Potato Casserole
- Ryan’s Mom’s Pineapple Soufflé <— I still need to share this one with you guys!
I am still on the lookout for the perfect mashed potatoes recipe and would love your recommendations for great vegetable sides or a perfect pumpkin pie recipe. Please comment below and share any links you may have for “must try” Thanksgiving recipes!
Here are some recipes that caught my eye for this year’s feast:
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic and Shallots
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Balsamic Glazed Green Beans
- Quinoa Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
- Chai Pumpkin Pie
Lunch
I am not working until later this afternoon (late night tonight!), so lunch was enjoyed at home.
A salad topped with pulled chicken, carrots and light ranch dressing did the trick.
I also had an apple and a couple of handfuls of almonds on the side.
And now it’s time to change and head off to work for the evening!
Question of the Afternoon
- What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Please feel free to link to any any “must try” Thanksgiving recipes! I’m on the lookout for some new winners to try this weekend!
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No cherpumple???
Hahaha! I may need to bring that back. That thing was intense.
I’m doing the same! I’m in charge of the turkey, stuffing, and a dessert. Still trying to find the perfect dessert recipe. I’m so excited to celebrate!
Last year my aunt made roasted root vegetables and it was amazing! My absolute favorite would have to be the turkey + cranberry + mashed potato combo! Haha I always like to eat all 3 in one bite!
My entire plate all becomes mixed together. It looks horrific but tastes incredible!
I make smashed potatoes the way my Gma made them. Leave the skins on the potatoes, and rather than mashing with milk I use low fat sour cream. They come out just as creamy, and are delicious without any additional toppings!
My all-time favorite Thanksgiving side is a central PA staple (your family may know it since they’re in Gettysburg, which is about 90 minutes south of me) – potato filling. Everyone has their own recipe, but it can be best described as a mixture of stuffing and mashed potatoes. My mom makes hers with instant potatoes, but I honestly can’t tell a difference. Basically, you put oil in the bottom of your pan and saute finely diced onions and celery until soft. Add parsley and fresh bread cubes and mix. Stir into mashed potatoes and bake at 350F until the edges are crispy and brown. I like my bread-cube-to-potato ratio to be close to 50/50, but if you like more or less the other way, you can adjust it to your tastes. My dad and I fight over the crispy parts. I could literally eat an entire pie plate full of it! If you’re interested, I can probably explain better.
That sounds UNREAL! YUM!
My grandparents live in Harrisburg and they introduced me to potato filling this year!! It’s my new favorite.
YES! I didn’t realize this was an actual “thing” but my family has been doing this my entire life, and we are not from PA. It is so so so good!
I am a little bit of a mashed potato snob and I LOVE the Pioneer Woman’s make ahead mashed potatoes. So easy, get it out of the way, and delicious.
I made those two years ago and they took FOREVER to reheat! We were all sitting around waiting for the mashed potatoes to get hot again. They were delicious once they were ready though!
i also do a friendsgiving and use pioneer woman’s mash potatoes. i make them the day before, but the day of, reheat in my slow cooker! typically need to add a little milk, but they are glorious, do not take room in oven, and stay warm throughout serving!
This is an awesome idea!!!
I didn’t read all of the comments, and pretty much just posted the exact same thing below. You can never go wrong with the Pioneer Woman.
I reheated them in the crock pot too. I made them a few days in advance, and the morning of thanksgiving, I added some cream and turned them on low for a few hours. Worked great! I don’t know what you used of hers before, but I would definitely do the roasted garlic mashed potatoes!
Our family always pre-orders a Bob Evans Supreme pumpkin pie for dessert! It has a layer of pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake and takes the cake in all taste tests we’ve done! If not for thanksgiving, go grab a slice today!!
We celebrated Friendsgiving this past weekend! So much food…so much fun!
My friend made some amazing sangria that would be the perfect addition to any get together. The recipe will be on my blog tomorrow if you want to check it out!
I love the idea of a Friendsgiving, it sounds like the ideal way to celebrate the holiday with friends. As far as a recipe for mashed potatoes, I’m not sure of the exact one, but I recently saw one on Pinterest that combines Hummus, which I think would add a lot of savory flavor, which I like. My favorite Thanksgiving dish is roasted vegetables, especially winter squash!
Christian and I are having our first Thanksgiving together away at college! Pretty simple menu: bison burger for him, veggie burger for me, stuffing, green beans, and pumpkin pie. Turkey cost too much! Ha! 😉
This is my favorite green bean recipe. It’s always a huge hit wilth my family.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/vegetables/green-bean-bake-revisited/
Yum – that sweet potato casserole sounds great! There was a simple recipe on LIVE with Kelly & Michael this morning – “Brussels Sprouts Salad.” I’m thinking of trying it this year. http://dadt.com/live/recipe-finder.html?recipeID=16479
I just found the most amazing HEALTHY paleo pumpkin pie recipe. It’s gluten free, dairy free and it tastes just as good as the old fashioned kind!!! In fact I just blogged about it.
Also…. I absolutely MUST share this Sweet potato Au Gratin recipe. My boyfriend just made it last night and OMG – it’s heaven on earth. http://paleomg.com/paleo-thanksgiving-sweet-potato-gratin/
I actually live with Paleomg so I might be biased but I can attest to how amazing the Sweet Potato Au Gratin recipe is! I made it for Thanksgiving last year and everyone was a fan! My family doesn’t eat paleo and loved it!
I also made this pecan brittle for dessert and it was a HUGE HIT! My family actually requested I make it again this year for Thanksgiving and Christmas!! http://paleomg.com/thanksgiving-dessert-chewy-pecan-pie-brittle/
Sounds wonderful!!!! Thanks for sharing!
Roasted butternut squash!!!!
Mashed potatoes and anything cranberry have always been my fave!
You can never go wrong with the Pioneer Woman’s mashed potatoes. I love that you can make them the day before, then just heat them up on the day you’re serving them. I also love her sweet potatoes and, well, pretty much anything else she makes.
My mom’s recipe for mashed potatoes is always the most requested at our dinner table! They’re super simple but SO good. She adds a little milk, butter, and CREAM CHEESE! 🙂
We don’t celebrate thanksgiving here in Australia but all those recipes sound so good regardless!
You’ve made me want to get a slow cooker once again seeing your chicken for lunch.
I must try that stuffing recipe! I know I’m missing out by using the box stuffing! Last year we made these roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and walnuts–soooo good. Definitely a must make.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-bacon-recipe/index.html
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in Ireland but I love pumpkin pie! Post an almost raw chocolate pumpkin pie on Monday if you fancy something alternative!!!
Ill be making a cooking light sweet potato casserole too! yum. That and my mother in laws broccoli casserole is my favorite!
Josh and I just went to our first Friendsgiving this past weekend. We brought cremen brûlée potatoes and squash casserole!
I introduced our little circle of friends to Friendsgiving this past weekend thanks to your idea and it was a BLAST!! We had so much fun eating and playing card/board games. Thank you for the idea!! (I never really knew how to express how thankful I was for my friends around the holiday season because mostly it is spent with family.)
Every year I’m in charge of dessert and I make pumpkin pie, and the worlds best pumpkin cheesecake. It’s is AMAZING. You make te cheesecake part, and then part of that goes towards the pumpkin part. And you can either use a store bought graham cracker crust or a homemade one. Soooo yummy. Definitely a must try!
http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/13477/double-layer-pumpkin-cheesecake?ast=pumpkin%20cheesecake&asas=Mobile%20Search%20Results&asat=Quick%20Search&ase=event10,event8
This recipe from Iowa Girl Eats caught my eye!
http://iowagirleats.com/2013/11/18/quinoa-with-caramelized-butternut-squash-and-roasted-brussels-sprouts/
Even if you’re not Jewish, how could you say no to Challah Apple Stuffing?! haha
http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/challah-apple-stuffing
That is such a fun tradition you guys have!!
My bro in law always makes mashed potatoes in a stand up mixer–makes ’em sooooo incredible & creamy!
I looooove Thanksgiving! Sweet potato casserole, GBC, cranberry sauce, and my homemade Boursin cheese mashed potatoes! (I can’t pick JUST one! :))
For my mashed potatoes I boil red skin potatoes (love the softer texture compared to other potatoes), then add a little butter, a little milk, a full package of boursin cheese, and then taste with garlic, salt and fresh cracked pepper, top with some chives, and VOILA! Delicious, just-cheesey-enough, crowd-pleasing mashed potatoes. Happy Friendsgiving!
I usually don’t do a whole lot of cooking for Thanksgiving but this year it is just my husband and I so I am trying to think of new things to try! I want to make it healthy – love your suggestions here!
Love the idea of a friendsgiving. I thought about doing it when my friends were in town visiting, but decided to just relax instead. My favorite thanksgiving dish has got to be my dad’s mashed potatoes. They blow my mind.
I made the Pioneer Woman’s mashed potatoes last year and they were a HIT! 🙂 On her blog!
CHESTNUTS! Those are hands down, the best things EVER – No denying it. if you’ve never tried, you MUST! However, you need to learn the TRICK as to how to roast them to PERFECTION! You have to cut Xes in them, (watch your fingers), then boil them for about 20 minutes and then roast them in the oven with LOTS of olive oil and some salt. So good. I cannot wait to eat my body weight in them next week!
I love mashed potatoes – if you like them super creamy, use a potato ricer after you boil them!
These were a huge hit last year!! http://ohsheglows.com/2010/09/08/high-protein-garlic-mashed-potatoes/
I didn’t read thru all the posts, but Pioneer Woman has an awesome mashed potato recipe. It is my favorite (not healthy) make ahead and it makes a ton. I’m not sure if you would need to make two for 20 something people. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/delicious_creamy_mashed_potatoes/
We just had a Friendsgiving on Sunday and it was so so delicious! I was trying to create some healthier alternatives without being too obvious and came across this Cauliflower Casserole. Not perfect ingredient-wise but it was such a hit and so good!! http://paleomg.com/thanksgiving-guest-post-primal-cauliflower-casserole-not-strict-paleo/
If you are wanting another Quinoa option we LOVE this one! Though we eat it year round and for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner. I could eat it for dessert too! http://toscareno.blogspot.com/2012/06/gracious-pantry-shares-cranberry-pecan.html#.UovU7CcZzuM
My mom also makes yearly “mud balls” which consist of peppermint whipping cream, marshmallows, rolled in crushed oreos and then frozen. A holiday faimly favorite, if you like marshmallows. But definitely not healthy. I personally don’t like marshmallows or pie so it’s always easy for me to skip Thanksgiving dessert. However, I could eat nothing but stuffing and be happy.
i am ALL about my grandma’s homemade rolls! they are so soft and delicious… ahh, the best! i’m also a big fan of the stuffing. apparently i enjoy carbs on thanksgiving 😉
I love making corn casserole. It is one of my favorites and I make it other times during the year too! It is super easy! Not very healthy BUT super tasty! I add cheese on top and I mix some into the casserole. Like I said….not healthy but super tasty! Happy Friendsgiving! Here is the link: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/corn_casserole/
Who makes the turkey for friendsgiving?
Ryan!
I love to make a baked brie. For my family, we fill up on appetizers more than the meal and baked brie is my favorite appetizer to bring.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/holiday-brie-en-croute
The sides are my favorite part! I love sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, green bean casserole, the list goes on. Basically, anything I don’t get during the rest of the year I want on Thanksgiving (which means the turkey’s kind of an afterthought for me!)
I have the BEST brussels sprout dish. It will make any brussels sprout haters change their mind. You can see it on my blog here! It’s not healthy by any means, but the butter is what makes it so freaking good 🙂 We tried it for Thanksgiving about 5 years ago and it has now become a permanent addition to our yearly menu!
Definitely sweet potato casserole with pecans and marshmallows melted on top 🙂
Anything the pioneer woman makes is spectacular but these brussel sprouts are to die for and a perfect veggie side for thanksgiving!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/12/brussels-sprouts-with-balsamic-and-cranberries/
Just recently we have been enjoying mashed sweet potatoes as a side dish for dinner. They are SO good with a bunch of fun spices in them! My mom makes them so I don’t know exactly what’s in them but we will definitely have them for our thanksgiving this year!!
Julie!
Hi 🙂 you have to try Pioneer Woman’s mashed potatoes. While they are not at all light – they are incredible and I get rave reviews from my family every year. Let me know if you try them!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/delicious_creamy_mashed_potatoes/
I’ve only gotten to do one Friendsgiving in my day but I STILL smile when I think about it. Being back in Chicago with so many old friends last weekend will DEFINITELY make me homesick through the holidays! 🙂
Hi Julie! My mom has an absolutely outstanding mashed potato recipe that I can e-mail you if you would like. We have never gotten one bad review about them and every single time she would make them to bring to some sort of dinner or gathering, she would get COUNTLESS requests for the recipe. Her secret ingredient? Yellow potatoes and… Cream cheese. I know… super weird and unexpected, but I cannot even emphasize to you how creamy and delicious they are. Let me know if you’d like me to send you the recipe! 🙂
Oh I’m pumpkin pie all the way for must have food at Thanksgiving dinner! I don’t have a mashed potato recipe, but my mom always makes them using her kitchen aid mixer!