Our best Friendsgiving food ideas! Find easy recipes for a festive fall gathering—crowd-pleasing appetizers, fun drinks, desserts, and more.
If you’re celebrating Friendsgiving this year, you’re in the right place! Below, I’ve rounded up my best Friendsgiving food ideas—bite-size appetizers, batch cocktails, classic side dishes, and easy desserts. Whether you’re hosting or just bringing a dish to pass, you’ll find Friendsgiving recipes to try.
Back in the day, Jack and I celebrated Friendsgiving on Thanksgiving, because we lived far from our families and didn’t always travel for the holiday. Now, it’s more common to do both—a Friendsgiving earlier in November and a traditional Thanksgiving feast with family later on. I’m all for this, because it turns Friendsgiving into an opportunity to get creative with your holiday cooking.
I’ve included a mix of traditional and inventive Friendsgiving recipes below—I hope they help you craft a menu you love!
Classic Friendsgiving Food Ideas
Best Stuffing
It doesn’t matter whether I’m celebrating Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving—either way, stuffing is a must. Instead of reaching for the boxed kind, I make this from-scratch version with good bread, celery, and tons of herbs. It will be the star of your Friendsgiving spread!
Best Mashed Potatoes
Meet the creamiest mashed potatoes you’ve tried! They’re easy to make with 7 ingredients, and they reheat nicely if you make them ahead.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels sprouts are a super simple way to add something green to your Friendsgiving table. For a fresh pop of flavor, dress them up with lemon, herbs, and Parmesan cheese.
Homemade Dinner Rolls
These bakery-worthy rolls are soft, flaky, and buttery. They’re guaranteed to impress guests!
Sweet Potato Casserole
No mini marshmallows here! This vegan spin on the Thanksgiving classic has a savory pecan and oat topping instead.
Green Bean Casserole
I grew up eating green bean casserole made with canned cream of mushroom soup, so trust me when I tell you that this from-scratch version is so much better. It stars fresh green beans and a homemade mushroom sauce.
Homemade Mac and Cheese
I consider mac and cheese optional at actual Thanksgiving, but on Friendsgiving, it’s essential. This over-the-top version is made with a crispy breadcrumb topping and three types of cheese.
Cranberry Sauce
Looking for quick and easy Friendsgiving recipes? This classic cranberry sauce comes together in 15 minutes with just 4 ingredients!
Friendsgiving Drinks and Snacks
Puff Pastry Brie Bites
These fig and brie bites are one of my favorite Friendsgiving food ideas! They’re elegant, adorable, and easy to make with store-bought puff pastry. Guests will love them!
Stuffed Mushrooms
If Jack could pick an appetizer for your Friendsgiving spread, it would be these stuffed mushrooms. Juicy, savory, and packed with a crispy breadcrumb filling, they’re his favorite party snack.
Apple Cider Sangria
No need to make cocktails to order—this sparkling apple cider sangria serves a crowd!
Whipped Feta Dip
This 5-minute dip is tangy, creamy, and utterly addictive. Serve it with fresh veggies, pita, or crackers for dipping.
How to Make a Cheese Board
The easiest Friendsgiving appetizer! Grab a few cheeses from the store, and set them out with other nibbles like fresh fruit, olives, and nuts. Guests will love grazing before the big meal.
Apple Cider Cocktail
This autumn bourbon cocktail is fizzy, boozy, and bright. Garnish it with warm spices and fresh apples for a festive Friendsgiving drink.
Butternut Squash Hummus
Blended roasted squash adds a subtle sweetness to this fun fall hummus. I love it with crumbled feta and bursty pomegranates on top!
Fun Friendsgiving Side Dishes
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
This simple salad is one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Fresh and bright, it perfectly balances richer dishes like mashed potatoes and stuffing. You can make it ahead too!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Fall flavors, meet mac and cheese! This comforting pasta is our editor Phoebe’s favorite dish to bring to a Friendsgiving celebration. Her friends ask for the recipe every time.
Focaccia Bread
Who needs dinner rolls when you have crispy, fluffy focaccia on the table? This recipe looks and tastes impressive, but it’s surprisingly easy to make.
Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Even carrot skeptics will fall for this creative Friendsgiving side dish. It features tender, caramelized carrots topped with nutty tahini sauce, bursty pomegranates, and a fresh carrot top gremolata.
Cornbread Stuffing
Don’t expect to have leftovers of this sweet and savory stuffing. Your friends will devour it in no time—it’s that delicious!
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Don’t feel like making a full-blown sweet potato casserole? This creamy mash captures the same flavors, but it comes together quickly with 7 simple ingredients.
Garlic Knots
A fun twist on classic dinner rolls! These cute little knots are soft, fluffy, and packed with garlic flavor.
Butternut Squash Salad
While most other guests bring an appetizer or hearty side to Friendsgiving, you can always find me with a salad. This one is fresh and unexpected, made with roasted squash, chewy dates, and a spiced cider-date dressing.
Scalloped Potatoes
Don’t limit yourself to mashed potatoes at Friendsgiving! Layered with onions, béchamel sauce, and lots of cheese, these scalloped potatoes are always a crowd-pleaser.
Hasselback Potatoes
Another potato option for your Friendsgiving table! These sliced spuds are tender in the middle, crisp around the edges, and infused with rich, earthy flavor from garlic butter and sage.
Mushroom Gravy
This easy plant-based gravy is just as delicious as the classic kind! Plus, everyone at the table will be able to enjoy it, regardless of dietary restrictions.
Wild Rice Pilaf
This wild rice pilaf is one of the Friendsgiving recipes I make most often. It can pass as a vegetarian main if needed, but for meat eaters, it can also double as a salad or stuffing alternative.
Spinach Salad
If you love classic fall flavors, this salad is the Friendsgiving recipe for you! It features crisp apples, chewy dried cranberries, goat cheese, and candied pecans. A tangy apple cider vinegar dressing ties it all together.
Roasted Honeynut Squash
If you ask me, no Friendsgiving feast is complete without a roasted squash dish. You can’t go wrong with this one! Sweet, creamy honeynut squash tops a thick layer of whipped ricotta.
Friendsgiving Recipes for Dessert
Pumpkin Tiramisu
Short on oven space? Wow guests with this no-bake pumpkin tiramisu! It has luxe layers of chai-soaked ladyfingers and pumpkin mascarpone cream.
Easy Pumpkin Cake
This moist, warmly spiced cake is easier than pie…and just as delicious! Dress it up with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting to take it over the top.
Apple Crisp
A classic apple crisp will always be one of the best Friendsgiving food ideas. It’s easy, delicious, and perfect for fall. Don’t forget the ice cream for serving!
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Essentially miniature pumpkin cakes. L&L reader Andrea called them, “So easy and delicious!”
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
If you don’t tell anyone this pie is vegan, they’ll never know. It has a rich, custardy filling and flaky vegan crust.
Best Homemade Brownies
Brownies may not be a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but they’ll definitely be a hit at Friendsgiving. These ones are rich, chewy, and fudgy—better than the boxed mix!
Best Friendsgiving Recipes: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash
- 2 shallots, roughly chopped (⅔ cup)
- 1 pound shell pasta, or pipe rigate or elbows
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 6 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, about 2½ cups
- 6 ounces grated Gruyere cheese, about 2½ cups
- 1½ ounces finely grated pecorino cheese, ½ cup
For the topping
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on the baking sheet. Place the shallots on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, and wrap tightly. Place on the baking sheet and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the squash is soft.
- Make the topping: In a small bowl, place the panko and olive oil. Toss to combine.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- Measure 2 cups of the cooked, soft squash flesh and transfer to a blender with the 1½ cups pasta water, the shallots, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, sage, nutmeg, and several grinds of pepper. Blend until creamy.
- Return the pasta pot to the stove and heat the almond milk over medium heat. Stir in the squash sauce and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes, or until warmed through. Whisking constantly, gradually add the cheddar, Gruyere, and pecorino cheeses, making sure each addition is fully melted before adding the next. Whisk until all the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is creamy, then add the pasta and stir until coated.
- Preheat the oven broiler and transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Top with the panko and broil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and browned.
- Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
