Food 12 Friendsgiving Food Ideas to Make This Year's Gathering Your Best Yet The key to a successful Friendsgiving is fun and delicious food ideas. Lucky for you, you're all set with these Friendsgiving-ready recipes. By Ananda Eidelstein Ananda Eidelstein Ananda Eidelstein is a vegetable-loving food writer, recipe developer, and editor with nearly a decade of culinary and food media experience. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 04, 2018 If you’ve ever sat and wondered what to bring to a potluck, particularly Friendsgiving, or what to cook if you host Friendsgiving this year, we’ve got you with these Friendsgiving-approved food ideas. Friendsgiving, often a weekend celebration in mid-November before Thanksgiving rolls around, is the stress-free, family-free, fun gathering of friends who come together to fill their bellies before they do it all over again later in November. (Here’s when Thanksgiving is, so you can plan accordingly.) Friends become family, especially when living away from home, and Friendsgiving is a way to celebrate this—not just in the states, but also internationally. And no celebration is complete without smart food ideas, a doable menu, and post-dinner party games. If you’re really leaning into the Thanksgiving theme at your Friendsgiving, don’t forget the Thanksgiving wishes and Thanksgiving table decor, too. With an abundance of fall recipes, there’s no shortage of Friendsgiving food ideas. But Friendsgiving is more fun when it’s kept simple, with some surprising party food ideas sprinkled in the mix. Sure, turkey is welcome, but not always expected: Doesn’t everyone like the sides more, anyway? Put these Friendsgiving food ideas to good work and make sure this year’s Friendsgiving menu is a tasty one. Have everyone pick one dish to make, or volunteer to make everything yourself (if you’re hosting) and ask for monetary contributions to cover food costs. However you divvy up the responsibilities, remember that Friendsgiving is an occasion for good cheer and great friends (and maybe a few Thanksgiving quotes, too) and do whatever will make this gathering the best yet. PeopleImages/Getty Images Getty Images 01 of 12 If You're Leaning Into Fall Recipes This soup is nourishing and bursting with antioxidants. The nutty-seed topping adds another layer of flavor and texture to this creamy soup. It makes for a quick dinner and any leftovers are a hit for lunch. Get the recipe: Spiced Sweet Potato Soup. Alison Miksch A pureed soup that makes it easy to feed a crowd on Friendsgiving. The pistachio-seed topping is a riff on dukkah, a Middle Eastern nut, seed, and spice blend that adds an irresistible texture to this fall recipe. Get the recipe: Spiced Sweet Potato Soup With Pistachio Dukkah 02 of 12 If You Need An Impressive Veggie Main This beauty doubles as a centerpiece, thanks to a golden puff pastry crust flecked with fresh parsley. A full head of cauliflower lies inside, which is rubbed with a garlicky-Dijon paste so that every bite is full of flavor. We included a recipe for vegetarian gravy, too, which you can pour on both the cauliflower and the mashed potatoes. Get the Recipe: Cauliflower en Croute. Greg DuPree Underneath the glistening golden crust is a whole head of roasted cauliflower. Rubbed with a garlicky-Dijon paste, the cauliflower gets roasted and then draped with parsley-encrusted dough (easier than it sounds, promise!). Bonus: Puff pastry is easy to find at any supermarket. Get the recipe: Cauliflower en Croute 03 of 12 If You're Looking for a Secret Ingredient If you’re not roasting radishes yet, you’re missing out. These are coated in miso and apple cider vinegar, which means lots of flavor and friendly bacteria that keeps your digestive system healthy. Get the recipe:Miso-Roasted Radishes. Greg DuPree If you’re not roasting radishes yet, you’re doing it wrong. Good-for-your gut miso and apple cider vinegar coat the colorful and peppery radishes before they hit the heat of the oven in this healthy fall recipe. Get the recipe: Miso Roasted Radishes 04 of 12 If You Think You Have Zero Kitchen Skills This is the easiest appetizer you’ll see all season, and it's so delicious, you'll be making it for years to come. Sweet Peppadew peppers are stuffed with gooey mozzarella, wrapped in salty proscuitto, and placed under the broiler until the prosciutto crisps around the edges. Whether you decided to throw an impromptu gathering or have planned a holiday party, these will not let you down. Get the Recipe: Mozzarella-Stuffed Peppadews With Prosciutto. Brie Passano No kitchen confidence? All good. These stuffed and wrapped peppers are your go-to easy recipe. Plus, the dish is super tasty thanks to melted cheese and crispy, salty prosciutto. Cross the appetizer off your list of Friendsgiving recipes to find, because these are it. Get the recipe: Mozzarella-Stuffed Peppadews With Prosciutto 05 of 12 If You Need a Vegan Appetizer to Please a Crowd of Omnivores Caitlin Bensel This perfectly smooth ranch dressing dip is a show-stopper. No one will know this Friendsgiving food idea is a vegan dip, nor that it has tofu (protein!) in it. Our taste testers were convinced it was straight up ranch dressing. Serve this with wedged baby lettuces (like Little Gem) for a fun hand-held salad, an array of crudites, or just use as ranch salad dressing. Get the recipe: Vegan Ranch Dressing 06 of 12 Because One Dip Is Never Enough on Friendsgiving Caitlin Bensel Bring this bright dip to a Friendsgiving potluck this year. Cook carrots until tender with peppery ginger and then puree in a blender or food processor. There’s garlic for a kick and olive oil for a smooth texture. Because this dip is meant to be served chilled or at room temperature, it’s the perfect appetizer to bring to a potluck. Get the recipe: Carrot-Ginger Dip 07 of 12 If You’re Into Both Shortcuts and Stellar Results This striking dish looks impressive, but it's surprisingly easy to pull off. Starting with store-bought pizza dough quickens the process, so all you’re left to do is caramelize onions, roast some squash, and assemble the twist. We love butternut squash for its colorful hue, but celery root also works great in its place. Get the Recipe:Squash and Caramelized Onion Whole-Wheat Twist. Greg DuPree This festive vegetarian dish also doubles as a centerpiece. Store-bought pizza dough gives you a head start on this incredibly easy but elegant fall recipe. With rich caramelized onions and a hint of sage, this Friendsgiving food idea is perfectly in-season and super tasty.Get the recipe: Squash and Caramelized Onion Whole-Wheat Twist 08 of 12 If You Want To Go Rogue While Hosting Friendsgiving Alison Miksch Nothing brings people together like a pot of warm, melted cheese. Skip the turkey–instead, grate some Swiss and Gruyere, and crowd around a pot with dipping options galore. Get creative with your cheese fondue recipe and include fruit, like apples or pears, in the mix. Set out more bread than you might think you need, because no one will be able to stop dipping. Get the recipe: Cheese Fondue 09 of 12 If You’re Hosting Friendsgiving Brunch Brie Passano Though we’ll never say no to a traditional sticky bun, these buns lean more savory than sweet. It makes for a festive and unique Friendsgiving recipe and, because you’re using two cans of crescent rolls, it falls in the easy recipes bucket. Get the recipe: Kabocha Squash Sticky Buns 10 of 12 If You Want To Bake With Something Other Than Pumpkin An easy blondies recipe with an unexpected healthy twist: Sweet winter squash is a perfect match for a fall dessert bar, but if you’re all about the pumpkin, make this one with pumpkin puree and you’ve got a pumpkin blondies recipe. Get the recipe: Butternut Blondies With Maple Walnuts. Jennifer Causey Sweet winter squash gives this easy dessert recipe a twist. Sweetened with maple syrup, these blondies are a fall treat not to be missed. Plus, it travels well. Get the recipe: Butternut Blondies With Maple Walnuts 11 of 12 If You Need an Easy Dessert to Impress at a Friendsgiving Potluck Caitlin Bensel Everyone loves chocolate, and this easy dessert recipes is the perfect packable confection. These fudge balls are inspired by the Brazilian treat brigadeiros, and they’re simple to make. Just combine sweetened condensed milk with warm cinnamon and semi-sweet chocolate for an incredibly easy fall treat. Pack them up in cupcake liners and bring them along to Friendsgiving—you’re guaranteed to be bringing an empty container back. Get the recipe: Chocolate Pecan Fudge Balls 12 of 12 If You Want to Give Cranberry a New Look This Friendsgiving Brie Passano Jell-O shots get the grown-up treatment with Campari. If it rings a bell, it’s the liqueur from the trendy Negroni cocktail. Mixed with cranberry juice, these Jell-O shots give the season’s cranberry a whole new meaning. Get the recipe: Campari and Cranberry Jello Shots Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit