Photo via Jediahowen on Unsplash
When the November air kicks in, it’s time to put away the spiderwebs and candy, but the pumpkins can stay put. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and what better way to spend this beautiful fall than with friends and family?
Friendsgiving has become a widely known tradition dating back to 2007, according to Merriam-Webster.com. Although the word wasn’t officially established in the dictionary until Jan. 2020, it didn’t stop anyone from creating Friendsgiving traditions.
Setting aside the history talk, let’s get into the more important parts of Friendsgiving: the food. Now, we can spend time discussing the main pillars of traditional Thanksgiving food, but what if somebody already beat you to the Excel sheet and signed up for the dish you were going to make already? Don’t fret. Here are some recipes that will surely get you another invite to Friendsgiving next year.
Let’s start with something savory. Delish.com calls this “Gnocchi stuffing.” If you have some vegetarian friends or folks who just aren’t big fans of turkey, this would be a perfect addition to the potluck. The recipe calls for simple ingredients, as the main components are gnocchi and stuffing. Of course, there is no crime in adding your own personal touch to the dish.
Speaking of stuffing, what’s a better way to spice up your traditional stuffing than by adding sweet potatoes to it? Taste of Home suggests making your own stuffing for that sincere homemade taste, but there’s absolutely no shame in using boxed stuffing and throwing some sweet potatoes in. The mixture of sweet and savory will complement the turkey and mashed potatoes in a unique way.
Just mentioning the word ‘sweet’ immediately directs my mind toward dessert, arguably the best part of Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. We aren’t here to debate whether pumpkin pie or apple pie is the best, but to consider creating something no one has ever tried instead.
Though, if you are a pumpkin fanatic, this recipe would be perfect for you. Taste of Home’s Potato Pumpkin Mash incorporates sweet and savory elements to create a flavorful combination. The recipe is similar to that of traditional mashed potatoes with the addition of peeled pumpkins.
Now, a simple dessert for you apple lovers. Taste of Home’s Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls would be the perfect hot and delicious dessert for your friends to enjoy. As much as this recipe would be top-tier if made from scratch, it is also totally understandable if you just don’t feel like adding another tough task to your list. You can incorporate apples into your store-bought dough by rolling it up in your created apple mixture. The icing will tie it all together by incorporating either apple cider or apple juice.
Friendsgiving is the perfect way to spend time with your friends that you may or may not have seen in ages, so why not make it memorable with these dishes? Your options most certainly don’t have to stop there; Taste of Home provides a variety of appetizing meals that you can choose from, so if you are still undecided on what to make this Thanksgiving, now you don’t have to be!
Brianna Chau is a third-year Political Science and Philosophy major. BC976136@wcupa.edu.