These Friendsgiving recipes help you build a generous holiday meal without volunteering for every job in the kitchen. You'll find 15 favorites from my recipe collection, including a bright cranberry dip, turkey or ham, comforting sides, homemade rolls, and desserts worth saving room for. Choose one main dish, a few sides with different cooking needs, and something sweet, then share the cooking with your friends. The make-ahead notes below will help you decide what to tackle early and what needs attention on dinner day. A good feast needs a plan; it does not need every casserole you own.
Jump to: starters and drinks · mains · sides · rolls and cranberry sauce · desserts
Friendsgiving Starters and a Cozy Drink
Set out a sweet-tart cranberry dip and offer a warm mug of cinnamon cider while dinner comes together. The dip's fruit mixture chills overnight, and the cider has a stovetop option if your slow cooker is already promised to a side dish.
Marinated Cheese
This marinated cheese, made with sharp Cheddar and soft cream cheese, all bathed in a zesty vinaigrette, is an eye-catching, mouth-watering appetizer. Whether you're setting up for a casual tailgating event or hosting a swanky soirée, this cheese appetizer fits the bill perfectly. Trust me, it's always a crowd-pleaser.
Classic Deviled Eggs
Classic deviled eggs with a creamy mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and vinegar filling, finished with paprika. This simple recipe makes 24 halves for potlucks, holidays, and cookouts.
Chipped Beef Cheeseball
This easy chipped beef cheeseball is the perfect appetizer for holiday parties and special occasions. A creamy texture, meaty flavors, and a crunchy coating make it a crowd-pleaser.
Irresistible Bacon Wrapped Dates with Boursin & Hot Honey
Indulge in bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with creamy Boursin cheese and drizzled with hot honey-the ultimate sweet, savory, and smoky appetizer for any gathering.
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor, this hot spinach artichoke dip is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Perfect for game day, holidays, or snack nights-just grab some chips and dive in!
Caramel Apple Dip
Creamy, sweet, and ready in minutes, this Caramel Apple Dip brings all the cozy fall flavors you love-perfect for parties, game days, or a quick family treat.
Cranberry Pomegranate Jalapeño Dip
There's something irresistible about a dip that hits every note - sweet, tangy, spicy, and creamy - all at once.
Red Hots Apple Cider
There's something irresistible about the way the warm aroma of cinnamon, apples, and citrus drifts through the house on a chilly day.
Friendsgiving Main Dishes and Gravy
Choose turkey or ham as the centerpiece; a relaxed menu does not require both. The turkey uses an oven bag, while the ham finishes with a caramelized sugar crust. If you choose turkey, give the gravy its own place on the cooking list so it does not become a last-minute scramble.
Herb Butter Roasted Turkey in an Oven Bag
Fresh garlic-herb butter and a turkey-size oven bag make this whole roasted turkey juicy, golden, aromatic, and wonderfully low-maintenance.
Copycat Honey Baked Ham
This copycat honey baked ham brings together a sweet honey glaze, warm spices, and that signature crackly sugar crust everyone loves.
Classic Homemade Turkey Gravy
A Warm Welcome to My Kitchen Thanksgiving mornings in our home were a flurry of activity.
Friendsgiving Side Dishes to Share
Mix a creamy side with something savory and a fresh vegetable dish. The mac and cheese cooks in a slow cooker, and the green bean salad chills before serving, giving the oven a break. The cornbread dressing includes turkey and needs advance preparation, so assign it to someone who can plan for those steps.
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Southern cornbread dressing with turkey combines dried, non-sweet cornbread, roasted turkey, buttery vegetables, saltines, and cream of chicken soup for a moist center and golden-brown top.
Homestyle Mashed Potatoes with Evaporated Milk
These homestyle mashed potatoes combine russet potatoes, warm evaporated milk, and melted butter for a creamy side dish.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline Streusel Topping
Smooth sweet potato filling, vanilla and cinnamon, and a buttery brown sugar pecan streusel make this casserole a sweet companion to a savory holiday meal.
Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese
The second that lid lifts and the smell hits the air-real cheese, warm milk, a hint of garlic-you know dinner took care of itself today.
Green Bean Salad with Citrus Dressing
If you're hunting for a fresh green bean salad recipe that's not the same ol' soggy casserole from holidays past, pull up a chair.
Homemade Rolls and Cranberry Sauce
These finishing touches can be handled before dinner day. Bake the rolls ahead using the recipe's storage directions, and give the baked cranberry sauce time to cool and chill. Put someone in charge of bringing the bread basket, butter, and a serving spoon for the sauce, too.
Homemade Yeast Rolls
These homemade yeast rolls bake up soft, fluffy, and golden with a tender enriched crumb and a buttery finish.
Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
Golden, crispy-edged, and tender inside, this Southern Buttermilk Cornbread is a cast-iron classic-easy to make, rich with old-fashioned flavor, and perfect with any Southern meal.
Easy Baked Cranberry Sauce with Orange Marmalade
Fresh cranberries bake under a tight cover, then get stirred with sweet orange marmalade and lemon juice.
Friendsgiving Desserts for the Table
Choose a classic pumpkin pie, a gooey pecan cobbler, or a shortcut pumpkin cake. Pie is a useful day-before project; the cobbler suits a warm dessert plan. Check whether a dessert needs oven time or refrigerator space before assigning it to a guest.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
A classic pumpkin pie with smooth pumpkin custard, brown sugar, warm spices, evaporated milk, and a flaky deep-dish crust for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Classic Pecan Pie
Classic pecan pie with chopped pecans, brown sugar, and light corn syrup in an unbaked 9-inch crust. Includes gentle mixing, crust-shielding, cooling, and make-ahead tips.
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe
Old-fashioned buttermilk pie with a creamy vanilla filling, a gentle tang, and a golden top. Includes a partially baked crust, clear doneness cues, and make-ahead and storage tips.
Classic Apple Pie
A classic double-crust apple pie with tart Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon, and clear tips for a flaky crust and filling that sets.
French Silk Chocolate Pie
This French Silk Chocolate Pie is a chocolate lover's dream dessert! The light and fluffy, intensely chocolate mousse filling will melt in your mouth and have everyone vying for the last piece!
Pumpkin Dump Cake with Sweetened Condensed Milk
Creamy spiced pumpkin filling meets a buttery vanilla cake mix topping and chopped pecans in this easy 9-by-13-inch dessert. Prep takes 10 minutes; let it cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Pecan Pie Cobbler
If pecan pie and cobbler ever joined forces, this would be their masterpiece-gooey in the middle, golden on top, and unapologetically Southern through and through.
2 Ingredient Pumpkin Cake
This moist 2 ingredient pumpkin cake combines spice cake mix and pumpkin puree for an easy Bundt cake with no eggs, oil, or water.
How to Plan a Friendsgiving Potluck
Start with the guest count and one main dish, then assign specific menu slots: a potato or pasta side, a vegetable, bread, an appetizer, and dessert. Use the serving yield in each linked recipe to decide how many batches you need. This collection is a set of choices, not a checklist of 15 dishes to cook.
For a simple menu from this collection, pair the turkey and gravy with mashed potatoes, chilled green bean salad, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin pie. For a ham menu, try the slow-cooker mac and cheese, green bean salad, rolls, and pumpkin cake. Add the dip or cider if someone wants another contribution.
Ask each guest to share the dish name, serving yield, arrival time, and whether it needs an oven rack, refrigerator shelf, burner, or outlet. Request a serving utensil with every dish. Knowing that a casserole needs another 45 minutes is much more useful before the doorbell rings.
Check allergies and dietary needs before assigning recipes. This menu includes dairy, wheat, eggs, and nuts, and the cornbread dressing contains turkey. A dish called a "side" is not automatically vegetarian. Have each cook share the actual ingredient list and agree on suitable alternatives with the guest who needs them.
What Can You Make Ahead for Friendsgiving?
- Up to two days ahead: prepare the sweet potato filling and praline topping separately and refrigerate both, following the source recipe. Add the topping on baking day. A chilled casserole may take longer to heat through.
- The day before: make the cranberry dip's fruit mixture and refrigerate it overnight; drain it as directed before assembling the dip. Bake and chill the cranberry sauce, and bake the pumpkin pie for refrigerated storage.
- Bread and dressing: the yeast rolls have a tested bake-ahead storage method, rather than an overnight dough-rise method. The dressing starts with cornbread baked and dried ahead; for a finished make-ahead dish, follow its bake-then-refrigerate directions rather than holding the assembled dressing unbaked.
- A few hours ahead: give the green bean salad at least four hours to chill. Add the finishing ingredients as directed before serving. Time the slow-cooker mac and cheese around dinner instead of treating it as an all-day holding dish.
Read the full recipes before shopping. The turkey needs thawing and brining planned ahead, the dressing has its own roasted turkey component, and the rolls need rising time when made fresh. Those are manageable jobs when they are on the schedule; they are inconvenient surprises on a busy afternoon.
A Simple Friendsgiving Timeline
- About a week before: confirm guests, dietary needs, and assignments. Check pans, refrigerator space, and the thawing and preparation requirements for your chosen main dish.
- Two to three days before: shop, label serving dishes, and begin the specific advance steps in your chosen recipes. If making cornbread dressing, plan its cornbread-drying stage now.
- The day before: handle the dip mixture, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie if they are on your menu. Clear space for arriving dishes and set out serving utensils.
- On dinner day: work backward from serving time using the actual recipe directions. Reserve oven space for the main dish and any sides that must bake or reheat. Check temperatures and doneness rather than relying only on the clock.
Transport, Serve, and Pack Leftovers Safely
Keep perishable cold dishes at 40°F or below and hot food at 140°F or above, checking with a thermometer. Refrigerate perishables within two hours, or one hour if the temperature is above 90°F; discard food left outside safe temperature control beyond those limits. Divide leftovers into shallow containers for prompt cooling. See the USDA's leftovers and food safety guidance for more details.
Bring chilled dishes in an insulated cooler with ice packs, and arrange safe hot holding before choosing a hot potluck dish. Pack crunchy toppings separately when the recipe calls for adding them at the end. A labeled container and the right serving spoon make a contribution easier for everyone.
Friendsgiving Recipe FAQs
What is an easy dish to bring to Friendsgiving?
Cranberry sauce, baked-ahead rolls, or the two-ingredient pumpkin cake can fill useful menu slots without requiring you to cook a main dish. Ask the host which slot is open, then follow that recipe's storage and transport directions. For a chilled starter, the cranberry dip is a good choice when you can prepare its fruit mixture the night before.
Do you have to serve turkey at Friendsgiving?
No. The honey baked ham gives this collection another centerpiece option. Choose what your group enjoys and what fits your kitchen, then build the sides around it. One well-planned main is enough to organize the rest of the menu.
How do I avoid running out of oven space?
Mix cooking methods and serving temperatures. In this collection, the mac and cheese uses a slow cooker and the green bean salad is chilled. Bake the rolls and pumpkin pie ahead as directed, and write down each remaining dish's oven temperature, pan size, and cooking or reheating time.
More Help for Your Holiday Table
If cornbread dressing is on your menu, start with my Southern Buttermilk Cornbread. For the dessert table, Stabilized Whipped Cream is a useful finishing touch for pumpkin pie.
For more recipes for your next gathering, join my email list. What dish are you claiming for Friendsgiving this year? Leave a comment and tell me whether you are bringing the main, a side, or dessert.
10