10 FRIENDSGIVING RECIPES
Friendsgiving gives both hosts and guests much more leeway to come up with creative recipes that surpass uninspired turkey and stuffing recipes in terms of both flavor and quality. The following 20 Friendsgiving recipes do not require you to study under Bobby Flay or spend hundreds of dollars on rare ingredients. In fact, most of the following 20 Friendsgiving recipes take little time or effort to create.
Baked Brie with Honey and Sliced Almonds
The key to making any creative Friendsgiving recipe involves using complementary ingredients to balance flavors and textures. Baked brie with honey and sliced almonds accomplishes the balancing act to perfection. Sweet, salty, soft, and hard combine to round out the texture and flavor profile of this delectable starter course.
Crab Cakes
With a little bit of crunch and a lot of flavor, crab cakes can satisfy the hunger pangs of your Friendsgiving guests, as an appetizer or entrée. The key is to fold plenty of fresh lump crabmeat into binding ingredients and use as little filler as possible. This recipe features a Maryland twist on a time honored seafood delight.
Ground Turkey Meatballs and Marinara Sauce
Add a touch of Italy to the Friendsgiving party by sautéing ground turkey and then inserting mozzarella cheese inside of the hallowed out portion of the meatballs. Drizzle homemade marinara sauce on top of the ground turkey meatballs and then you allow the oven to do the rest. You can also bake the meatballs and drizzle marinara sauce over the meatballs, after you remove the piping hot appetizer from the oven.
Pasta Jambalaya
A rich roux made with half butter and half flour starts the process of cooking pasta jambalaya. Emeril likes to use penne noodles in his dish, but linguine works just as well. Onions, peppers, and garlic enhance the flavor of dry-rubbed chicken and spicy andouille sausage. Add plump shrimp to complete the Cajun-inspired dish.
Chicken Bacon Pumpkin Bake
November is about the time of year to break out the hearty recipes that warm you up on a cold, blustery day. The chicken bacon pumpkin bake fulfills every hearty dish requirement by including dry-rubbed chicken breast pieces, sumptuous market fresh bacon, and of course, cinnamon rubbed pumpkin. This easy to make Friendsgiving recipe comes together with the blend of your favorite cheeses.
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Take care of your vegan guests by serving the popular vegan green bean casserole. The vegan twist on a timeless recipe does not include chicken stock or animal fat that fries caramelized onions for the dish topping. Fresh onions and red peppers accompany the green beans, instead of a creamy mushroom sauce.
Bacon Wrapped Turkey with Chipotle and Orange
How do you transform an ordinary bird into the talk of a Friendsgiving feast? The answer is thinking outside of the culinary box by serving bacon wrapped turkey with chipotle and orange. Savory bacon wrapped around a huge turkey not only enhances flavor, it also ensures the turkey maintains most of its moisture. Chipotle and orange represent the consummate flavor contrasts of spicy and sweet.
Easy Cornbread Muffins
What kind of bread goes well with our unique Friendsgiving recipes? How about turning to our southern culinary roots by baking cornbread. No, this recipe doesn’t require a half day in the kitchen to master. Better yet, you can bake cornbread muffins a day or two in advance of your festive Friendsgiving party.
Herb Oyster Stuffing
Stay away from the canned food aisles and instead, buy oysters for the herb oyster stuffing fresh from a seafood market or seafood themed restaurant. You immediately impress your friends with a robust stuffing that defies the bland stuffings of years past. Friendsgiving represents a wonderful opportunity to spread your culinary wings and herb oyster stuffing allows you to fly high.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Forget sweet potatoes and loaded baked potatoes. Create a potato side dish that leaves an indelible impression among your Friendsgiving guests. Crispy smashed potatoes deserve more than simply a dollop of butter. Blend an avocado garlic aioli to raise the bar for serving potatoes at Friendsgiving.