As a holiday fanatic, I am constantly organizing events with friends and family to keep the spirit alive. Since I moved out in 2020, I’ve been hosting a friendsgiving every year. Thankfully, I am Canadian which means that I can still write about this today, and it’s relevant for all my American viewers! My friends and I particularly, are notorious for over-preparing. We had enough food for probably 20 people, as a group of 6! However, to your benefit, I have arranged budget friendly tips, ideas, and recipes to add to your table!
Planning the Event
It’s important to remember that while organizing an event with friends, you’ll run into scheduling issues for the week during Thanksgiving. So right off the bat, make sure you are planning it for the week/end after Thanksgiving, or the week before! Next, you need to decide if you are assigning sections of the meal or letting your friends choose. I find it so fun to let everyone choose what they want to bring, and then just fill in the gaps myself. My friends are great for bringing traditional dishes from their family or culture for us to try. If you find it’s a little too chaotic to let them go nuts, I suggest breaking down the dinner into: Proteins, Sides, Salads, Punch, and Desserts. You can get even more specific if you are looking for a traditionally American thanksgiving (Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc).
Decorations and Vibes
When it comes to setting your house up for friends, be ready for tons of bakeware and dishes. The first few years, we had very little table space – a couple of TV stands, and coffee tables. This meant we had to get super creative with setting up sections for each portion. One section had the punch, and desserts, one had hot foods, one had salads, etc. Now I have a fold up table that we can temporarily set up for the event! In terms of both ease, and organization I like to set my table up having all salads at the beginning, then the proteins, then the sides. This way the big things are first, and the rest can get squished on the plate, rather than panicking that you can’t fit the turkey on your plate!
Setting the Vibes:
Whether or not this is an amalgamation of friends from different areas of your life, it’s probably a good idea to keep some lowkey music or ambience in the background to avoid any awkward silences, especially while eating. Pop a fireplace on the TV, or some soft music on the speakers before people get there. Then they are integrated into an already welcoming space, rather than it being abrupt. (The fire on the TV has been a quick favourite in our house)
Decorate the Room:
Fill in the space you have with pops of color that fit the Thanksgiving vibe. I like to use Autumn table clothes, soft center pieces, and some fairy lights. You don’t need much, especially when it’s sandwiched between many other decor filled holidays. Table runners, and lego flowers do the job well if need be! But most importantly, make sure the decorations are either removable if you run out of space, or decorate around the table. (Ie: The fairy lights drape below the table rather than through the dishes)
Holiday Recipes!
Here are 5 recipes that are great additions to the holiday table!
Broccoli Salad
This is a salad that is ALWAYS a hit! It has fruit in it, which you can pretty much choose any fruit that you want. My favorite is either red grapes, or strawberries. Blueberries, and apples have been tested as good options too. Either way, it may look strange at first, but it is so addicting!
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Broccoli
- 1 Cup Chopped Fruit
- ¼ Cup Green Onion
- 1 Tbsp Bacon bits (optional)
- ½ Cup Cucumber
- 2 tbsp Sunflower seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
Dressing:
- 3 tbsp Miracle Whip (or mayo)
- ½ tbsp Lemon (or white balsamic)
- 1 tbsp Sugar
Directions
- Chop up all the veggies to bite size, and add to the bowl.
- Add the bacon bits and the seeds
- Mix the sauce in a separate container with a spoon. You want it all one consistency, considering all 3 have different consistencies. Once it's mixed well, feel free to mix it into the salad. Do so the day of so it doesn’t get too soggy.
Strawberry Delight
I know what you may be thinking. Jello salads? Trust me, they are soooo tasty! It’s like having cranberry sauce, but larger portions. (Although cranberry sauce should never be replaced from tradition haha) It’s a light, fruity salad that breaks up the palette from all the heavy foods like turkey, mashed potatoes, etc.
Ingredients
- 2x 85 g Strawberry flavored gelatin (jello powder)
- 1 cup Boiling water
- 1 cup Crushed pineapple with juice (small can)
- A Bunch of Frozen Strawberries sliced (400 g ish)
- 3 cups small marshmallows
- 1 cup whipping cream
Directions
- Note: This is a flexible recipe. Add strawberries to your heart's desire, or switch to raspberries if you don’t like strawberry, etc.
- Take some cream and whip it into whipping cream for easier consistency than a can, etc.
- Combine the 2 packets of gelatin with boiling water. Stir to dissolve.
- Add the canned pineapple with juice when fully dissolved, then add the strawberries. The frozen strawberries help the gelatin solidify faster.
- Let that sit for a couple minutes
- Then add the marshmallows, and whip cream until stiff.
- Either keep in the bowl you made it in, or pour it into a pan/serving bowl.
- Keep in the fridge until it fully sets. (Won’t take too long, maybe an hour)
Scalloped Potatoes
I always enjoy scalloped potatoes over mashed potatoes, but that’s because of my love of cheese. The mashed potatoes are perfect for the turkey gravy, but these scalloped potatoes just hit home for a cheesy masterpiece. Just know I measure cheese like some bartenders measure alcohol… 2 cups is LOOSE. I throw closer to 3 or 4!
Ingredients
- Cheese Sauce
- ¼ cup butter or margarine
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- ¼ cup flour (for GF, add 2 tbsp arrowroot starch)
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp celery salt (optional)
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups cheese (or as much as you see fit)
- For Potatoes
- Peel and thinly slice 7 small-medium potatoes or as many that will fit your pan with space for the layers of sauce. Reminder, scalloped potatoes describe the shape of the potatoes. Slice thin, and round. Mandolins work great!
Directions
- Note: I have doubled the recipe for anything above 5 potatoes, but I’m also a glutton for this sauce.
- Melt the butter in a sauce pan, and saute the onions until they’re yellow. (medium heat)
- Sprinkle the salt, pepper, dry mustard, celery salt, and flour into the pan. Mix it until it looks like a paste, let it bubble up.
- Take off the heat or reduce the heat to add the 2 cups of milk. Bring to a boil while stirring until thick. (reducing heat, helps the milk not curdle)
- Add the cheese in and stir until melted.
- Layer the sliced potatoes and the sauce, ending with sauce.
- Bake at 350*F for 1.5 hours
Tomato Bruschetta with Fresh Basil
I make bruschetta every year with a good french baguette or italian bread. The measurements are more to the heart than to the measurements which is super rare for me. However, so you are aware, I like to add a LOT of garlic! Feel free to tone it down if you aren’t a garlic fanatic like me. However, melting butter, adding garlic and spreading that on the bread to then bake for 5-10 minutes in an oven, gives you a great base for the bruschetta!
Ingredients
- 2 large tomatoes diced
- ¼ of an onion diced
- ¼ cup fresh basil (dried does work in a pinch but use a bit less)
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 4 garlic cloves
- A pinch (or two) of salt (⅛ tsp approx)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese on the side
Directions
- Dice the tomatoes and onions, and add to your container
- Crush the garlic cloves, dice them, then add to it too.
- Add the olive oil now to soak into the veggies, then go in with the basil and oregano
- Mix it all nicely, add the salt and mix again.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours at minimum, overnight for best taste.
- When serving, take the garlic butter brushed bread, add the bruschetta, sprinkle parmesan over top.
Honey Garlic Meetballs
Finally, this is a great alternative protein to turkey, especially for Friendsgiving. If you have multiple thanksgivings in a week or month, you may not want to make a turkey every time. This also helps keep the proportions for a big friends group more manageable. And these are so tasty!
Ingredients
- Sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 ½ tsp garlic
- Meetballs
- Either pre make your own (32) Or buy a pack, just make sure the seasoning on the pack won’t mess with the flavors of the sauce
Directions
- Combine all the sauce items in a measuring cup
- Pour over the meatballs, and mix them around until well coated.
- Cook for 30 minutes at 350*F
- It’s possible to do in a slow cooker too; I’m not sure the length of time to cook fully though.
Enjoy!
There you have it, 5 tried and true recipes for a friendsgiving potluck, and a way to set the vibe for any group. It’s always great to gather your friends, and feel the joy that is having the people you love around. If you haven’t done this with your friends yet, I highly recommend you give it a try. And let me know if you try one of these recipes! I’m always looking to improve the recipes, and hear how it went over with your friends! Whether it’s a small group, or large, existing and celebrating life together is what keeps me going. Maybe it’ll lift up your spirits this holiday season too!
