Happy Monday! This week instead of sharing a meal plan like most Mondays, I’m excited to share with you a sample friendsgiving menu. If you are still planning your Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving menu for gatherings this week, I hope this post provides you with recipe inspiration.
A recipe that is not included in the post but probably should have been included is this sweet potato gratin. I’ve started bringing it to friendsgiving gatherings since I originally made this post and it is *always* a huge hit!
Thanksgiving season is such a special time of year for me to reflect on all that I am grateful for. Right now I am especially grateful for my family, good friends (the older I get I notice I care far more about quality over quantity in the friendship category and am so grateful for the authentic friendships that I have worked to build), traditions, my health, hard times (which make me stronger), the beauty of this world, new beginnings, and you, dear reader, for allowing me to share my love of cooking, seasonal foods and meal planning with you. I really love connecting and sharing recipes weekly with such an awesome community of fellow foodies and kitchen adventurers. Your turn, what are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? Please share in the comment section what you are grateful for and also what you are cooking this week!
Friendsgiving Menu:
Appetizers:
Hot Spinach Dip from Martha Stewart You really can’t go wrong with this as an appetizer! Also, these grape fontina skewers or this 7 layer dip with tortilla chips would be a great addition to serve alongside this dip if you are looking for more Friendsgiving appetizer ideas!
Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites from Yummy Mummy Kitchen
Turkey:
Turkey with instructions from The Kitchn
Stuffing:
Pancetta and Sage Stuffing Muffins from A Cozy Kitchen
Traditional Herb Stuffing from Everyday Occasions
Cranberry Sauce:
Cinnamon and Star Anise Infused Cranberry Sauce from Spoon Fork Bacon
Gravy:
Mashed Potatoes:
Mom’s Mashed Potatoes from Cooking Classy
Dinner Rolls:
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls from Beyond Kimchee
Vegetables:
Rosemary Roasted Carrots from Oh My Veggies add both color and vegetables onto the table! If you are looking for an addition vegetable side dish, you might consider these date syrup Brussel sprouts!
Cider Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Crisp Pancetta from The Cozy Apron
Salad:
Kale and Delicata Squash Salad with Maple-Citrus Vinaigrette from Oh My Veggies
Sweet Potatoes:
Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar Fluff from Food52
Dessert:
New York Times Pumpkin Pie with Oreo Crust from Something Swanky
Salted Caramel Mini Apple Pies from Pretty Plain Jane
Brown Butter Cinnamon Ice Cream from Completely Delicious Is another great dessert! If you are looking for a really simple dessert, that everyone I know loves, try these chewy lemon cookies!
Table Decorations:
‘Gourd’eous Candle Holders from Revel Blog
Place Cards:
Pine Cone Turkey Placecards from Dandee
Happy Friendsgiving!
I hope you enjoyed these Friendsgiving ideas for dinner, please share what you do to make your holiday menu special.
Will you be hosting or attending a Friendsgiving dinner this holiday season? Tell me about it!
P.S. Click here for a funny yet practical list of Friendsgiving Rules via Buzzfeed
You might also enjoy these posts
Top 10 Last Minute Thanksgiving Place Cards
If you make any of this friendsgiving menu please share on instagram using hashtag #rainbowdelicious & and tag me at @rainbowdelicious , I’d love to see what you are up to in your kitchen!
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I’ll take one of everything, your friendsgiving looks amazing. I love the cranberry bites from Yummy Mummy, she’s awesome.
Thanks, Kim. I agree- her stuff is so great!
Thanks, Kim! Those bites are gorgeous, right? I agree, she is totally awesome.
OMG, I wish you were making it all, if you were I’d invite myself over 😉
I would love that too 😉
You are always welcome at my table, Sara! Maybe one of these years I will host a food bloggers friendsgiving 😉
“Ain’t nobody got time for that” LOL!
Around here, the tradition is Publix pumpkin pie. People are disappointed when someone makes a homemade! Crazy, right?
Wow, that is crazy but also kind of awesome… when no one is cooking you can spend more time doing other things and relaxing I guess!
That is crazy but also an awesome time saver!
We have done Friendsgiving for many years now. Being military, we never know where we will be when the various holidays roll around, and decided early in our marriage that we’d declare Thanksgiving a “stay in place” day–no travel. That means we can open our doors–and our kitchen–to anyone who doesn’t have a family table to be at that year. We have had the most wonderful Thanksgivings, with no two alike. It’s my favorite holiday!
That is such a great way of doing Thanksgiving- you get to avoid the stress of traveling and be an inviting home for local friends. I hope this years Friendsgiving goes just as well as years passed. Thanks for sharing, Dee Dee!
I love that you do this Dee Dee! I never thought about how Friendsgiving would be important for those serving in the military, what a great option. I love your open-door policy too, such warmness is what makes the holiday season so beautiful.
Yay for Friendsgiving! I’m hosting one in a couple weeks. I totally wish I could serve all of these!
Happy Thanksgiving, I hope yours is a great success!
So elegant, so delicious. I’d love a seat at your table.
Thanks so much, Michelle!
What a beautiful post with terrific photos of delicious foo ideas! Very nice! Happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks so much!
Those rosemary roasted carrots are so picture-perfect! Great collection of recipes.
This year, I’m most thankful for my little 1.5 year old – he makes every day so much more worth living.
Aren’t those carrots gorgeous?
That age is so precious, I’m sure he gives you moments to be grateful for daily! Happy Holidays Julie!
Everything looks delicious! This make me SO excited for Thanksgiving. Happy holidays!
Thanksgiving is the best! Thanks, Allison!
So many beautiful and delicious recipes, I don’t even know where to begin! Love the tealights in the gourds, too!!
THanks, Christina! Aren’t those gourds adorable?!
Great recipes and perfect for holidays. Thanks for sharing this awesome tips.
Thanks, Sabrina!