It’s the most wonderful time of the year– or at least, it’s the most delicious one. November marks the month of gratefulness, of community, love, and the desire to come together and make memories while celebrating with some tasty morsels! While a family Thanksgiving may be the traditional celebration, Friendsgiving has in many ways become its own holiday tradition, especially for those in college. Friendsgiving emphasizes the platonic relationships in our lives, the friends and family we’ve chosen all on our own, and allows us to come together with them to share a meal.
This year, whether you’re planning a standard Thanksgiving or celebrating Friendsgiving (or maybe even both!) Here are five simple, shareable, and delicious recipe ideas to try out this holiday season for you and your loved ones, college kid approved.
Layered Red Pepper Hummus with Warmed Pita Bread
Incorporate a shareable delicacy into your Friendsgiving this year: hummus is a crowd favorite, a simple, friendly dish that is sure to impress and satisfy your guests. The popularity of CAVA on college campuses has definitely influenced the taste buds of many students who love the Mediterranean style power bowl restaurant. Consider blending the CAVA concept in your Friendsgiving if you’re looking for a real show stopper: a layered bowl featuring red pepper hummus and regular hummus (each made with less than 9 ingredients!) with crumbles of feta cheese and drizzled olive oil. Once you’ve mixed both separate hummus types, layer each about an inch thick as you work up a slightly shallow bowl. Bonus points if the bowl is clear! Drizzle your olive oil and scatter your feta crumbles for extra richness. Grab a package of pita bread from your local supermarket, warm it in the toaster (butter is always welcome), and serve the pita for guests to use to scoop the serving of hummus on their plate!
Egg Muffins with a Friendsgiving Twist
Consider a variation of a breakfast favorite for easy finger foods at your Friendsgiving feast. The simplicity of egg muffins makes them a low-commitment, high-reward dish that leaves guests satisfied and gives that thrill of breakfast-for-dinner. Follow your favorite simple recipe for egg muffins, but include a Friendsgiving twist by adding grilled/fried and diced Turkey sausage, cheddar cheese, and garlic to be baked alongside the egg muffins for a hearty meal that’s easy for guests to grab and snack on during your Friendsgiving festivities. Every time egg muffins have been made at my apartment, roommates have appeared from the shadows for a chance to snag one, which are usually filled with potatoes and turkey bacon. Their popularity amongst your guests coupled with the low impact on your wallet will win you over to always bringing egg muffins for the potluck. The endless variations you can make of vegetables, proteins, and sauces make egg muffins a versatile dish for any social gathering. Or, you can make a variety of egg muffins in one batch to cater to a larger diversity in preference and impress your guests i for this upcoming Friendsgiving (and the holiday season as a whole!)
Rainbow Fruit Skewers
For a fresh taste, beautiful presentation, and limited hassle, look no further than rainbow fruit skewers as your dish-to-bring for your upcoming celebrations. Featuring blueberries and purple grapes at the bottom of the skewer, you’ll work your way through green grapes and kiwis, pineapples, tangerines, all the way to the strawberry stacked tip. As always, there are fun ways to further the deliciousness of this recipe; feel free to drizzle melted dark chocolate (or your chocolate preference of choice) over your skewers before letting them sit in the refrigerator. Guests will love the ease of grabbing a skewer to munch on between conversations, or to enjoy as a light dessert after a heavy dinner. Regardless, rainbow fruit skewers are a great choice for maximized deliciousness and minimal effort!
Pumpkin Bars
As the last lights of fall dim before the end-of-year Christmas showcase, it’s only fitting to throw a Friendsgiving farewell to the seasonal pumpkin before its disappearance until next fall. Consider pumpkin bars this year for your dinner plans; with this simple but festive recipe, you’ll manage to capture the spirit of the season in delicious cinnamon pumpkin goodness. For extra points, drizzle some caramel sauce on the top of your bars before slicing and serving (or even whip up a cream cheese dip for your bars). As a sucker for anything pumpkin flavored, Thanksgiving feels incomplete without a Turkey and pumpkin pie. While pies may be my personal favorite, pumpkin bars are a little less hassle for the same delicious flavors (and they’re quick and easy for your guests to grab , making them excellent finger foods.)
Thanksgiving Mocktails
Of course, dinner is incomplete without something festive to wash it all down with. This Thanksgiving mocktail features flavors like ginger, blood orange, and cranberries, a surefire hit for friends and family this holiday season. The recipe instructs the reader on how to create the concentrate itself to add ginger beer to, which also means you can freeze the mixture for later if you’re considering making the mocktails later in the week, too. Add a cinnamon sugar rim to your glasses for bonus holiday cheer points– an orange slice to garnish the cups is another great addition if you’re looking to wow guests!
However you choose to celebrate this year, with whichever recipes to accompany your festivities, I hope you take away more than just the culinary meaning of Thanksgiving. No Hallmark card line, or profound statement of importance: rather, I hope the excitement of sharing a table, the willingness to express gratitude, and the care and love needed to want to cook for others become a part of your everyday life. Let the gratitude we feel this holiday season remind us, even after it’s over, of the things and people we are thankful for year round. From mocktails to skewers, and from one festive friend to another: happy holidays, and bon appétit!
