As you know, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. With COVID going on, you may not want to or be able to make the trip home. If you can’t go home, there’s still a way for you to have a Happy Thanksgiving where you are. You could always have a nice Friendsgiving dinner. If you haven’t heard of Friendsgiving, it’s basically just a Thanksgiving dinner with all of your closest friends, instead of family.

It’s definitely more common in the younger generation to have them, but there’s always a minor dilemma. What do you bring to the dinner table? What if hand-picking collard greens and frying a turkey isn’t exactly everyone’s forte? If you want to have the perfect spread with a lot of variety and half the work, do it potluck style. 

For the friends that throw down in the kitchen:

Macaroni and Cheese

The mac n’ cheese is one of the most critical and most important Thanksgiving dishes. The person that makes the mac n’ cheese HAS to know what they’re doing because bad mac n’ cheese at Thanksgiving can ruin the whole meal. 

Candied Yams

The yams are a little easier to make, but still very important. The yams are a huge responsibility because of the old “Yams and Mac n’ Cheese” combo (for the soul food lovers). They shouldn’t be made with a recipe. They should be made with love and holiday cheer, but only if you can cook.

For the friend that can only follow a recipe:

Green Bean Casserole

The green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving staple, so it is important to have it on the table. The good news is that a good green bean casserole recipe never fails. It’s a super simple dish with an easy-to-follow recipe. Truth be told, if you mess up the measurements a little bit, it’s not the end of the world. It’ll still taste good. 

Smashed Potatoes

There’s a difference between mashed potatoes and smashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are less forgiving and aren’t supposed to have lumps. Smashed potatoes, on the other hand, are free game. There are tons of recipes out there, but they’re still potatoes. So, if you season them right, you can’t fail.

For the friend that can’t cook:

Honey Baked Ham

A nice store-bought ham does the job. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to cook, and maybe you just don’t want to. It is a lot of work. That doesn’t mean you can’t contribute. This way, you’ll be a hero. You can bring the main dish, the centerpiece of the spread, and you didn’t have to set foot in the kitchen.

Rotisserie Chicken

Another delicious, yet store-bought, cop-out option is a rotisserie chicken. It’s like having a turkey, but smaller and more delicious. There are plenty of places to pick one up, and they’re actually really affordable. This is the better option if you’re on a budget.

For the friend that likes to bake:

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie is a classic Thanksgiving dessert, and it’s actually really easy to make. It’s another one of those “made with love” kinds of recipes though. So, it is a big responsibility. Some people prefer pumpkin pie, and that’s an option as well. 

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread isn’t always a top tier dessert, especially not for Thanksgiving, but it’s super fun to make. If you love to bake, I’m sure nothing will make you happier than baking pumpkin bread for Friendsgiving

For the friend that likes to drink:

Wine

You can never go wrong with a nice bottle of wine on Thanksgiving. More than likely, you should get white wine, because it would pair better with most of the foods on the table than a red would. If you’re feeling fancy, you could bring red and white. Then, if all else fails, there’s enough wine to go around.

For the friend that’s always late:

Board Games

No one is going to miss games at the dinner table. If you’re late, no one will be mad at you, because it’s not like you’re bringing a super important dish. Also, if you bring really fun games, everyone will forget that you were even late in the first place. And it wouldn’t kill you to bring an extra bottle of wine *wink wink*.