When it comes to throwing a "Friendsgiving," AKA Thanksgiving with your friends, we have learned from personal experience that keeping it simple is key. If you ask us, potlucks are the way to go, but if you insist on doing all the work yourself, we've got an easy streamlined menu for you. Y
ou can do almost all the prep in advance, so you can focus on the important things on the day of (decor, music, which closet you're going to shove all your shoes in, etc). Read on to build the ultimate, easiest Friendsgiving menu ever.
If we're talking about minimum effort here, braising your turkey is the way to go. This recipe only calls for legs and thighs, which simmer on the stove for a couple of hours. That's it. No roasting, no brining, and no stressing. You can strain the braising liquid to serve alongside, so you don't even have to make gravy!
Cornbread, Sausage, and Pecan Dressing
You gotta have stuffing, and this ridiculously popular recipe comes together in a snap if you use store-bought cornbread. Then all you have to do is cook the sausage and vegetables before assembling and baking. The whole thing can be baked a day in advance, stored in the fridge, and reheated before your dinner to serve at your leisure.
Pumpkin Gruyere Gratin with Thyme
Since you made your stuffing a day in advance, and your turkey gets cooked on the stove, you have your oven free for something else, right? And since you won't find pumpkin anywhere else on this menu, might we suggest this cheesy gratin? You can use butternut squash instead of the pumpkin if you want, and to make your life even easier, go ahead and buy the pre-cubed kind.
Green Beans with Za'atar and Lemon
15-minute green beans. We repeat, 15 MINUTE GREEN BEANS. Ditch the casserole and serve them up fresh with lemon zest and za'atar, a traditional Middle Eastern spice blend. To prep all your green beans at once, stack them up on a cutting board and trim the stem ends off the whole stack at once.
Forget the pie, or ask someone else to bring one. Instead, may we suggest these cranberry pear sundaes with gingersnap cookies instead? You can prep them advance and just finish them at the table, letting everyone assemble his or her own.