The Best Ever Pigs in a Blanket and Other Friendsgiving Dishes I’m Making Again and Again

Pigs in a Blanket and Other Friendsgiving Dishes I Can't Stop Thinking About

Taylor Rock,
Associate Commerce Editor

Prior to spending Thanksgiving with family, it's customary for many to share a meal with friends. Aptly dubbed Friendsgiving, this feast often features the same or similar dishes as actual Turkey Day (stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn, and the big bird to name a handful), but that is absolutely not the route my friends took this year. Our table included a smattering of pigs in a blanket, bruschetta, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, maple-roasted Brussels sprouts with sweet potatoes, and a seemingly infinite amount of deviled eggs with smoked paprika. I went with classics: green bean casserole (my all-time favorite) and garlic mashed potatoes with an obscene amount of butter (necessary).

I always look forward to this holiday in particular because I don't have a single relative within a five-hour radius, and it's nice to spend quality time in my hometown with loved ones. Besides, let's be honest: The food is some of the best any of us will have all year. I actually dream of mashed potatoes and green bean casserole daily, so why limit them to just one day (two if you have them on Christmas or another winter holiday)?

I thought making mashed potatoes would be a semi-heavy lift because I don't own a hand mixer or masher and wanted to make a plant-based version. I was skeptical of them coming out with the right consistency and flavor. To my surprise, they were amazing. The ingredients list was attractively short (Yukon gold potatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, vegan butter, and chives to garnish), and it took almost no time at all. I actually made them on my lunch break, and contrary to the recipe, I kept the skin on because that, in my humble and not-professional-whatsoever opinion, is superior. Plus, they were easily mashed with a fork in a plastic mixing bowl. The vegan green bean casserole was equally as effortless and delicious. Yes, Thanksgiving is technically over, but if something makes you happy, you should grab onto moments of joy whenever you can, even if it's in the form of a pretty-much-exclusively Thanksgiving dish.

What to Make This Week

How to Make Amazing Bruschetta

The secret is in the quality of the ingredients.

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Your New Go-To Brussels Sprouts Recipe

The best of fall flavors in a simple one-pan dish.

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Classic Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs don't get much easier than this.

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Green Bean Casserole

A Thanksgiving dish I like making year-round.

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The Spruce Eats on YouTube

What's in Rainbow Plant Life's Vegan-Friendly Fridge?!

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