By Josephine Norris, Photo Editor.
Thanksgiving is typically a special time reserved for family. It’s also one day of the year where being a glutton is not frowned upon and family tensions are set aside in worship of a large and overpriced fowl roast. Let’s not forget the mixture of disappointment and relief when you are seated, yet again, at the “kids” table instead of being placed at the “adult” table. Phew – you’ve escaped an endless round of questions regarding your future plans, or lack thereof.
This year, however, things can change. A new concept called Friendsgiving is becoming popular with millennials who either realize that they don’t have to suffer through Thanksgiving dinner or live too far away to travel home for the holiday. Friendsgiving is very much in the same spirit as Thanksgiving. It is an assembly of people coming together to share thanks over a cornucopia of food. But with Friendsgiving, the guests are those that you want to be close to, the family you have chosen for yourself.
Friendsgivings are typically held in a potluck style; a host provides a place to eat and attendees bring the food and the fun.
Here are some simple creative twists on two classic dishes that are under $15 to bring to your own Friendsgiving.
STOVE TOP STUFFIN’ MUFFINS with Cranberries
Found at popsugar.com (with additions)
Ingredients:
6-ounce box Stove Top Stuffing Mix for turkey (there are other varieties which should work just as well)
1-1/2 cup water
1/4-cup unsalted butter
1 beaten egg
¼ cup dried cranberries
Spray olive oil
Instructions…
1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat water and butter to boiling.
3. Stir in Stove Top Stuffing Mix. Cover and remove from heat.
4. Let sit 5 minutes then stir with a fork.
5. Transfer to a large bowl and cool, stirring once or twice.
6. Again with a fork, stir in the beaten egg and the cranberries.
7. Spray muffin tin.
8. Loosely spoon stuffing mixture into the muffin tin, filling eight sections for larger muffins or up to 24 smaller ones. Lightly pat them down with wet fingers.
8. Bake 20-25″.
Mini Apple Dumplings Recipe
Found at Tiphero.com
Ingredients:
2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 large Granny Smith apples, cored and peeled
1 stick (4 oz) salted butter
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 oz lemon-lime soda
Instructions…
1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray.
3. Slice the cored and peeled apples into eight wedges.
4. Open one of the cans of crescent rolls and carefully unroll it. Separate the 8 triangles from each other.
5. Place one apple slice on the wide end of the triangle, then roll up like a crescent roll (the package has an illustration on the back if you’re not sure what that should look like). Tuck the ends around the apple slice to completely enclose it. Place in the baking pan and repeat with the seven remaining triangles from the first can, then repeat again with the second can of crescent rolls.
6. Place the butter in a large microwave safe measuring cup and microwave until melted, about a minute.
7. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, then spread evenly over the dumplings in the pan.
8. Pour the Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan.
9. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until the crescent rolls are golden brown on top.