This year’s traditional annual holiday of Thanksgiving will be celebrated on Thursday, November 25, 2021. It is celebrated on different dates across the USA, Canada, Brazil, and other countries. People all around the world make delicious Thanksgiving side dish recipes to enjoy the celebration with friends and family.
To celebrate the harvest and blessings of the past year, Thanksgiving is enjoyed by Christians worldwide. More than 96% of Americans gather to celebrate this holiday. In 1941, the American Congress decided that the fourth Thursday would be celebrated as Thanksgiving.
Enjoy Thanksgiving Party with These F.R.I.E.N.D.S-themed Dishes!
Let’s celebrate this year’s Thanksgiving uniquely by recreating some of the most iconic Thanksgiving side dish recipes from our favorite show – F.R.I.E.N.D.S!
From chandler’s chicken to ever-present dinner rolls – we have tried to cover every possible side dish for Thanksgiving from the show.
So, let’s see which Thanksgiving side dishes you can add from the quintessential show:
- Soft Dinner Rolls
- Chandler’s Cranberry Sauce
- Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Chandler’s Thanksgiving Chicken
- Bonus:- Monica’s Special Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwich
Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe
One recipe that is omnipresent with mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving is this soft dinner rolls recipe. With just seven ingredients, you will be able to make these soft and buttery rolls and start your preparation for this year’s Thanksgiving.
Quick Stats
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Rising Time: 3 Hours
Serving: 15 People
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk,
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt,
- 4 cups all-purpose flour,
- 1 Tbsp melted butter to brush the rolls
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt to sprinkle finished rolls
Method to Prepare
- Add warm milk and one tablespoon of sugar into a bowl of a mixer.
- Now, sprinkle the top with one tablespoon of yeast and let it sit there for a minute.
- Whisk together and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast looks foamy.
- Then, add four tablespoons of melted butter along with the remaining sugar and salt.
- Pour half a cup of flour at a time and whisk it to incorporate it completely.
- Once the dough is thick enough, change the speed of hook attachment to two and mix.
- Then, add a further 4 cups of flour into the dough.
- Knead the dough with the dough hook for around 3 minutes and then place it in an oiled bowl.
- Cover these balls with plastic wrap and keep them in a warm place for around 2 hours to let them rise ideally.
- Once the dough rises, take it onto a floured kitchen surface and cut it into 30 pieces.
- Now, roll each piece of dough into a small ball and place it into a baking sheet.
- Cover these dinner rolls with plastic wrap and let them rise for another half an hour or so in a warm place until they are puffed.
- Bake these rolls at 375 F for around 20 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- Take them out and instantly brush them with melted butter, and set them aside to cool.
- Serve them during the feast and enjoy!
Chandler’s Cranberry Sauce
The one with the Late Thanksgiving episode gave us one of the best Thanksgiving side dish recipes in the form of Chandler’s cranberry sauce. It is one of the funniest scenes of the series! So, let’s make cranberry sauce – prefer to use cranberries instead of chanberries.
Quick Stats
Prep Time: 1 Minute
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Serving: 8 serves
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup water
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- pinch of salt
- One cinnamon stick
- One piece of orange peel
Method to Prepare
- Take a large saucepan and heat sugar, orange juice, and water in it over medium flame.
- Add cranberries, salt, cinnamon stick, and orange peel.
- Keep the heat medium and bring it to a simmer while stirring frequently.
- Keep cooking the cranberries for another 10 minutes until the cranberries have popped.
- Remove it from the heat and let it cool for around half an hour. Cover them and slide them into the refrigerator until ready to use.
- You can make this sauce even three days ahead.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Remember when Rachel invited her assistant Tag to Thanksgiving in Season 7? In this Thanksgiving episode, we can see stuffed acorn squash on the table. So, let’s try them for this year’s feast!
Quick Stats
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Servings: 6 Serves
Ingredients
- Three acorn squash
- 2 Tbsp olive oil 30 mL
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
- 1 cup diced carrot about two carrots
- ½ cup diced celery about one rib
- ½ cup finely chopped white or yellow onion about ½ an onion
- Two cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup wild rice 200 g
- 2 cups vegetable broth 450 mL
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 100 g
- ¼ cup dried cranberries 25 g
- ½ granny smith apple diced
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
- ½ tsp each salt and pepper
Method to Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Now, cut these squash in half vertically and remove the seeds with the help of a spoon.
- Then, brush the insides with oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper.
- Put these cut halves on a baking sheet and bake them for an hour until they are fork-tender.
- Now, add oil to a large pot and heat it over medium flame. Throw veggies into that pot and cook them until they are fragrant and brightly colored, for around 5 minutes.
- Add rice and broth, cover, and let simmer until rice is cooked and broth is absorbed about 15 minutes, or until tender.
- Now, gradually stir in the feta, cranberries, apple, rosemary, salt, pepper, and sage. Cover it and set it aside.
- Once the squash is tender, scoop flesh from the inside. Be careful as you don’t want punctured squash.
- Stir the scooped out the flesh in with the rice mixture, then stuff the mixture into each half of the acorn squash.
- Slide the stuffed squash into the oven and bake for around 15 more minutes.
- Serve them hot and enjoy!
Chandler’s Thanksgiving Chicken
We all get bored of eating turkey every Thanksgiving, and Chandler was not different. So, to spice up the menu and try something unconventional – he made tender chicken, which we will be doing this year.
Quick Stats
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 40 Minutes
Servings: 6 Serves
Ingredients
- 4–5 pound Whole Chicken, backbone removed & flattened
- One package ranch seasoning mix
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 TBS poultry seasoning
Method to Prepare
- Preheat your oven to 425˚.
- Place the prepared chicken on the sheet pan and cover it with ranch seasoning.
- Massage the bird then place the bird in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir the mayo and poultry seasoning in a small bowl.
- Remove the chicken from the oven after 25 minutes and baste it with the seasoned mayo.
- Allow cooking until the bird reaches an internal temperature of 165˚.
- Let the chicken rest, tented with aluminum foil, for about 10 minutes before serving.
BONUS:- Monica’s Moist Maker Sandwich
There is a reason why Ross is so obsessed with Monica’s Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. It is delicious, juicy, and effortless to make. So, let’s make this moist maker as this year’s bonus Thanksgiving side dish recipe.
Quick Stats
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cooking Time: 50 Minutes
Servings: 3 Serves
Ingredients
For Gravy
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. turkey pan drippings
- 1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
- 1 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
- Two c. low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For Herb Mayo
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
- 1 tsp. freshly chopped chives
For the Sandwich
- Nine slices white bread, toasted
- 1 lb. leftover turkey, sliced
- One c. leftover mashed potatoes
- One c. cranberry sauce
- Arugula
- One c. leftover stuffing
Method to Prepare
- Take a small saucepan and warm it over medium flame. Add butter to the heated pan and melt it.
- Whisk flour into the melted butter, cook it until it is golden for about a minute, and then whisk in pan drippings.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and make sure you reduce the flame. Simmer it until it is slightly thickened.
- Stir in the fresh herbs and then broth. Season the mixture using salt and pepper.
- Simmer the gravy for around 12 minutes while gradually adding more broth if you think the gravy is too thick. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, take a medium bowl and stir mayonnaise, mustard, and fresh herbs together.
- Now, spread this herb mayo on one side of the five pieces of bread.
- For the remaining four pieces of bread, dip them into the gravy, ensuring that they soak plenty of it.
- Build a sandwich by placing turkey on a mayonnaise spread piece of bread, then top with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, a gravy-soaked piece of bread, stuffing, arugula, and another mayonnaise spread piece of bread.
- Repeat the process and enjoy the leftover sandwich!
Must Read: Thanksgiving Desserts Recipes: Delicious and Effortless Sweetmeats!
Final Words
This year, try these F.R.I.E.N.D.S-themed Thanksgiving side dish recipes and surprise your friends and family! These side dishes are iconic and hold a special place in our hearts but are super easy to make. So, even if it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year – be there always with these delicious Thanksgiving side dishes.
