By: Evi Fromm

Do you want to spend some quality time with your friends this holiday season? Having a fun and creative “Friendsgiving” might be the way to go. There are a lot of cheap and easy ways to put together a meal that everyone will enjoy, and it does not have to be traditional.

To make this easy on the host, the group can split on responsibilities on what to bring. Some people can bring sides or main dishes, appetizers, or deserts. Others can bring cups, plates, napkins, or utensils.

Any good dinner party needs to start with appetizers so people can snack while waiting for the main dishes to be ready. Fruit or veggie trays with dip are light starters and a healthy warm-up before a heavy meal. Another fun start could be a charcuterie board. This could be made fun, festive, and cute by arranging the meat, cheese, and other items in the shape of a turkey or another holiday-connected shape.

Instead of the usual turkey and stuffing, you can opt for chicken nuggets, preferably in the dinosaur shape, and French fries. This is a cheaper option that is much easier to prepare and one that more people will enjoy.

Sides like green beans, mashed potatoes, and cornbread are also easy to make and cheap if you buy the versions that can be warmed up and are ready to go. Depending on how much time you have, you can jazz them up and make them into a delicious side dish all your friends will love. However, they can be replaced by any other side your group would want.

Deserts are straightforward and easy. Store-bought pies, cakes, and cookies are always an easy and cheap crowd-pleaser.