Mashed Potatoes Aren’t The #1 Friendsgiving Side According To This Survey

Throughout November, there’s inevitably going to be endless confusion about what the plans for Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving alike will entail. Who will be the host, what needs to be on the table, and who is providing what plagues our every waking moment until everyone is sitting down at the table with their loved ones.

Videos by Sporked

Some of the easiest ways to make Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving dinner more simple is through the simple act of delegation. No single person needs to take on the full shebang all on their own. Asking for help is a simple way to spread the burden across multiple people and makes the task a lot more bearable for everyone involved.

And let’s face it, no one wants one of their friends to suffer so everyone can indulge responsibility free. Friendsgiving itself is built off the principle of giving things to your chosen family, and what better way to do that than through everybody contributing to the meal. But through all of this, one essential question remains: what do I bring?

The Friendsgiving Hierarchy

There will always be some sort of debate surrounding what is well and truly the most essential item on the table during holiday feasts, and some people would even go so far as to say that the least essential item is the ham or turkey itself. But to settle the debate once and for all, Napa Cellars took a survey of Friendsgiving attendees to see what they consider as the most essential side — and it’s not what you’d expect.

We certainly anticipated that the Friendsgiving side of choice would be mashed potatoes or stuffing. But what actually came out on top is a year-round classic: mac and cheese. But not just any mac and cheese, no no. An elevated mac and cheese that feels more festive is apparently the key to satisfied guests at your Friendsgiving celebrations.

The trend study also found that for Friendsgiving celebrations, nearly 70% of people prefer gatherings that occur during the daytime as opposed to later in the evenings, and that nearly 50% of people still need those classic Thanksgiving dishes — like stuffing and mashed potatoes — on the table for the meal to feel complete.

How To Plan The Meal Amongst Friends

To avoid some of the chaos in preparations for Friendsgiving meals, Napa Cellars has even extended their understanding of the holiday to providing an organizational tool that can help delegating dishes amongst your loved ones an easier process. Enter the Friendsgiving Registry. Based on recipes and dishes designed by seasoned chefs, the host of your Friendsgiving gathering can select the full menu of cost-effective recipes needed to complete the meal. Once designed, the host can take on the main dish and the recipients of the registry (aka Friendsgiving attendees) can choose from what’s left.

Not only is there guaranteed to be less waste due to a lack of duplicates on the table, but there’s more insurance that the full spread will be represented. Regardless of whether or not you utilize this specific pre-made tool from Napa Cellars (that includes expert wine pairings), this idea is one that we’ll be integrating into all of our big get-togethers from now on.