Getting everyone together for Friendsgiving is a lot of fun, but it’s not always easy—people have kids and extended families they have to eat Thanksgiving dinner with, besides which, you may not want to take on an entire turkey. Thanksgiving brunch may be the perfect answer, then!
It’s more casual, it happens earlier in the day (which is handy when everyone has so much going on, and might have family meals to get to in the evening), and it’s just more fun! Plus, you don’t have to deal with a big bird and a dozen sides jostling for space in your oven—but you can still indulge in the season’s coziest flavors (and in booze, of course, if you want).
Just decorate a little bit to make your space more inviting, queue up some music, and set out a fantastic Thanksgiving brunch spread that no one has to know was ultra-easy. Or, go all-in on the potluck ethos and have your guests bring the various parts of the morning meal while you just take care of drinks. There’s no wrong way to do it, as long as everyone’s having a good time.
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Here are some ideas for food and drink to feature.
Make Mimosas Seasonal
The classic brunch drink (at least right up there with the Bloody Mary), mimosas are simple, sophisticated, and easy to dress up. Adding a few fall flavors makes even the cheapest bottle of Cook’s taste like something special.
Cranberry Mimosas
✔️
A splash of cranberry juice and a little orange liqueur make for extra festive mimosas. Since everything else is such a breeze, consider making beautifully sparkly sugared cranberries for the garnish. Get the Cranberry Mimosas recipe.
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These restaurant-quality Champagne flutes are perfectly affordable even when you need to toast a crowd.
Apple Cider Mimosa
The lovely, complex flavor of apple cider adds wonderful fall flair to your mimosa. If you want things a little sweeter, buy a spiced cider (or make your own). Get the Apple Cider Mimosa recipe.
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Festive glasses that are as bubbly as what's inside them.
Make a Mocktail Too
Don’t forget a non-alcoholic option that’s not a mere concession—if making mimosas, you can simply swap in a virgin sparkling wine or sparkling cider for those who abstain but still want to sip something fizzy. Or check out a few fall favorites in our autumn fruit drinks round-up, including this mimosa-esque option:
Autumn Chiller Mocktail
Chowhound
Sparkling apple cider brings fizz and fall flavor to this zero-proof drink with ginger beer and orange juice. Get our Autumn Chiller Mocktail recipe.
Consider a Casserole
They’re easy, delicious, large enough to feed a hungry crowd, and you can usually assemble them the night before, which is obviously a huge plus.
Potato-based breakfast casseroles are great, but if you go with a bready version, it evokes stuffing, which fits nicely with the occasion—and in fact, an actual pan of stuffing would be excellent accompanied by eggs and breakfast meats instead of turkey.
Related Reading: This Savory Mushroom Bread Pudding Is Better Than Stuffing
But if you and yours have more of a sweet tooth, you can always swerve away from savory too.
Ham, Cheese, and Mushroom Strata
Chowhound
You could bake a turkey breast to use in place of the ham if you wish (or cook some ground turkey with onions, garlic, and herbs for a quicker option)—or ditch the meat entirely and make it vegetarian. Either way, consider subbing in some fresh sage or rosemary instead of thyme to amp up the autumnal flavors. Get our Ham, Cheese, and Mushroom Strata recipe.
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This French stoneware casserole dish is classic—and can go straight from fridge to oven to table. Available in blue, red, green, and white.
Sweet Potatoes Anna Casserole
Chowhound
Offer this veggie casserole (which is easily made vegan if you swap out the butter for Earth Balance) on its own or in addition to another savory baked dish. The maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, and toasty walnuts make these sweet potatoes perfect for any meal, any time in the colder months. Get our Sweet Potatoes Anna Casserole recipe.
Related Reading: How to Accommodate Vegan Guests at Thanksgiving
Salted Caramel and Banana Breakfast Strata
Chowhound
If that’s not sugary enough for you, though, this gooey, gorgeously decadent salted caramel banana strata may be just the thing. Adding apples and cinnamon instead of bananas would make it especially well-suited for fall, but then it wouldn’t be quite as good a candidate for adding chunks of chocolate to… Get our Salted Caramel and Banana Breakfast Strata recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Is Nice
We may be barrelling straight toward mulling spice season (and peppermint), but pumpkin spice still reigns supreme until November ends, so it’s a perfect flavor profile for a Friendsgiving brunch.
Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes
Chowhound
If you want to go with traditional breakfast staples, these seasonally spiced pancakes are a perfect option. Make an easy cinnamon-infused maple syrup to go on top if you want to really impress. Get our Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes recipe.
Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola
Just 9 ingredients, perfectly crunchy + SO delicious! (LINK in bio!) #vegan #glutenfree
If you’re keeping things more casual, or just want to offer something for lighter appetites, set out some healthy vegan granola made with maple, pumpkin spice, pecans, and actual pumpkin puree. It can go on top of Greek yogurt, along with maple syrup, honey, and/or fresh fruits (like apples, pears, and figs) for a light yet wholly satisfying option. Get the Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola recipe.
Make-Ahead Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole
. . Quick to make ahead in the morning, or do it the night before and just pop the casserole in the oven in the morning. Click on link in profile for recipe. #pumpkinrecipes #pumpkinlove #casserole 
. . . #breakfastlover #instabreakfast #brunchporn #breakfastporn #brunchlife #lovebreakfast #brunchsohard #brekkie #ilovebreakfast #inthekitchen #brunchtime #inmykitchen #breakfastisserved #recipeshare #breakfastofchamps #breakfastoftheday #breakfastfood #huffposttaste #BHGfood #f52grams #feedfeed #breakfastinspo #foodblogfeed #foodbloggersOn the other hand, this make-ahead breakfast casserole is rich, thanks to fluffy brioche soaked in a mixture of eggs, whole and evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, and plenty of warm pumpkin spices, with a cinnamon sugar topping for good measure. Get the Make-Ahead Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole recipe.
Fancy Panz Casserole Cover & Carrier, $19.99 on Amazon
Dress up disposable aluminum pans with these casserole covers; the lids pop off when it's time to serve.
Related Reading: The Best Potluck Gear to Transport Your Food in One Piece
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
Tap the link in my bio @handletheheat for the recipe Somewhere in between the two, this streusel-packed pumpkin spice coffee cake is moist, tender, and just as easy to put together, but not quite as over the top, in case you’ve got things to do and can’t afford a food coma getting in the way. Get the Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake recipe.
Individualize Your Eggs
Whether you’re serving pancakes, waffles, bakery-bought pastries, or homemade casseroles, eggs are almost always a great accompaniment. Instead of making a whole pan of scrambled eggs or attempting to poach a full dozen at once, why not take the individual approach and bake them in ramekins perfectly portioned for each guest?
Eggs Baked with Irish Bangers and Cheddar
Chowhound
These are entirely customizable too—and you can prep whatever cooked mix-ins you want to use up to a couple days ahead of time. Try roasting sweet potatoes with a little sage for a veggie version, or use regular breakfast sausage or bacon in place of the bangers. And on the day of, you simply assemble and cook them in batches—up to at least 8 at a time if you use two baking sheets (and have enough ramekins). Fresh herbs sprinkled on top are a nice touch. Get our Eggs Baked with Irish Bangers and Cheddar recipe.
Bellemain 4-Ounce Porcelain Ramekins, 6 for $11.95 on Amazon
Individual serving vessels are always extra charming.
Make It a Bagel Bar
If you want to make things really easy, just buy a bunch of the best-quality bagels you can find (no more than the day before, so they’re ultra-fresh) and set them out with a generous spread of…well, spreads.
Chowhound
Mashing various ingredients into store-bought cream cheese is incredibly simple, yet the effect is pretty fancy, and you can cater to all palates. Offer a mix of sweet and savory options in small bowls (ramekins work wonderfully here too), with labels letting guests know what each one contains. This will work with vegan cream cheese too.
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Perfect for identifying what's in specific dishes on your buffet.
If you make the spreads ahead of time (you should!), just take them out of the fridge about 20 to 30 minutes before you want to eat, to ensure they’re not too hard to actually schmear. Optional: set out sliced turkey (from a roasted breast, or high-quality deli meat) for people to top their bagels if they please.
Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese
Cranberry and cream cheese pair well with lots of other flavors; orange evokes a classic cranberry sauce, but you can also try an aromatic Rosemary Cranberry Spread, a sweet Cinnamon and Honey Cranberry Cream Cheese, or a Cranberry Horseradish Cream Cheese with Walnuts for a little kick (and crunch). In any case, the sweet-tart cranberry flavor will still be the seasonal star. Get the Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese recipe.
Scallion Herb Cream Cheese Spread
A classic herby cream cheese is always delightful, but to make it more autumnal, you could substitute sage and/or rosemary for the other herbs (just use a light hand and taste as you go, since they tend to be pretty pungent and you may not need the full amount). Get the Scallion Herb Cream Cheese Spread recipe.
Whipped Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread
Maple syrup isn’t just for pancakes; mix it into fluffy cream cheese with cinnamon for an easy, delicious cinnamon-raisin bagel spread. Get the Whipped Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread
Even if you’re normally wary of reduced fat cream cheese, once it’s mixed with pumpkin puree, honey, warm spices, and vanilla, it’ll taste amazing and save you some calories (so you can eat more gravy and/or pie later). Get the Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread recipe.
Don’t Skip the Pie
Speaking of pie, just because it may be mid-morning (or early afternoon), that doesn’t mean straight-up actual dessert is off the table. You’re all adults, so you can eat cake—or pie—for breakfast if you wanna! Naturally, you can go with savory pies for a centerpiece, but a sweet version will always be a welcome addition to the spread as well.
Sister Pie’s Salted Maple Pie
E.E. Berger
This recipe from Detroit’s Sister Pie is especially well suited to brunch, since it’s full of robust maple syrup flavor, with a sparkling sprinkling of flaky sea salt for contrast. Ergo, it would also be delicious with crisp bacon—so pile up your plate, and wash everything down with some strong coffee! Get the Salted Maple Pie recipe.
Dutch Apple Pie
Chowhound
Apples for breakfast are classic, so an apple pie for brunch is totally acceptable. This easier version only calls for a single crust, and instead of a tricky lattice, tops it with a cinnamon-sugar walnut streusel. Get our Dutch Apple Pie recipe.
Related Reading: The Prettiest Pie Pans to Showcase Your Desserts
For more great holiday hacks, tips, tricks, and recipes, check out our Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide, and our Ultimate Friendsgiving Guide too.
Related Video: How to Make Sangria with Leftover Cranberry Sauce
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