Best Recipes and Easy Entertaining Tips for Your Friendsgiving Feast

Get inspired with Thanksgiving recipes from the State of Cheese in the latest issue of Grate.Pair.Share.

Madison, Wis. (November 22, 2019) – Whether you are a guest or hosting, make this weekend's Friendsgiving a feast to remember with the perfect cheeseboard and delicious recipes from Wisconsin Cheese. Friendsgiving is the best made-up holiday, because this low-key celebration is less about expectations and tradition and more about honoring life's important friendships with great food.

"We want to help celebrate the family you "choose" this time of year, so we are sharing a few of our favorite easy recipes to provide some delicious inspiration for Friendsgiving hosts and attendees," says Suzanne Fanning, Senior Vice President at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Chief Marketing Officer for Wisconsin Cheese. "We wish you a fall season filled with warm memories and delicious food."

Keep entertaining with family and friends easy with these five easy steps:

1. Gather around the cheeseboard. Keep appetizers to a minimum at your Thanksgiving meal since there is turkey, sides and pie ahead! Instead, gather friends around a simple cheeseboard to start the celebration. It's the perfect starter, because this appetizer is special, easy and doesn't require oven space.
2. Craft the perfect Friendsgiving Cheeseboard. When serving specialty cheese with bold, rich flavors, refresh taste buds with assorted fresh and dried fruits, crackers or breadsticks. The simple flavors won't compete with the cheese. Start with the Friendsgiving Cheeseboard and find more inspiration, including a how-to guide for charcuterie and cheese pairings on The Cheese Life blog.
3. Select the perfect beverages. Wisconsin Cheese pairs well with beer, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, but for this event, it is best to keep it simple. Cheese and wine pairings are made easy by offering guests a choice of a fruity red wine such as Pinot Noir or a crisp white wine like Chardonnay.
4. Plan the menu. While there aren't any rules for celebrating Friendsgiving, the host generally prepares the turkey and asks friends to bring the rest of the meal's fixings. This potluck presents an opportunity to flex your culinary prowess and impress with a truly unique dish. Find a variety of cheese-forward sides that are guaranteed to set you apart on Wisconsincheese.com/recipes.
5. Let's get cooking! Classic apple and cheese recipes, party potatoes and Thanksgiving side dishes—there's a harvest recipe for every heartwarming gathering of family and friends. New seasonal artisan cheese recipes and more Thanksgiving inspiration can be found in the Harvest issue of Grate.Pair.Share. magazine on WisconsinCheese.com.

Find cheese recipes and Thanksgiving dinner ideas, plus entertaining tips, for all of your fall gatherings in the Harvest 2019 issue of Grate.Pair.Share. This free online magazine offers fun, easy recipes that add festive flavor to any occasion.