The clock striking 12 on November 1st marks the most wonderful time of the year: Mariah Carey’s career has finally defrosted and you can practically smell the gingerbread in the air already. But in the middle of your Christmas-fueled bliss, you get the dreaded group text: “Let’s do Friendsgiving this year!” Suddenly, we’re back to letting out blood-curdling screams and moans in agony. Happy 2nd Halloween!
Don’t worry: we can still avoid a 3rd Halloween when the host tells you to “bring whatever.” Get your daily reading in and beat the Friendsgiving frenzy with these easy cooking hacks.
Fake It ‘Til You Cake It
I’m not an expert on puns, but I am an expert on making everyone think I’m a talented baker. Baking is a science and I almost failed chemistry in high school, but no one needs to know.
Grab your favorite cake mix but do NOT follow the instructions. Instead of adding water to your mix, add milk for a richer flavor. (Only smart and beautiful girls will use oat milk, by the way.)
Substitute the oil in the mix for butter, and you’ve got a cake that tastes like you’ve been whisking for hours when it only took you a few minutes!
If you want to feel like a real pastry chef, then here are a few suggestions for add-ins:
- Vanilla or almond extract to a white cake mix
- Coffee or espresso to a chocolate cake mix
- Chocolate chips or walnuts or both to a banana cake mix (I highly recommend the Dolly Parton Duncan Hines mix. In Dolly we trust!)
For decorating, thank your lucky stars that the “naked cake” trend is still in style. Let your cake cool and put a very thin layer of your preferred frosting on with a butter knife or spatula. If you really wanna get extra, you can further decorate the cake with sprinkles, edible pearls or fake flowers.
Winner, Winner, Chicken Pot Pie Dinner
For all my friends and family that have been begging for the recipe for my chicken pot pie, the day has come. Get your notebooks out. Just kidding. If I told you, I’d have to kill you afterwards and we already established that we do not want a 3rd Halloween.
But if you want the easy version of quite a labor-intensive dish, here it is:
A can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup acts as your sauce. To save time on chopping veggies, the frozen kind works just as well. I recommend getting a blend with peas and carrots in it to keep things traditional, but you can add whatever you’d like. Lastly, a rotisserie chicken and premade pie crust are your best friends here. Not the bestie that said to “bring whatever.”
Heat your soup on the stove, add in your vegetables and chicken, and season. I will not even say “if you’d like,” because you absolutely should be seasoning your food. Whether it’s salt, pepper, Goya Adobo–please, just sprinkle something in there!
Then add your mix into your pie crust and bake according to the instructions. Easy as pie!
If All Else Fails, Just Download Uber Eats
Trust me, no one will be mad if you order some Popeye’s. Do you remember how the world collectively lost their marbles when the chicken sandwich dropped? Exactly. There’s no shame in indulging in some fried chicken you did not make, because that’s actually the best part!
Have a happy Friendsgiving and don’t forget to season your food if you still want friends next year!