Everyone wants to go all out for Friendsgiving. We get it! Friendsgiving is like Thanksgiving, but you get to spend it with people you actually like. But there’s a common misconception that you have to drop a lot of cash to show your friends just how thankful you are to have them in your life—not so! We headed to the good ol’ Dollar Tree and found lots of stuff that’ll help you put together a tasty spread for your pals. Before you spend a bundle and then send out an awkward post-dinner Venmo request to recoup some of the money you needed for holiday gifts, here are a few affordable finds to buy at Dollar Tree for Friendsgiving.
- Pagoda Crab Rangoon
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There are no rules for Friendsgiving! No one needs “traditional” appetizers. Hell, you don’t even have to serve turkey. You could honestly just serve a bunch of frozen crab rangoon and a bunch of wine and everyone will have a great time. Okay, but even if you’re going a traditional route with the rest of your spread, no one will be mad that you picked up these cream cheese-stuffed bites at Dollar Tree.
Read our roundup of the best frozen appetizers from our taste tests
- TGI Fridays Spinach & Artichoke Cheese Dip
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No party is complete with dip, and that goes for Friendsgiving, too. If you and your posse love to hit up chain restaurants at the mall, this TGI Fridays spinach dip will make everyone feel at home (or, better yet, like they’re in a booth at TGI Fridays during happy hour). Unlike a lot of other store bought spinach dip, this one is made to be served hot, which we love. This is a core-warming Friendsgiving app that everyone will destroy. Honestly, if you’re adding this to your list of what to buy at Dollar Tree, go ahead and buy two or three boxes. They will be eaten.
Read our ranking of the best spinach artichoke dip
- Glory Foods Seasoned Southern Style Green Beans
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Dollar Tree sells a lot of canned food, a lot of which will come in handy for Friendsgiving. I’m all about saving time on Friendsgiving prep so I can hang out with friends instead of hanging out alone in the kitchen, so these pre-seasoned, heat-and-eat green beans are a no-brainer.
Read our ranking of the best canned green beans
- Idahoan Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
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I don’t know if you’ve ever made homemade mashed potatoes, but it’s a pain. You boil. You mash. You season and season and season some more, and still achieving a robust flavor and velvety texture is way too labor intensive for the night we’re about to have. While Dollar Tree didn’t have any of Sporked’s favorite instant mashed potatoes they did have a close cousin to many that qualified: Idahoan Roasted Garlic mashed potatoes. And if there’s anything that can cover up a few issues, it’s a butt load of garlic. So keep that jarlic on standby!
Read our ranking of the best instant mashed potatoes
- Bruce’s Yams
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Canned yams are a little confusing. As faithful Sporked readers know, yams and sweet potatoes aren’t quite the same thing. And Bruce’s “yams” aren’t actually yams—they’re actually sweet potatoes. Either way, they’re excellent, whether you’re making candied yams or sweet potato casserole. There are no rules on Friendsgiving and there are no rules in the realm of canned yams—YOLO, baby (yams only live once). Anyway, you can use these in a casserole, mash em up with some maple butter, or just heat as serve straight from the can. Yams always make a good complement to the salty stuff on a Friendsgiving plate, so add these to your list of what to buy at Dollar Tree.
Read our ranking of the best canned yams
- Martha White Apple Cider Muffin Mix
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Carbs are required for any event that you invite me to, Friendsgiving definitely included. Dollar Tree has boxed cornbread and biscuit options that will fit right into the mix. I however saw this apple cider muffin mix and couldn’t stop thinking about it! How great would it be to pull these out of the oven in the middle of dinner and watch everyone take a fat pad of butter and spread it all over as it melts into the nooks and crannies. That’s where I want to be!
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!