Friendsmas Menu

Fruitcake Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Casserole Christmas Fruit Salad Homemade Chia Tea Lattes More recipes on page 4N

Friendsgiving has been a thing for a while (you know, Thanksgiving but with friends, usually a few weeks before Turkey Day). After attending my first Friendsgiving last month at my friend Holly’s house, I’m using it as inspiration for what I’d like to call “Friendsmas.”

For my definition, Friendsmas is a Christmas-themed meal with friends, usually brunch, sometime in December. I really hope it becomes a thing.

For my first Friendsmas, I’m hoping to convert my friends to fruitcake lovers with an outstanding recipe from King Arthur Flour.

I don’t know why this treat gets such a bad rap. It’s basically a spice cake with dried fruit glazed with rum. Check. Check. Check. It’s dense and moist and reminds me of the holidays whenever I take a bite.

My favorite time to eat fruitcake is with coffee for breakfast, so this is perfect for my Friendsmas brunch. And if my friends still don’t like fruitcake, oh well — more for me!

For the main dish, I found a tater tot and sausage casserole on Pinterest that is sure to please just about everyone. If needed, you can make this the night before and stick it in the fridge before baking.

But the assembly couldn’t be simpler: cook sausage and vegetables, add tater tots and cheese and top with eggs. You could also try substituting cooked bacon and adding different vegetables and cheeses to make this casserole your own.

As a side dish, a fruit salad is always easy and tasty. This one just so happens to be festive as well — all the fruit included is red and green. From kiwi and grapes to strawberries and pomegranate seeds, it’s a healthy way to celebrate the season. Serve it in a red or green bowl to add to the merriment.

To toast friends during a delicious brunch, nothing will do but a homemade chai tea latte. This recipe is so good that it will have your guests saying, “Starbucks who?”

While making this recipe, I discovered that I could use my immersion blender to froth milk. The spices in this latte complement the fruitcake perfectly — but you’ll have to try it for yourself.

Alysha Witwicki is a retail copywriter and food writer who lives in Whitefish Bay. You can contact her at alyshawitwicki@hotmail.com.