A Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Idea: Churros!

Check out San Diablo's Instagram for more Thanksgiving churro recipes and ideas! When I was growing up, our Thanksgiving dinners consisted of the same four things every year: dry turkey, instant mashed potatoes, bland stuffing, and store-bought pumpkin pie. Though the dinner parties were always fun nights filled with laughter and love, the food got a bit boring over the years. It wasn’t until I moved out of the house that I started to experiment with different dishes and add in some new traditions of my own for the big day. I didn’t have a ton of cooking experience but I wanted to make something homemade and unique to celebrate with my new “found family”. For me, churros were the perfect treat for the holiday! If you’re looking to spice up your Thanksgiving table this year, like me, here are a couple of ideas! Friendsgiving is a great way to celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving even when you are away from family. If you can’t go home for Thanksgiving this year, start a new tradition and invite your friends over for a potluck of their favorite foods or throw a turkey-day-themed party. You can decorate the place with a DIY fall banner and plan some activities like football and board games. Last but not least, it’s important to mix up the menu in order to bring in some excitement. You can set a theme for your guests like an Italian-themed dinner party or Mexican fiesta for a non-traditional twist on Thanksgiving food. Or, tell your friends to bring their favorite childhood dish! Don’t forget the drinks or create a signature cocktail or party punch inspired by fall flavors like spiced cider and cranberry apple. For dessert, pies are traditional, but most broke college students aren’t too eager to spend hours in the kitchen whipping up a homemade pie. That’s why I’ve been making homemade churros every year since I got my San Diablo Fiesta in a Box kit. I know what you might be thinking, “Churros?? Quick and easy? I’m not a pastry chef- there’s, no way I can pull that off.” I thought the exact same thing during my sophomore year of college. But here’s the thing- the Fiesta in a Box kit comes with everything you need to make delicious homemade churros. No trips to the grocery store, no need to slave away in the kitchen, and they always wow your guests. And it only takes about 15 minutes! In my sophomore year, I bought the Fiesta in a Box and an extra just-add-water dough mix packet just in case. The night before my first annual Friendsgiving potluck I mixed the dough together and (mostly) neatly piped out all of my churros onto a lined baking sheet, covered them in plastic wrap, and let the churros chill in the fridge. Right before my guests started arriving, I basted the churros in some oil, threw the baking sheet into the oven at 350 degrees F, and let them bake for 15 minutes. I served the churros fresh out of the oven and let my guests top and fill their own churros with the cinnamon sugar and dulce de leche filling that came in the kit. Since the churros were so easy, I almost felt like I was cheating! Since I had extra time, I made my own homemade dips and fillings for some variety. I made a pumpkin cheesecake filling and apple pie dip and you can find the recipes I used here if you want to make them too! The churros were so easy and a HUGE hit. Since I made mini churros, my friends and I were able to enjoy all of the dishes we brought without needing to unbutton our jeans. Since I got an extra dough packet, I had extra churros left over after dinner. As most people know, Thanksgiving leftovers are the BEST. Now, every November since my sophomore year, my Friendsgiving potluck has grown bigger and bigger as word of my famous churros has spread. I just keep reusing my churro maker. Some years, I order the San Diablo dry mix packets right off the website but if I procrastinate... I just make my own dough using San Diablo’s award-winning churro recipe. Be the star of Thanksgiving dinner and start a new tradition by making churros!

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