12 Recipes Inspired by “Friends”

Updated: Feb. 08, 2024

Trifle, anyone?

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Inspired by: Ross’s Turkey Sandwich

Who can forget Ross’s favorite sandwich, involving Thanksgiving leftovers and a piece of gravy-soaked bread called the “moist-maker.” Our Holiday Stromboli is similar, featuring mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Dipped in gravy, it’s a post-holiday treat even Ross would approve of.

Still got some turkey left? Here are 25 more creative ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

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Inspired by: Rachel’s Trifle

When Rachel is put in charge of dessert one Thanksgiving, she accidentally makes a hybrid between trifle and shepherd’s pie. Whoops! In honor of Rachel’s hilarious blunder, try this recipe for individual berries and cream trifles.

Get our top 10 trifle recipes. (And no, none of them call for beef!).

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Inspired by: Phoebe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Phoebe claimed that her grandmother’s famous chocolate chip cookie recipe came from an esteemed French baker, “Nestle Toulouse.” But it turns out that the “secret” recipe is the same one found on a bag of chocolate chips! Next time, the friends should reach for our ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe.

If you want to try more famous recipes, you’ll love Mrs. Maisel’s brisket recipe.

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Inspired by: Chandler's Mac & Cheese

As a kid, Chandler experienced a traumatizing Thanksgiving—and he’s hated the holiday ever since. In a flashback, Monica offers to make Chandler some mac and cheese, and since “the pilgrims didn’t eat it,” he agrees. This mac and cheese recipe is sure to please any picky eaters in your house, too.
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Inspired by: Joey’s Meatball Sub

Ross, Chandler and Joey accompany Phoebe and her new police-officer boyfriend, Gary, on a ride-along in Gary’s cop car. When they hear a car backfire, Joey dives down to protect his meatball sandwich, thinking the noise was a gunshot. Here’s a recipe to rival “the best sandwich in the world.”
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Inspired by: Monica's Jam

Break-ups are tough, and when Monica and Richard call it quits, Monica decides to make a bunch of jam to take her mind off of him. Her jam plan works for a while, but eventually Monica shifts her attention to having a baby. Woah! Luckily, our strawberry freezer jam does not require a crisis to make—it’s delicious no matter what!
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Inspired by: Mockolate

Desperate for money, Monica is tasked with coming up with ways to use mockolate—a synthetic chocolate substitute—for Thanksgiving. It’s a crumbly, bubbly and potentially dangerous product that doesn’t sit well with the rest of the crew. This decadent tart skips the mockolate and uses only the real deal.

If you want to try copycat recipes, you’ll love Ted Lasso’s biscuit recipe.

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Inspired by: A Dozen Lasagnas

Monica is tasked with making vegetarian lasagnas, but she accidentally adds meat to them all! Avoid the same mistake by following our recipe for this meatless lasagna. Don’t worry it only makes one pan—not twelve.

Next time you need to feed a crowd, reach for one of these Italian potluck recipes.

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Inspired by: Monica’s Fingernail Quiche

When catering an event for her mom, Monica accidentally loses a fake blue fingernail in one of the quiches. Eek! We suggest you use caution when whipping up this roasted vegetable quiche to avoid “pulling a Monica.”
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Inspired by: The Joey Special

Through all 10 seasons, you see the friends chow down on a LOT of pizza. But no one is quite as devoted to the dish as Joey. The group even coins a phrase known as “The Joey Special,” which simply means to order two pizzas. In honor of Mr. Tribbiani, whip up a double batch of this meatball pizza to feed your Joey-sized pizza cravings.

Still hungry? Here are 33 pizza recipes you need in your life.

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Inspired by: Cheesecake from the Floor

Remember when Chandler and Rachel kept stealing their neighbor’s cheesecake deliveries? How about when they got in an argument and the aforementioned cheesecake fell to the floor—and they continued to eat it! Though it’s not from Mama’s Little Bakery, this cheesecake recipe is worth every bite.
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Inspired by: Central Perk Coffee

The Friends’ crew runs on coffee from Central Perk. Pretend that you’re on the iconic couch with one of these copycat coffee shop drinks, like this honey spice latte.

And now, thanks to International Delight, you can even enjoy some Friends coffee creamer in some of your Central Perk coffee. In the mood to cook some more TV shows inspired dishes? One of our in-house favorites is Kevin’s famous chili.