With the Friends reunion finally happening on Thursday 27th May, we decided to take a look at some of the best foodie moments in the show and work out the macros of these iconic dishes. (Yes, we’re THAT obsessed with Friends.)
Everyone remembers Monica tap dancing with a turkey on her head, the time Rachel made an English trifle with a layer of beef mince, the cringe-worthy scene in a Thanksgiving flashback where Monica tries to seduce Chandler with carrots and macaroni and, of course, Joey’s series-long mantra: “Joey doesn’t share food”.What’s more, Friends has been trending ever since the reunion was announced, and of course, so have the recipes. The Moist Maker sandwich is the most Googled of the famous Friends dishes, with over 1050 average monthly searches. This is followed by the infinitely memorable beef trifle (over 530 searches per month) and the stolen New York cheesecake (360 searches per month).
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top five most memorable foodie moments in the show and deconstruct the dishes down to their macros. And if you’re looking to recreate some of these dishes, then we’ve provided some alternative recipes for you to make ahead of the reunion night.
Rachel’s Beef Trifle
In one of the most iconic scripts in the show's history (and one of the few times Rachel did help in the kitchen), Rachel discovered that no, “beef sautéed with peas and onions” does not belong in an English trifle. In fact, as Ross confirms, that makes it taste "like feet". No worries, though, Rach; Joey will still eat it. ("What's not to like? Custard? Good. Jam? Good. Meat? Good.").
We got experimental to work out the nutrition value of the ingredients in Rachel's famous trifle. One serving of the trifle amounts to:
- Calories: 881
- Protein: 44.7g
- Fat: 34.3g
- Carbs: 108.7g
| Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) | |
| Sponge fingers | 75 | 0.6 | 15.9 | 1.5 |
| Jam | 50 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Custard | 171 | 4.4 | 28.1 | 4.5 |
| Raspberries | 8 | 0 | 1.8 | 0 |
| Beef | 348 | 23.6 | 0 | 31.9 |
| Peas | 70 | 0.5 | 12 | 5 |
| Onions | 64 | 0.2 | 14.9 | 1.8 |
| Banana slices | 45 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Whipping cream | 50 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL (one serving) | 881 | 34.3 | 108.7 | 44.7 |
The pretty decent protein content gets a thumbs up from us!
If you’re looking to recreate a sweet treat for the reunion night (maybe without the beef, peas and onions though), take a look at our chocolate truffle mousse instead.
The Stolen Cheesecake
The cheesecake so good you’ll happily eat it off the floor.This famous Friends moment sees Chandler and Rachel repeatedly steal their neighbour's cheesecake delivery (okay, the first two were accidentally delivered to them), but eventually, they end up eating one straight off the hallway floor after a disagreement.
We sadly couldn’t find the exact recipe from Mama's Little Bakery in Chicago to work out the macros, but we’ve got the nearest alternative. One slice of cheesecake amounts to:
- Calories: 1013
- Protein: 22.8g
- Fat: 55g
- Carbs: 78.2g
| Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) | |
| Digestive biscuits | 490 | 22.5 | 63.2 | 6.8 |
| Butter | 100 | 4.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Full fat cream cheese | 100 | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| Sour cream | 160 | 10 | 15 | 2 |
| Cornflour | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eggs | 120 | 8 | 0 | 12 |
| Vanilla extract | 10 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL (one serving) | 1013 | 55 | 78.2 | 22.8 |
We’ve come up with a plant-based alternative here - ideal for prepping the day before the reunion night.
The Thanksgiving Turkey
In one Thanksgiving episode, Monica goes to Chandler's apartment after a fight and puts a turkey on her head, adding a hat and shades in an attempt to win his forgiveness. And turkey dishes are a regular on the menu at many of the Friendsgiving celebrations – including the one where Joey consumes an entire turkey by himself, and breaks out in the meat sweats.
Here’s the macro breakdown of just one of Monica’s famous turkey dishes:
- Calories: 352
- Protein: 26.3
- Fat: 9.6g
- Carbs: 45g
| Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) | |
| Carved turkey | 180 | 9 | 0 | 24 |
| Orange | 62 | 0.2 | 15.4 | 1.2 |
| Lemon | 17. | 0.2 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Apple halves | 80 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Garlic | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.2 |
| Sage | 5 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Rosemary | 2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| 5 sprigs thyme | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Salt & pepper | 1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
| TOTAL (one serving) | 352 | 9.6 | 45 | 26.3 |
If you fancy recreating a turkey meal for the reunion night, check out this turkey & cranberry burger recipe – who says turkeys are just for Christmas hey?
The Moist Maker
Ross, we empathise – when your favourite sandwich gets eaten by a colleague (and then half thrown away), you’re going to get hangry! The Moist Maker is the ultimate leftover turkey sandwich and here are the macros (if you’re carb-loading, then this could be the one for you):
- Calories: 988
- Protein: 31.5g
- Fat: 47.7g
- Carbs: 148.2g
| Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) | |
| Gravy | ||||
| Butter | 100 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 tbsp plain flour | 28 | 0.1 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Turkey pan drippings | 39 | 4.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Freshly chopped thyme | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Freshly chopped rosemary | 2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Chicken or turkey stock | 12 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Salt & pepper | 1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Garlic & herb mayo | ||||
| Mayonnaise | 101 | 11 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Dijon mustard | 5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.3 |
| Mixed herbs | 25 | 0.3 | 4 | 1 |
| Sandwich | ||||
| 3 slices white bread, toasted | 240 | 3 | 45 | 6 |
| Leftover turkey, sliced | 120 | 2 | 40 | 18 |
| Leftover mashed potatoes | 230 | 9 | 33 | 2.1 |
| Cranberry sauce | 17 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Leftover stuffing | 60 | 0.9 | 11.1 | 1.6 |
| Lettuce | 7 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| TOTAL (one serving) | 988 | 47.7 | 148.2 | 31.5 |
Our team have created these tasty turkey and avocado quesadillas to add a Mexican twist as a Moist Maker alternative.
The Joey Special
Last but not least, it’s the Joey Special. This is Joey’s own signature pizza order, and while we don’t know specifically the type of pizza he orders, we know he always orders two. We’ve put together a macro split of our own Joey Special pizza, which comes with a topping of his other favourite, Italian meatballs. Per one pizza it’s:
- Calories: 1296
- Protein: 64g
- Fat: 80.6g
- Carbs: 81.1g
| Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) | |
| Pizza base | 296 | 7.4 | 46.8 | 8.3 |
| Pizza sauce | 35 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Garlic powder | 10 | 0 | 2.3 | 0.5 |
| Italian seasoning | 15 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 0.6 |
| Parmesan cheese | 110 | 7 | 1 | 11 |
| Onion | 29 | 0.2 | 7 | 1 |
| Italian meatballs | 540 | 44 | 14 | 24 |
| Mozzarella cheese | 136 | 10 | 0.4 | 10 |
| Cheddar cheese | 125 | 10.5 | 0.2 | 7.6 |
| TOTAL (per one pizza) | 1296 | 80.6 | 81.1 | 64 |
Looking for a fakeaway to try on the Friends reunion night? This BBQ chicken pizza with garlic herb dip is a must!
Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you're concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or introducing any major changes to your diet.
