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What is Your Favorite Thanksgiving Dish?

November 24, 2010 by Nathan Bransford 126 Comments

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the USA, and for all of you folks outside the US who may not have experienced a traditional American Thanksgiving, it is quite the calorie-fest.

We gather together to ingest copious amounts of turkey, gravy, stuffing, honey baked ham, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, baked potatoes, basically lots of potatoes, our aunts’ amazing casseroles, something green that we pretend is healthy, rolls, cornbread, butter, and honey. Oh, and that’s before we get to dessert, where there’s pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, apple pie, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, whipped cream, ice cream, and a nap from pancreatic shock.

And if that’s not enough, some enterprising folks have recently decided that the Thanksgiving feast wasn’t insane enough, and came up with inventions such as deep fried turkeys and a turducken, which is a turkey stuffed with a chicken stuffed with a duck. And yes, there are even deep fried turduckens.

And on top of all that, there are Thanksgiving-specific regional and ethnic traditions that means everyone has their own unique Thanksgiving meal.

It is America, and it is awesome.

So. For those of you who have been fortunate enough to participate in this feast, what is your favorite dish? Which one keeps you salivating all morning long at the mere thought of eating it?

For me personally, I have been, and always will be, a pumpkin pie man. Can’t get enough of the pumpkin pie.

What about you?

Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: Culture, You Tell Me

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeigh says

    November 24, 2010 at 5:33 pm

    Ham and ham gravy. Forget about the turkey. Oh, and cherry pie. Mmmm.

    Reply
  2. barbarienne says

    November 24, 2010 at 5:38 pm

    In my family it's all about the stuffing.

    Wars have been fought over less contentious topics than who gets the in-the-bird stuffing instead of the pan-cooked stuffing.

    Tensions only escalated when I switched to a cornbread/morel/sage-sausage stuffing. We may have to call in UN Peacekeepers this year.

    Reply
  3. Ishta Mercurio says

    November 24, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    Stuffing!!! Smothered in gravy! Followed closely by pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream.

    Mmmmm…

    Reply
  4. D.G. Hudson says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:04 pm

    Baked yams (must be the deep orange ones though) laced with cinnamon, vanilla, & brown sugar – at a moderate level – and sometimes with a touch of brandy.

    Pumpkin pie would probably be a close second.

    Reply
  5. Steppe says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:19 pm

    Beta vulgaris eaten Terminator style.
    When my huge side dish of steamed beets arrives cooked for a precisely nutritious fifteen minutes and the room lights up with krinkled noses and choruses of Ewww… I know its Thanksgiving. My beet addiction is out of the closet and on full display to all four generations. When a hapless niece or nephew is stupid enough to ask me how I can eat that & tell me how bad they think it smells I go full Terminator style on them, "Just like one a yore diapers PUNK."
    Beets umm umm ummmm! I wish I could shake the hand, that shook the hand, of that Pilgrim who first traded some beets for a few leaves of tobacco.

    Reply
  6. Joyce Tremel says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:25 pm

    Stuffing made the fattening way with real butter and sausage.

    For dessert–cinnamon apple pie with caramel drizzled over it.

    Ha! Word verification is UNFULL. I don't think so!

    Reply
  7. Annikka Woods says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    It used to be deviled eggs, but since I seem to have developed an issue with eggs I can't have them.

    Now it's pumpkin pie (or pumpkin cheese cake if dad's doing dessert) and pecan pie. I also love the turkey, but more because I make my white enchiladas after the holiday with the leftover turkey, loads of cheese, and onions and chilies and all sorts of yummy stuff. *grin*

    Reply
  8. Danielle says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:47 pm

    Each member of my family has a different favorite dish. For me, it's mashed potatoes – I love mashed potatoes! – followed by butternut squash and apple pie or lemon meringue. Those are the dishes I look forward to. 😉

    Reply
  9. Anne R. Allen says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:53 pm

    My favorite part of the feast is the part my mom and I eat in the kitchen–picking bits of skin and stuffing off the turkey while we're carving it to take out to the table.

    Reply
  10. Melissa (Betty and Boo's Mommy) says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:54 pm

    Believe it or not, I actually saw a photo/recipe of a bacon-wrapped Turducken in honor of the holiday.

    For me, I am all about the stuffed and the mashed potatoes. I could make an entire dinner off of those alone.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  11. Confabulationists says

    November 24, 2010 at 6:59 pm

    My father's stuffing with Portuguese sausage (linguica and chorizo). One taste and you are addicted.

    Reply
  12. Sean says

    November 24, 2010 at 7:08 pm

    Stuffing, crunchy on the edges, with Jimmy Dean's Hot Sauasage. And Pumpkin pie chocolate cheesecake. And the Dallas Cowboys in HD! And turkey pizza rolls…

    Reply
  13. Tahereh says

    November 24, 2010 at 7:14 pm

    OMG PUMPKIN PIE ALL FOR TAHEREH

    PUMPKIN PIE IS BELONG TO TAHEREH! OM NOM NOM NOMMMMMMMMM

    Reply
  14. Yat-Yee says

    November 24, 2010 at 7:23 pm

    The first Thanksgiving I hosted at my house, I did the whole turkey and cranberry and pumpkin…Haven't cooked a turkey since. Duck is the way to go.

    My favorites are the side dishes: potatoes, Brussels sprouts, chestnuts. green beans, sweet potatoes (no marshmallows please!), stuffing.

    Hungry.

    Reply
  15. Down the well says

    November 24, 2010 at 7:38 pm

    The wine.

    Reply
  16. Dorothy L. Abrams says

    November 24, 2010 at 7:53 pm

    The very best thing on our Thanksgiving table (after the wine) is the stuffing- two kinds of stuffing. The traditional bread stuffing with quantities of chopped onion and celery mixed with broth, butter and eggs is baked separately in a casserole dish because the turkey is stuffed with sausage! Yes, sausage. Not bread crumbs and sausage. Sausage!

    Allow me to explain. Go to the butcher and buy Italian sweet sausage and hot sausage in a 4 to 1 ratio–that is 4 lbs of sweet sausage to 1 of hot. Mix thoroughly, meat to meat. Add nothing else. Stuff the neck cavity of the turkey with the sausage, pressing in as much as you can and lace the skin together to keep it inside. This makes your 20 lb turkey a 25 lb. turkey! Figure that into the cooking time please.

    When it is done, slice the sausage as you slice the breast meat. Because of the fat in the sausage, your turkey will be moist through out (without basting) and faintly flavored with sausage seasonings from the juices and fragrance. (Of course you should season the turkey as you normally would prior to stuffing and baking.

    My stepson insists on using a more conventional breakfast sausage, but it is not the same. However, in either case, there are few sausage left overs for anybody to take home. It is indeed the best!

    Reply
  17. February Grace says

    November 24, 2010 at 7:54 pm

    I know what I wouldn't want- are they still making those awful Turducken things? I mean, talk about overkill…Frankenstein's holiday dinner.

    Potatoes are the best. Fried. Mashed. Scalloped. I never met a potato I didn't like.

    Can I just say quickly- on my "to be thankful for" list this year, is this blog and more directly, your kindness and generosity to all of us, Mr. Bransford.

    Sure, I may tease you (repeatedly) about really being Luke Skywalker (we kid cause we love) but you truly do have the benevolence and wisdom of the Jedi. You are our beloved Jedi Master of Writing. And you write too, so you get why we're all crazy.

    All joking aside, your posts here have been a major help to me the past year in my own writerly journey in that I definitely know what I don't want and that knowledge will save me untold angst.

    So from me and my family, thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    ~bru

    Reply
  18. Liz says

    November 24, 2010 at 7:56 pm

    The stuffing. My grandma has a special recipe that I look forward to every year. Sooo good!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  19. Other Lisa says

    November 24, 2010 at 7:57 pm

    Stuffing, followed by pie. Pumpkin and mince!

    Reply
  20. Anonymous says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:02 pm

    I prefer bangers and beans.

    Reply
  21. Diana says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    The whipped cream that is put on top of the pumpkin pie. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Scooter Carlyle says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    A dark chocolate cream pie is a staple at my family's. My mom also makes a yam side dish with fresh yams, apples, sometimes peaches, tons of cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter.

    HEAVEN.

    Reply
  23. J. T. Shea says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:11 pm

    Revenge! Best eaten cold. MMMWWWAAAHHHAAAHHHAAA!

    And pizza. For my brother's birthday party. Even though we're both Americans. Deep-fried turducken pizza topping, maybe?

    Reply
  24. J. T. Shea says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:13 pm

    And a very happy Thanksgiving to Nathan and all my fellow commenters!

    Reply
  25. Abel Christopher says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    Pumpkin Pie no question. Pumpkin pie milkshakes (Jack in the Box) are, in fact, my single favorite thing about the holiday season.

    Stuffing though is a close second.

    Reply
  26. T. Anne says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:29 pm

    I think mashed potatoes and gravy are my all time favorite comfort food. Pumpkin pie is a close second. I'm baking those right now BTW! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Enjoy! Remember, there are no calories tomorrow. 😉

    Reply
  27. Richard Mabry says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:36 pm

    Cornbread stuffing with plenty of sage. The recipe was passed down from my grandmother, but later I found it in the Southern Living Cookbook.

    Reply
  28. Jeanne says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:47 pm

    I pretty much love everything between "copious amounts" and "pancreatic shock", with a good green bean casserole added. My personal favorite, which is also my standard potluck contribution, is a Tex-Mex Hominy casserole (note: I'm Ohio born and bred).

    Generously butter a 9×9 baking dish. Add two 15-oz cans white hominy (drained), about a cup or so of sour cream, a 7-oz can of green chilies (NOT jalapenos, as I learned the hard way one year), and a cup or so of your favorite shredded cheese blend. I like the Mexican Blend myself. Toss together, top with more cheese. Put in a 350 oven for about 10-15 minutes until it's all gooey and golden brown on top. Make a personal version while you're at it, because there will be no leftovers.

    But by far, my favorite holiday side dish is actually the main course–warm family harmony, laughter and togetherness. May you and your families enjoy abundant servings.

    Reply
  29. Nicole L Rivera says

    November 24, 2010 at 8:53 pm

    Pretty much anything pumpkin and sweet. Plus my mother-in-law makes this awesome Panamanian Arroz con Gondules (Rice with some weird looking beans — but they taste awesome!!!) Oh, and stuffing. Got to love the stuffing 🙂 Happy TG!

    Reply
  30. heyjude says

    November 24, 2010 at 9:01 pm

    Save me a piece of the pumpkin pie. I had some back in October on our Canadian Thanksgiving, but I'm game for more.

    Reply
  31. Jeni says

    November 24, 2010 at 9:02 pm

    I am all about the homemade stuffing (with a little dollop of gravy). Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  32. Kay Elam says

    November 24, 2010 at 9:10 pm

    My mom's dressing for which there was no written recipe. Before she died, I asked her to tell me, step by step, how to make it.

    She said to first make a pan of cornbread in a cast iron skillet. I was a young bride and instead of just writing that down I naively asked, "How do you do that?"

    She sighed, shook her head and said, "Never mind."

    I miss my mom and at Thanksgiving I really miss her dressing 🙂

    Reply
  33. You know who says

    November 24, 2010 at 9:14 pm

    One of our family favorites is Frog Eye Salad. My aunt introduced it to us when she married my uncle. Anyone who is new to the table is always made to believe we actually use Frogs' eyes for the salad. It is very yummy and has ended up spilling into each of our family gatherings. My aunt always has to double the recipe 'cause she knows we will all ask to take some home. The recipe can be found at https://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Frog-Eye-Salad/Detail.aspx When my aunt does it, she leaves out the coconut and marshmallows. Happy holidays, All!

    Reply
  34. dwkazzie says

    November 24, 2010 at 9:22 pm

    Once I started brining our Thanksgiving turkey, it became my favorite dish … and my favorite part of making the dinner.

    Reply
  35. Anonymous says

    November 24, 2010 at 10:13 pm

    Humble pie with cream . Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone !

    Reply
  36. Ada says

    November 24, 2010 at 11:12 pm

    Stuffing! Yum, yum, yum.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  37. Brenda says

    November 24, 2010 at 11:18 pm

    I love brussel sprouts

    Reply
  38. Sierra Gardner says

    November 24, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    I grew up eating this amazing green jello salad that is (seriously) a lot better than it sounds. It's basically melted marshmallows, milk, lime jello, mayo (you don't taste it), pineapple, cream cheese, cool whip and pecans. It's terrible for you – which is probably why it tastes soooooo good. And it's even better the second day. Can't wait!

    Reply
  39. Suzie F. says

    November 24, 2010 at 11:55 pm

    The whole meal is fantastic, but my favorites would have to be the homemade stuffing and my niece's garlic mashed potatos. Oh! and hot buttery rolls. For dessert, warm apple pie with vanilla icecream!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  40. Vincent Kale says

    November 24, 2010 at 11:57 pm

    The Gobblerito! A burrito stuffed with everything having to do with Thanksgiving: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, stuffing and a side o' cranberry sauce. It's. uh. mazing!

    Reply
  41. Anonymous says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:00 am

    Favorite? Are you nuts? Let's see, Pumpkin Chocolate Tart. No, that's not it. Caramelized Onion Sage Cornbread stuffing? Perhaps, but still not right. Ah, I've got it! It's the Turkey. Always. I love my turkey, with its bacon covered breast, rubbed under the skin with sage butter. Come to Mama, turkey baby. Tomorrow, you're getting yours.

    Reply
  42. Elaine AM Smith says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:13 am

    Two vast celebratory meals within a month of the other? Three is you count New Years Eve – party hard!

    Reply
  43. Elaine AM Smith says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:14 am

    Happy Thanksgiving 🙂

    Reply
  44. Amy says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:22 am

    Thanksgiving at my house is more like a collision of cultures. We are a rather multi-cultural bunch hailing from pretty much every where with the food to reflect. I can't narrow it down to just one but I can to the top three. I just love baccalhau a bras, breeches (a green bean dish) and spring rolls.

    Reply
  45. Betty Atkins Dominguez says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:22 am

    I love stuffing (cornmeal type)with gravy all over it and yummy whole cranberry sauce. Everything in our meal is handmade. This year we are celebrating with my son-in-laws family. My whole family joining with his whole family. Since they are from Mexico, this means I'll get to try all of their traditions as well. Can barely wait til tomorrow!!

    Reply
  46. swampfox says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:39 am

    For me it's about the stuffing. If only I could have the celery and yellow onion stuffing my mother used to make. That was tops. Still, I like the stuffing whoever makes it.

    Don't forget the candied yams!

    Then, while everyone's sitting around digesting, I'm in the computer room revising my third novel!

    Until my wife notices I'm gone…

    Reply
  47. William Jones says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:52 am

    My dad's baked beans. I normally don't like beans, but I can't get enough of them when he makes them. He uses chunks of beef, bacon, onion's, brown sugar, and onions.

    Reply
  48. Carson Lee says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:52 am

    Concur on the pumpkin pie, + watching episode of "Bewitched" where Aunt Clara mistakenly zaps herself and the Stephens family back to Plymouth, and they have to try to fit in with the Pilgrims until Aunt Clara can remember the spell to send them back to the (good old) 1960s – !

    Reply
  49. William Jones says

    November 25, 2010 at 12:53 am

    I meant to say Pinapple instead of onion's a second time. Oops.

    Reply
  50. salima says

    November 25, 2010 at 1:05 am

    roasted set potatoes!:) butter! cinnamon!!! yumminess!

    Reply
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