One of the greatest “friendly” Thanksgiving Day arguments is which side dish is the best.
Someone has to referee it, so it might as well be me!
As a starting point, here are, in my opinion, the 10 greatest Thanksgiving sides of all time.
Points were awarded for:
– Taste: Duh!
– Universality: YOUR family might eat beanie weenies every Thanksgiving, but…
– The Turkey Test: How big would the backlash be if you didn’t have it?
Here are the top 10 sides…
Shutterstock
Cranberry sauce is refreshing, but is it really anyone’s favorite?
Still, like some of our less-popular relatives, it’s gotta be invited to Thanksgiving dinner, and it wouldn’t be quite the same without it!
Shutterstock
Spoiler alert: Mashed potatoes are further down this list.
But, at least for me, it’s absolutely joyous when there’s not one but two potato dishes to enjoy!
Take your pick of scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, baked potatoes, or any of the other beautiful potato sides.
Shutterstock
A Southern staple, it may not be loved by everyone, but those who do love collard greens have enough love for the rest of us!
Shutterstock
Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese?
The only potential technicality that the Thanksgiving lawyers may bring up is that it’s probably less known as a Thanksgiving-specific side than some of the other sides on this list.
Still, it’s common enough, and the taste makes up for it!
Shutterstock
Steamed corn is my corn of choice, but more elaborate creations are also welcome!
For example, a corn casserole or creamed corn. Both … yum!
Shutterstock
So popular!
The green beans, the cream of mushroom soup, and the french fried onions work so seamlessly together.
Especially if you get it while the onions are still crispy!
Shutterstock
You NEED some dinner rolls to sop up the gravy or make little Thanksgiving sliders.
A big, fresh-baked loaf of tear-able bread is also a winner.
Shutterstock
This one’s a classic!
It’s so good that none of us make the obvious argument that this is really a dessert vs. a side dish.
But we’d just be shooting ourselves in the foot if we did. Long live dessert during the main course followed by pumpkin pie and its friends during the dessert round!
Shutterstock
Ideally the mashed potatoes are so buttery that you don’t even need gravy.
I mean, you still grab the gravy, though.
Shutterstock
Whether you call it stuffing or dressing (I’m here for the fight in the comments section!), this is the clear #1!
I don’t care if it’s your grandmother’s cornbread dressing or store-bought Stove Top stuffing.
The bottom line is it’s delicious, it elevates the turkey, and it rarely comes out to play on other days.
There you have it…the definitive top 10 Thanksgiving side dishes of all time!
Feel free to argue with me … just pass me some butter while you do!
Shutterstock
Leave a Comment