While Thanksgiving’s most important aspect is to spend time with those you care for, people use the opportunity to flex their cooking skills and whip up some exquisite dishes. Turkey is often the main attraction, though side dishes are not to be under-appreciated. Last year, the Life Section went to battle over their favorite sides and this year is no different. Complementing the boring meat is usually stuffing, rolls, various casseroles and potato-based sides. We won’t explore whether cranberry sauce is a condiment or a full-blown side, but here are thoughts from the Life section about good and bad side dishes for 2024!
Ben Lassy, Life Editor (he/him/his):
Thanksgiving may just be the most food-oriented holiday that my family celebrates each year. Seemingly every member of the family has a certain dish that they either bring or expect to be brought to the table. So, the table is usually a patchwork of flavors, and people often sit closely to their certain casserole or style of turkey (my family is split on whether grilled or baked is better). Where am I among this cacophony? I am sitting awfully close to one side item, and as far away from another as possible. Last year I said corn was the best, but that is no longer.
The worst: Rolls. Although a safe carb option for most dinner tables, I think rolls are best served when you need a little extra to fill you up or have a soup that needs a dunker. But my mind has been made up on rolls at Thanksgiving. If you have a table full of potatoes, carb-forward casseroles and stuffing, those rolls are simply an unneeded waste of space on the plate.
The best: Stuffing. In my family, the traditional and cross-generational style stuffing is at the epicenter of the table. It’s a delightfully chunky, aromatic and heartwarming dish that brings out the best flavors of the turkey and goes with every other side dish. Truly the stuffing is glue that holds the whole dinner together and it often becomes a struggle to stop eating it in my family. When you’re stuffed after Thanksgiving, it’s usually thanks to the titular stuffing.
James Fitzpatrick, Associate Editor (he/him/his):
I’ll give a brief synopsis of my history with Thanksgiving food. Instances of sickness have spoiled my love for stuffing and my indifference for sweet potatoes transformed into hatred. I love rolls with butter and don’t enjoy the dry turkey that is often served at the table, though I’m more optimistic about it after last year’s slow-roasted turkey. Regardless, ham is my preferred meat of choice and goes perfectly with the rolls.
To back Ben’s point, I do not like corn in mashed potatoes. The clashing of textures is too much with the squishy corn and mushy mashed potatoes. I also don’t enjoy the over-cooked full potatoes, sweet or regular, even if they’re loaded. Cranberry sauce is too tart for my liking and doesn’t blend with any of the savory flavors of the main side dishes. I am under the presumption you need to save stomach storage for dessert, though.
As other members of the Life section will validate in tomorrow’s roundtable, pumpkin pie sucks, and I love blackberry and boysenberry pie even more now. Apple pie is whatever, and ice cream is always top tier when paired with some coffee
Noa Climor, Campus Correspondent (she/her/hers):
This is controversial, as food rankings often are, but I have a reason for everything. I only discovered Thanksgiving nine years ago when I moved to the United States, so I’m new to the business! But I do have some thoughts on the best and worst sides you can bring to the table.
The best are mashed potatoes … if done right. Dry mashed potatoes are evil and shouldn’t exist. One could argue that cranberry sauce is unnecessary, but I think it’s zesty and fun (if homemade). The canned version is, to me, not great. Stuffing is elite when made well, since it can soak up all the gravy, while mac and cheese is awesome no matter where you put it.
But the enemy? The enemy is the green bean casserole. I am very much a texture person, and the texture of green bean casserole makes me sad. Maybe I have only had bad ones, and I would be open to trying it again, but not anytime soon.
Maleena Muzio, Staff Writer (she/her/hers):
Turkey — the staple of Thanksgiving. It’s a symbol of the holiday itself. But do you know anyone who gets excited about eating the bland bird? I do not. We all know that Thanksgiving is all about the sides … and giving thanks of course!
The first category is vegetables. From green beans to carrots to squash, vegetables are prominent on Thanksgiving dinner tables. In my opinion, ranking at number one is: carrots. Carrots (boiled, specifically) are warm, soft and do not leave a bitter taste in your mouth. On the other end of the scale are Brussels sprouts. They do not go well with gravy, and they taste just a little too earthy to be on the plate.
Next up are mashed potatoes. Need I say more? Mashed potatoes are easily the best side of Thanksgiving. Mashed potatoes come in a variety of forms ranging from classic creamy mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or garlic and cheesy ones, they somehow manage to make turkey taste amazing. A bite of mashed potatoes with gravy followed by turkey is the perfect combo. Stuffing, which I would consider to be mashed potatoes’ biggest opponent, cannot compare.
An honorable mention for another best side is cranberry sauce — from the can — not homemade! Yes, for once the strangely packaged, slightly off-putting canned version of a food is better than the option made from scratch.
Whether or not you agree with this list, have an amazing holiday and make sure to eat these sides until you are stuffed!
Thatcher Slocum, Campus Correspondent (he/him/his):
It was tough deciding on the top and bottom side dishes. There are so many great ones, yet also so many that are grossly overrated. Every turkey I’ve eaten has been cooked dry to high heavens, but cranberry sauce never fails to moisten the meat and make it tastier. Collard greens tend to be too bitter, cornbread dry, and squash casserole — no thank you. My complaints out of the way, which side is the best, and which is the worst?
Worst: Stuffing. This is a controversial choice. I’ll admit that I do enjoy stuffing when cooked right, but I find that it’s far too easy to cook into a goopy mess. A poorly cooked, soggy stuffing leaves me feeling gross, bloated, and most importantly, very, very sad.
Best: Macaroni and cheese. I hadn’t considered this as a traditional Thanksgiving side until just a few years ago, when it finally started making appearances at my family’s annual Thanksgiving gatherings. Cheese works as a perfect complement to any palate, whether salty, sweet, sour, or spicy. There’s a reason cheese is a culinary staple in the world’s gastronomic capitals, such as France and Italy. With pasta serving as a perfect distributor of cheesiness, mac and cheese is difficult to do wrong, and always makes Thanksgiving dinner better.