Everyone has a favorite Thanksgiving food they look forward to if they celebrate the holiday. It could be anything from Turkey, the main event, to green bean casserole.
It’s tough not to anticipate the arguably most sizable meal you’ll have this year. The aromas of fall spices and savory delights fill your home leading up to Thanksgiving and on the big day.
SUNY Plattsburgh students shared their top tier Thanksgiving dishes, the unconventional recipes their families enjoy and their hot takes or unpopular opinions of Thanksgiving foods.
To start, Bree McLaughlin, a junior with a major in ecology favors one of the classics. They can’t get enough stuffing, but aren’t the hugest fan of mashed potatoes. “If I had to have one side it’ll always be stuffing over mashed potatoes,” they said.
As well, casseroles are a big deal dish, but have you ever heard of this one? “We do butternut squash casserole, which is sweet and savory, and I don’t hear a lot of people do that,” they said.
Samantha Svanter, a friend of McLaughlin and a junior with a major in communication sciences and disorders and a minor in psychology prefers a much sweeter option: sweet potato pie. “It’s sweet potatoes and you have marshmallows and cinnamon on top,” she said.
Bo Allen is a senior with a major in economics and has a minor in expeditionary studies. He chose candied yams as the best, one of the sweetest Thanksgiving sides.
Allen also mentioned a fascinating take on the traditional oven baked turkey. “Deep fried turkey is awesome,” he said. “That’s something my family started doing recently, and it’s usually an exciting thing to do.” He said you even need a special vessel just for this to be able to fit the whole turkey in.
Matthew Mulosmanai, a senior with a major in business administration, also picked candied yams as the number one food to have on Thanksgiving. When asked if his family enjoys any unconventional recipes, he said they strictly stick with the traditional meals, but that didn’t stop him from asking to try something new. “I wanted some fried chicken, but mom said that’s not Thanksgiving appropriate,” he said.
Mulosmanai also shared his hot take on one of the most hated Thanksgiving sides. “The cranberry sauce is actually really good; I love cranberry sauce,” he said. “I think everyone should just try it.”
Did anyone mention your favorite Thanksgiving dish or did they gloss over your front-runner? With so many contenders and varying Thanksgiving traditions, it’s probably bound to happen.
Either way, don’t forget this year to give thanks for all the delicious foods you are able to have. As well, make sure to take some time to acknowledge not everyone celebrates or thinks of thanksgiving as an occasion for family and friends to come together. Take a few minutes out of your day to look into the origins of thanksgiving and learn about the Indigenous Peoples’ land you are on.
For those who celebrate Thanksgiving, the food may be the main event, but it is just as important to remember the history of the U.S. and how this day came to be what it is today.