Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Connecting with extended family and sharing a delicious meal results in many memories. I always get excited to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade because watching it has become sort of a family tradition. I also love helping my mom cook the meal and get ready for everyone to come over. There are so many great foods that surround this tradition, and here are some of my family’s staples, ranked from my least to most favorite.
- Turkey
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Turkey is the quintessential Thanksgiving dish, but let’s be honest–it tends to be the least exciting thing you eat. It’s also the most stressful thing to cook. First, you have to decide if you are going to roast it or cook it some other way, and then you have to make sure to cook it for the right amount of time so it’s cooked but not dry. In my opinion, it also has the least amount of flavor out of all the Thanksgiving dishes. My plate is normally filled up with sides.
- Roasted Vegetables
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My mom’s roasted carrots are absolutely delicious. On Thanksgiving, we often have roasted carrots, asparagus, tomatoes, and corn as a side dish. Not only are they healthy, they are the best tasting vegetables I get each year. They are also pretty easy to make and full of flavor. They are super colorful and add a healthy element to the meal.
- Cranberry Sauce
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Cranberry sauce is another side that makes Thanksgiving what it is. I normally eat mine with the turkey, and the cranberry sauce is what makes the turkey taste good. My dad loves the canned stuff and my mom likes homemade, so we normally just have two different kinds of sauce. Cranberry sauce is also one of the things that I only eat on Thanksgiving, so it ranks higher on my personal list.
- Mashed Potatoes
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Mashed potatoes are the perfect comfort food. My aunt normally makes them, so I always associate mashed potatoes with family get togethers and holidays. We also like to have them with gravy, so that adds another element of Thanksgiving-ness to the dish. Mashed potatoes are a staple side dish in my family and they always bring up good memories of Thanksgivings from the past.
- Stuffing
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Stuffing is the best Thanksgiving side dish, hands down. It’s warm and savory and balances out all the other side dishes. My mom always makes it, and it’s fun to help make because it’s pretty simple. I also only have stuffing once or twice a year, so it is what I look forward to each Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is a time where I see most of my extended family and we all get to catch up. My family is very large, so it’s one of the few times a year we can all get together and have good conversations. I have many fond memories of sitting at the dining table and having long conversations over Thanksgiving dinner.