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person slicing pie besides bread
person slicing pie besides bread
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TAMU | Life

My Thanksgiving Favorites

Lainie Parker Student Contributor, Texas A&M University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TAMU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Thanksgiving is the holiday for foodies; there is no other holiday where all you gotta do is eat. I know when Thanksgiving comes around every year, I am asking my mom: “What are we having?” There are a few staples that she must say or it’s just not thanksgiving for me. Obviously, there is the normal ham and turkey that make the holiday what it is. The sides and desserts are really where you see who a family is.

Potatoes in any and every form. If you do not have potatoes, whether it’s mashed, roasted, or au gratin, it is not Thanksgiving. A good bite of turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes is the definition of perfection. Add a roll to the equation…. um yes please. My friend told me her grandma isn’t making potatoes at all this Thanksgiving, and all I have to say is, my heart goes out to that family during this hard time.

Speaking of rolls, if you don’t have bread of some kind that you can use later to make a leftover sandwich you are holiday-ing wrong. My mom usually finishes our meal midday so that we have a nap time before leftover sandwiches for dinner. My favorite rolls are the frozen ones from the grocery store. I swear I could eat them every day. The leftover sandwich is my dinner for the remainder of the weekend. Life hack for you college students: steal all the leftovers. 

Okay, this one is my most controversial, but I think broccoli cheese and rice casserole is a MUST HAVE. It is my holiday dish. It is rare for my grandmother to make it, but she always makes it for the holidays. It is the best casserole, we don’t need any other dish. I think my grandma puts magic or something in it. It’s delicious every year.

Everyone always thinks pies are the staples for thanksgiving desserts, but honestly… I hate pie. I think it’s strange. The crust is the best part of the pie and there is just not enough crust all around. For me, a good cake or brownies is better than a pecan pie or pumpkin pie. We are having some homemade bars and bread my sister-in-law made as well as the pies my mom is buying. I will not be partaking in the pies…

Lainie Parker

TAMU '26

Lainie Parker is a second-year member of Her Campus at the Texas A&M Chapter. She is the Editor-in-Chief and is the head of the Writing and Editing Committee. In this committee, she writes articles, helps other writers plan theirs, and edits and publishes all articles. She is excited to write articles about her favorite books, must-watch movies, and her personal college experiences. Her favorite thing to do is read the members' articles.

Lainie was born and raised in a town in East Texas called Lufkin. She graduated from Hudson High School. Lainie is currently continuing her education as a Junior at Texas A&M University. She is currently a double major, studying both English and Sociology. With her undergraduate degree, Lainie hopes to continue her education in Law School.

Lainie is a reader, cook, baker, movie enthusiast, and cat mom who loves to try new things. Some fun facts about her are that she can say the alphabet backwards and wants to own her own library. Lainie loves to hang out with friends when she isn’t napping between classes. Lainie is the epitome of an Aries and loves to learn more about her astrological chart.