Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TAMU chapter.

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 is a second-year member of Her Campus at the Texas A&M Chapter. She is a part of the Events and Writing and Editing Committee. In these committees, she writes articles and helps plan gatherings for our chapter. She is excited to write articles about her favorite books, must-watch movies, and personal experiences in college. Lainie was born and raised in a town in East Texas called Lufkin. She graduated from Hudson High School with honors. Lainie is currently continuing her education as a freshman at Texas A&M University. She is currently an English major with a Sociology minor. With her undergraduate degree, Lainie hopes to work in publishing. 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 backward and has an encyclopedic knowledge of most mainstream book series. 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.