Thanksgiving is a middle of the list holiday for many people. But for me, it’s one of my favorites. Thanksgiving is a time that I get to eat all of my favorite foods and see my family. It is also at a time in the semester that is always overwhelmingly stressful. So, Thanksgiving seems to fall at the perfect time to rejuvenate students. With the holiday quickly approaching, I want to share my five favorite dishes on the table at my house every year.
Coming in at Number One: Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice baked potatoes are the star of the potato show. They are a perfect mixture of mashed and baked potatoes. My mom makes them with lots of cheese, bacon, green onions, and sour cream. Twice baked potatoes are also amazing left over, so they are an easy number one option on the list. Bonus points with gravy.
In Second Place: Green Bean Casserole.
This is a ride or die for me. Nothing beats green bean casserole. On Thanksgiving at my house, my mom makes two big dishes of it just so we can have plenty leftover. When I say green bean casserole, I don’t mean with real string green beans. I’m talking Green Giant green beans from the can. You just add a few cans of that to a dish, add some cream of mushroom soup, milk, pepper, and top it off with crispy fried onions. Absolutely phenomenal. And of course, even better with gravy.
In Third Place: Homemade Gravy
Homemade gravy is imperative to achieve the best Thanksgiving meal ever. If you have not made gravy before, it’s really simple. It is made with the juices from the turkey, add salt, pepper, onion powder, basically whatever spices you like, as well as some corn starch to thicken it and some gravy master. The secret ingredient in my family’s homemade gravy, is adding a few tablespoons of cold coffee. It sounds weird but, for some reason it makes it so much better. Gravy makes every food better. Whether it’s on your turkey, potatoes, bread roll, even green bean casserole, gravy is good for the soul.
Fourth Place: Stuffing
Stuffing, potatoes, and bread. The carb trifecta on Thanksgiving. So of course, it had to be on the list. My grandmother makes stuffing with sausage. It is one of the best comfort foods you could eat. Who doesn’t like fluffy stuffing? On my plate, it obviously gets drenched in gravy. There’s not much to say about stuffing because of course it is one of the best dishes on Thanksgiving. That speaks for itself.
In Last Place: Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is one of the Thanksgiving staples for many families. It may be in last place on the list, but it is definitely not last place in my heart. Cranberry sauce can either be homemade or canned. At my house, we usually have both since we can’t get enough of it. Cranberry sauce, just like gravy, is good on every dish on your large Thanksgiving plate. Cranberry sauce adds a bit of sweetness to cut the saltiness of other dishes.
Although food is a big part of Thanksgiving, this should be a time to reflect on your year and everything you have in your life. This holiday holds a tradition in my family and many others to each go around the table and say what you are thankful for. Sometimes, it can be small things like good grades in school. But other times it can be how thankful you are to have all the people that are sitting around that table. Some of our family members are not lucky enough to make it to the Thanksgiving table anymore. Whether it be death or distance traveled. Food is important on this holiday. But remember to be grateful for what you have in your life. Thank your family members who spend the whole day cooking that meal and work so hard to give you the life you have. Cherish the moments you spend with the people you love while you eat some of the best food of the year.