Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving without classic foods that everyone loves and enjoys with their family and friends, but which is the best?
Thanksgiving has been celebrated since the days of the Pilgrims in Plymouth and the same classic foods have been served over the years. After many weeks of debate with classmates, family, and friends, I have determined some qualifications for the best “Thanksgiving Staples”—and, in turn, the best dishes on your table.
There are two categories by which to classify a Thanksgiving food—a top tier and a second tier.
The top tier consists of the most popular, most delicious, and most recognizable foods of the holiday. An example of top tier Thanksgiving food is turkey. Just about everyone loves it, nearly everyone has turkey at their Thanksgiving, and it is the food most associated with Thanksgiving.
Green beans are a classic second tier food. Sure, they are popular and eaten by many, but very few people are looking forward to Thanksgiving while saying, “I can’t wait for green beans.”
Once top tier foods are determined, another question: Is the food a “Thanksgiving Staple” or is it an excellent dish that has been made by the family for many years, but is for the most part specific to that family?
The staples include turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, apple pie, and pumpkin pie. All of these foods are eaten by almost every family.
I’ve chosen to rank the top-tier staple dishes, but we wonder which specific dishes are most beloved by your family?
6. Pumpkin Pie
While pumpkin pie is loved by many, I have always hated it. After stuffing myself with delicious dinner, I am looking for a sweeter dessert. Pumpkin pie does not deliver a sweet light dessert. It is too dense and has a bad ratio of filling to crust, the most essential part of a good pie.
5. Corn
Corn comes in many different forms and is a great addition to the Thanksgiving plate. It is something almost everyone enjoys, but very few consider their favorite. My sister freaked out when my mom told her we weren’t having regular corn and we are only having corn casserole, one of my favorites. (Although she freaked out about the corn, her favorite Thanksgiving food is actually mashed potatoes and gravy.)
4. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a favorite for many and the day wouldn’t be the same without them. They can be enjoyed with or without gravy. Soft and buttery, they are virtually impossible to mess up. They add all sorts of goodness to the plate and are essential to a Thanksgiving feast.
3. Apple Pie
Apple pie is pumpkin pie’s less popular counterpart, but is my favorite Thanksgiving dessert and one of my favorite desserts of all time. The warm pie filled with gooey apple and cinnamon goodness is a fantastic follow-up to the dinner meal. What makes apple pie so great is the ratio of filling to crust.
2. Stuffing
Stuffing is a “Thanksgiving Staple” at its finest. Very few people ever have stuffing outside of Thanksgiving weekend. Many restaurants that serve a turkey dinner don’t even serve stuffing with it. Some people don’t enjoy it, which keeps it from the number one spot, but it is deserving of high praise for it delicious accompaniment to turkey. Stuffing was often named in the top three Thanksgiving foods when I asked people their favorites.
1. Turkey
Imagine going to a Thanksgiving dinner only to find out there is no turkey. Would you be angry, sad, and disappointed? Chances are that your answer is yes. Sure, there are many ways to cook a turkey, and it can be easily messed up, but an excellent turkey could make a Thanksgiving feast fantastic by itself—while poorly made turkey can deflate the mood in a room and put a damper on the festive as it does in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Look at how excited everyone is before the cut, and the lack of joy after. They didn’t even care about all the other food. The turkey is a make or break for Thanksgiving.
