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16 Classic Thanksgiving Foods, Ranked from Foul to Festive by a Food Editor

How did your faves fare?

classic thanksgiving foods ranked: brussels sprouts, pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes, side by side
ozdigital/bhofack2/Audrey Patsiga/Getty Images

The first Thanksgiving meal looked very different than the feast you’re probably used to. Dating back to November 1621, the first holiday’s menu likely included venison, onions, beans, mussels and squash, according to History—not a single mini marshmallow in sight. Nowadays, we have access to butter, potatoes and all the canned goods a host could want to pull off a monumental feast in a flash. But which expected dishes are actually worth preparing?

Using my food editor superpowers, I ranked 16 classic Thanksgiving foods below from nasty to necessary, so you can plan your menu accordingly. Sure, these are just one person’s opinions, and taste is subjective…but you may as well consider my reviews scientifically proven.

36 Classic Christmas Foods, Ranked from Ho-Ho-Horrible to Fa-La-La-Fabulous


16. Salad

It’s nice to have something green on the table, but there’s no world in which this dish outshines the rest. Raw vegetables are at the bottom of everyone’s to-eat list on Thanksgiving. And even if you serve it warm, gravy alone is more exciting. If you insist on a fall salad, opt for a board over a bowl for easy serving and chic presentation.

15. Turkey

It may be the centerpiece of every picture-perfect Thanksgiving table, but it often feels obligatory—not exciting. It can be a pain to cook a whole bird (especially for a just few people who could be fed with a breast or legs instead), and you’ll likely be stuck with tons of leftovers that you’ll dread eating in a day or two. I won’t blame you if you opt for lamb, chicken or steak instead, but if you’re a purist…

14. Green Bean Casserole

OK, I’ll admit it: I’m not a green bean girl. The best part of this old-school casserole is the crispy onions on top (you know, the store-bought French’s kind), and I personally wouldn’t go through the work of fancifying this dish to make it more appealing, say by making the mushroom cream from scratch or frying a bunch of shallots. However, wrapping the goods in flaky pie crust is enticing.

13. Gravy

Gravy is an essential Thanksgiving food, but I feel like it’s often used to mask the shortcomings of the rest of the menu. Like, if you need to douse the mashed potatoes in salty meat drippings for them to be flavorful, or drown your turkey, dinner rolls or biscuits to negate their dryness, it insults the gravy *and* emphasizes the weak spots of the meal.

12. Squash Anything

Butternut gang, please don’t hate me. Squash is tasty and all; I’m just more moved by creative applications than I am by the squash itself. For instance, I prefer pizza with butternut squash sauce over a squash boat filled with quinoa. Give me crispy, breaded delicata squash rings and butternut squash carbonara, not roasted chunks of gourd. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing the below herb-kissed, honey butter-drenched number on my plate.

11. Cornbread

It varies from cornbread to cornbread, but too often this side dish is crumbly, dry and grainy. If it’s moist and doesn’t fall apart when I drag it through my mashed potatoes, we’re in business. If not, I’ll pass.

10. Sweet Potato Casserole

I’ve taken so much flak for this over the years, but I’m such a sucker for sweet spuds in warm-spiced syrup, topped with toasted marshmallows. No one should be too good for this kitschy, nostalgic pairing, because it’s timeless and works for a reason. I’m partial to the potatoes being in pieces rather than mashed, but there’s no wrong way to serve this beaut.

9. Apple Pie

PSA: There’s nothing wrong with apple pie. There are just more exciting pies to choose from this time of year. If you have picky kids at the function, it’s an easy win (especially when paired with vanilla ice cream). But if you aren’t at the beck and call of a few teeny-tiny food critics, I implore you to give another dessert some love.

8. Mashed Potatoes

It’s arguably not Thanksgiving without them…but I’m more psyched about the rest of the menu. Also, the ideal mashed potatoes are subjective. Some like them purée-level smooth, some like them lumpy. Some prefer red potatoes to yellow or white. You can make them tangy and salty with sour cream and cream cheese, or opt for a plainer, oniony, garlicky situation. My point is that no one is turning spuds down, but it’s hard to make them in a way that wows everyone equally. However, I *do* love that they can be prepared in advance (or in 20 minutes…or in the microwave).

7. Biscuits

Of all the standard Thanksgiving bread options, nothing beats a fluffy, buttery, flaky biscuit. Even if you start with canned dough, the texture and flavor are unmatched. I always start my feast with one slathered in butter, then I use another one (or three…) as a spoon or dunking tool of sorts for everything else on my plate. And you know if there are leftovers, I’m using them as bookends for Thanksgiving sandwiches.

6. Cranberry Sauce

I’m always the only one at the table going absolutely ham on the cranberry sauce. No matter how it’s served, this sour, colorful accompaniment pairs beautifully with everything else on the menu. Make it for me fresh with whole cranberries and bright citrus or give it to me in slabs adorned with indents from a can. I’m devouring it either way.

5. Brussels Sprouts

I need to know who Brussels’ PR agent is, because I’ve never seen a rebrand quite this successful. Once known as one of the most detestable vegetables known to man, sprouts are now beloved by The People. (Is it just me, or is there some kind of charred, chili crisp-topped iteration at every fancy brewery and gastropub?) Their deliciousness is fully dependent on how they’re cooked, but I’d say bacon fat is a foolproof starting point.

4. Pumpkin Pie

She’s the It Girl of Thanksgiving dinner for a reason. Creamy, warm-spiced and begging for its Instagram closeup, pumpkin pie epitomizes everything folks love about fall baking. Even your conflict-averse aunties will come to near blows over the last slice. That said, the custard filling can be a bit fussy to prepare (but no one’s going to complain if you opt for a store-bought pumpkin pie instead).

3. Stuffing or Dressing

ICYMI, stuffing is stuffed in the cavity of a turkey (or another animal) and cooked, while dressing is a general term for a type of seasoning or sauce that goes with food. Some sources say they’re the same thing, but stuffing is cooked in the bird and dressing isn’t. Whatever you call this side, I’m eating at least three helpings of it, especially if it’s studded with bits of Italian sausage and teeming with fresh thyme. (I know I kinda talked s*** about cornbread earlier, but thisclassic Thanksgiving food is one use for it that I’ll devour with gusto.)

2. Mac and Cheese

Odds are you have the boxed kind on the regular. But there’s something about a baked, over-the-top mac and cheese that feels celebratory and special. IMO, it all comes down to the quality of the cheeses and the noodles not being overcooked. If you splurge on the good stuff and keep the texture al dente, this baked pasta is sure to steal the show. (I like mine with a generous dose of Louisiana-style hot sauce and a side of smoky, meaty collard greens, in case you’re wondering.)

1. Pecan Pie

She is beauty, she is grace, she’s my favorite classic Thanksgiving food of all time. The marriage of rich, sticky, sweet filling and crunchy, toasty nuts makes my taste buds short-circuit in the best way year after year. Eat it hot, eat it at room temp, eat it cold like a starved subway rat by the light of the fridge. There are countless ways to make pecan pie (black bottom for chocolate lovers, maple syrup instead of old-school corn syrup, infused with bourbon for a bit of razzle-dazzle), and I love them all. Pumpkin pie stans, don’t @ me—this is not your year.



taryn pire

Food Editor

  • Contributes to PureWow's food vertical
  • Spearheads PureWow's recipe vertical and newsletter
  • Studied English and writing at Ithaca College