Thanksgiving: Traditional Food

What are traditional Thanksgiving foods?

For this post, “traditional” means things that show up in U.S. commercials, Hallmark movies, and the like. In other words, “traditional” for this post means the things people would likely say on Family Feud if asked to name a Thanksgiving food.

Even so, keep in mind that the U.S. is made up of people from many cultures. This diversity will be reflected in the foods traditionally eaten at holidays, even if they aren’t listed in traditional Thanksgiving menus.

Breads

Dinner rolls are traditionally served at Thanksgiving dinner in the U.S. Some families prefer Pillsbury Crescents. 

Other yeast breads and rolls may be served at Thanksgiving, but in the US, the traditional Thanksgiving dinner rolls will always be made with white flour and yeast.  

Cornbread may also be served at Thanksgiving, but it is not as common on a traditional menu as yeast dinner rolls. Sometimes cornbread is made into a casserole or pudding.

Dressing, or stuffing, made from stale white bread cubes and seasoned with sage and celery is essential for many Thanksgiving tables. Bread dressing, or stuffing, is served as a savory side dish. Dressing, or stuffing, may also be made with cornbread.

Vegetables Other Than Potatoes

Green beans, carrots, and corn are often served as Thanksgiving side dishes. Exactly how they are prepared varies. Only one or two of the three vegetables may be served. Other vegetables may also be included in the menu.

Green bean casserole, often topped with McCormick’s Crispy Fried Onions, is nearly as synonymous with Thanksgiving dinner as turkey is. Green bean casserole is either comfort food or an acquired taste.

Broccoli casserole is an alternative to green bean casserole. Like green bean casserole, there are many variations to broccoli casserole.

Brussels sprouts are less common than green beans, but they still show up on many Thanksgiving menus. Often, Brussels sprouts are roasted. 

Carrots, usually glazed in a sweet sauce, are another brightly colored vegetable that shows up on Thanksgiving tables. It is possible to find recipes for savory carrots, but the more traditional preparations use honey or brown sugar.
​
Corn kernels may be served boiled and topped with butter, salt, and pepper. They may also be creamed or made into corn pudding. 

Corn pudding, like green bean casserole, is either comfort food or an acquired taste. Corn pudding also straddles the line between side dish and dessert, like sweet potatoes with marshmallows does.

Curiously, seasonal vegetables like acorn squash are not part of traditional Thanksgiving dinner menus.

Meat

Turkey is the most well-known protein that is served on Thanksgiving Day. Some families in the U.S. serve other meat instead. Examples include ham, roast beef, goose, or seafood. 

Today there are vegetarian protein options to replace the meat course, but these would not be considered traditional Thanksgiving foods.

Potatoes and Other Starches

Mashed potatoes, often with brown gravy made from the turkey drippings, are a traditional Thanksgiving side dish. 

Sweet potatoes are another common Thanksgiving side dish. You can decide if sweet potato casserole with mini marshmallows is a side dish or a dessert. 

Other preparations of white or Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams are also traditional Thanksgiving side dishes.

Relishes

Cranberry sauce is the traditional relish for turkey. Cranberry sauce can be jellied and smooth or have whole cranberries. Whole-berry cranberry sauce is easy to make and there are many variations.

Desserts

Pies are the dessert of choice for a traditional US Thanksgiving dinner. 

Pumpkin pie is most associated with Thanksgiving. Apple pie is a close second.

Sweet potato pie is an alternate choice to pumpkin pie. Some people will argue over whether pumpkin or sweet potato pie is best. Personally, I like a slice of each.

Other desserts are served at Thanksgiving, but pie wins in popularity for traditional menus. Usually, multiple types of pie are served.

Beverages

To my knowledge, there are no traditional Thanksgiving beverages or drinks that are culturally associated with the holiday. 

My vote is to serve apple cider, since that is culturally associated with autumn and Thanksgiving is a fall holiday.