Thanksgiving isn’t only a vacation—it’s a full-on meals marathon. The meals on Thanksgiving dinner tables are legendary, every with a narrative, a fan membership, and generally a heated debate connected. From turkey to pies, each dish earns its spot otherwise. Some meals are icons, holding down custom for generations, whereas others solely cling round as a result of, nicely, it wouldn’t really feel like Thanksgiving with out them.
This rating is about extra than simply taste—it’s about custom, vibe, and the way every dish really performs when it’s time to eat. Some thanksgiving dishes hit like a champion, making you need seconds earlier than you’ve even completed your plate. Others are overrated, messy, or simply there to make the desk look full. And let’s be trustworthy: meals styling can trick you, however messy plates and overloaded forks are the true coronary heart of the meal.
So seize your fork and prepare for some sizzling takes. From turkey glory to pie wars, I’m breaking down the Thanksgiving dinner menu from greatest to worst. Some dishes deserve crowns, others deserve shade, and some in all probability have to retire already. Agree with me or not, that’s the enjoyable—simply don’t struggle me for the final dinner roll.
1. Turkey: The Star of the Present
Turkey is the face of meals on Thanksgiving dinner, the dish individuals image once they hear “vacation meal.” The thanksgiving turkey sits within the middle of the vacation desk, golden brown, roasted to perfection, and introduced out with sufficient drama to make everybody cease speaking and begin drooling. It’s the entire fowl second, the one which makes the normal Thanksgiving dinner really feel full.
However right here’s the catch: turkey is a high-risk, high-reward dish. When cooked proper—with butter rubbed below the pores and skin, kosher salt sprinkled generously, and persistence within the oven—it’s juicy, flavorful, and unforgettable. When overcooked, although? Dry, stringy, and disappointing. No person needs to chew cardboard on the most important meals vacation of the 12 months. That’s why gravy is turkey’s greatest buddy. Pour on giblet gravy and abruptly the fowl is saved.
Turkey might not win “greatest taste” in comparison with wealthy stuffing or spiced pumpkin pie, but it surely’s the image of the feast. Even when individuals strive turkey options—ham, rooster, prime rib—nothing replaces the sight of a carved roast turkey. Custom makes it untouchable, and leftovers make it legendary. Turkey is king, even when it wants a bit gravy crown.
2. Stuffing: The True MVP
If turkey is king, stuffing is the energy behind the throne. That is the dish that quietly outshines the fowl on many plates. Stuffing—savory bread, herbs, onions, and perhaps sausage or chestnuts—brings taste and coronary heart to the Thanksgiving unfold. Whether or not you name it stuffing or dressing, it’s important. Bake it contained in the fowl and it soaks up juices, or cook dinner it individually and also you get that crispy golden prime everybody fights over. Both means, it wins.
However let’s be actual: stuffing can flop. When it’s bland, soggy, or below seasoned, it falls quick within the rankings. No person needs moist bread on their plate. Nonetheless, most households have their very own stuffing recipe handed down like treasure, and the correct one is unbeatable. Cornbread dressing within the South, oyster stuffing on the coast, sausage-loaded pans up North—each model has its loyal followers.
Stuffing isn’t only a aspect dish. It’s custom, nostalgia, and the dish individuals dream about greater than turkey itself. On many plates, it’s the primary chew and the final chew. With out stuffing, Thanksgiving feels unfinished. And truthfully? It deserves MVP extra usually than it will get.
3. Mashed Potatoes: Consolation in a Bowl
Mashed potatoes are the consolation blanket of meals on Thanksgiving dinner. Creamy, fluffy, buttery—they’re easy, however they anchor the plate. With out mashed potatoes, the place would the gravy go? They’re the proper accomplice to turkey, the impartial base that makes each chew higher. On a plate full of daring flavors, mashed potatoes are regular and reliable.
The recipe is deceptively easy: potatoes, butter, cream, and salt. That’s all you want for greatness. However mashed potatoes can crash exhausting when executed unsuitable. Lumpy, gluey, watery, or under-seasoned potatoes will tank the dish’s rating quick. The most effective variations, although, are dreamy: easy with simply the correct seasoning, perhaps with roasted garlic or melted cheese for aptitude.
And let’s not neglect meals styling magic—a fluffy pile of potatoes with a pat of butter melting into the middle is picture-perfect. Youngsters eat them with out fuss, choosy eaters dig in fortunately, and leftovers may be repurposed into fried potato patties. You’ll be able to eat potatoes 12 months spherical, however on Thanksgiving, they’re sacred. Mashed potatoes is probably not dramatic, however they’re at all times reliable—consolation in each spoonful, and simply top-tier within the rankings.
4. Gravy: The Liquid Gold
Gravy is the fixer, the savior, the glue that holds all the Thanksgiving meal collectively. With out it, turkey dangers being dry, mashed potatoes danger being boring, and stuffing dangers feeling incomplete. With it? Each chew turns into magic. That’s why gravy ranks so excessive—it is probably not the star, but it surely’s the dish that rescues the celebs.
The key weapon is giblet gravy. These turkey drippings combined with flour and broth create a sauce that’s wealthy, flavorful, and unforgettable. However gravy is a balancing act. Too skinny and it’s watery unhappiness. Too thick and also you’re spooning paste. Unhealthy gravy drags the entire meal down, however nice gravy? It elevates all the things on the plate.
Gravy can also be the hero of leftovers. Chilly turkey sandwich? Add gravy. Dry stuffing? Gravy. Subsequent-day reheated mashed potatoes? Gravy to the rescue. It’s the one dish that retains working lengthy after Thanksgiving Day. Whereas it doesn’t sit within the highlight like turkey or stuffing, gravy earns its place within the prime tier by making all the things else style higher. With out gravy, the Thanksgiving dinner menu feels damaged. With it, even errors flip into victories.
5. Candy Potatoes: The Candy Insurgent
Candy potatoes are the wild card amongst meals on Thanksgiving dinner. They don’t comply with the foundations—half aspect dish, half dessert, totally controversial. Some households roast them merely with butter and herbs. Others go all out with candied yams, topping them with maple syrup, pecans, or a gooey marshmallow crown. Both means, candy potatoes add drama and shade to the desk.
However right here’s the place they slip within the rankings—they’re not for everybody. Some individuals can’t deal with the candy conflict towards savory turkey and stuffing. Others complain it seems like consuming dessert too early. At their greatest, although, candy potatoes steadiness the heavy richness of the meal with vibrant taste. At their worst, they style like sweet that wandered onto the unsuitable plate.
Nonetheless, candy potatoes convey life to the Thanksgiving unfold. Their vibrant orange glow makes meals styling look wonderful, and their versatility means there’s a model for everybody. They’re not top-tier like stuffing, however they’ve earned a spot close to the center of the pack—controversial, distinctive, and unforgettable.
6. Cranberry Sauce: The Tart Bother-Maker
Cranberry sauce is the diva of meals on Thanksgiving dinner. Shiny, tart, and unapologetically daring, it cuts via the buttery heaviness of the vacation meal like a pointy comment on the dinner desk. One spoonful wakes your palate up, refreshing you for an additional spherical of turkey and mashed potatoes.
However right here’s the issue: cranberry sauce is polarizing. Staff Canned loves these jiggly, sliceable cylinders. Staff Home made swears nothing beats simmered cranberries with sugar, orange zest, and perhaps maple syrup. After which there’s the group that doesn’t contact it in any respect. On some tables, it’s the star sidekick. On others, it’s virtually ornament.
That love-it-or-hate-it power is strictly why cranberry sauce sits firmly in the course of the rating. It’s not important like stuffing or gravy, but it surely’s not forgettable both. At its greatest, it’s the refreshing distinction each plate wants. At its worst, it sits untouched, ready to be scraped into leftovers no person claims. Cranberry sauce is daring, however daring doesn’t at all times win.
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7. Pumpkin Pie: The Candy Finale
Pumpkin pie is the undisputed king of meals on Thanksgiving dinner desserts. Spiced pumpkin filling in a flaky crust, topped with whipped cream—it’s custom baked right into a pie pan. With out it, Thanksgiving feels unfinished. That’s why pumpkin pie ranks close to the very prime of desserts.
The power of pumpkin pie lies in its consistency. It’s at all times cozy, at all times flavorful, and at all times feels proper on the finish of a heavy meal. No different dessert carries the identical “vacation signature” energy. However right here’s the trustworthy critique: pumpkin pie can get boring if it’s the one dessert on the desk. That’s the place pecan or apple pie swoop in so as to add selection.
Nonetheless, pumpkin pie is the basic. Even those that declare they don’t prefer it often take a small slice “simply because it’s Thanksgiving.” That loyalty retains it from ever slipping within the rankings. At worst, it’s predictable. At greatest, it’s perfection. Both means, pumpkin pie is the finale Thanksgiving wants.
8. Brussels Sprouts: The Glow-Up Veggie
Brussels sprouts was once the villain of the dinner desk. Bitter, mushy, dreaded by children in all places. However then somebody roasted them, tossed them with bacon, butter, or maple syrup, and abruptly brussels sprouts turned a foodie darling. On Thanksgiving, they’re the veggie that redeemed itself.
Nonetheless, let’s not exaggerate their significance. Sure, crispy roasted brussels sprouts may be scrumptious. Sure, they add much-needed shade and freshness to the unfold. However irrespective of how fashionable they’ve grow to be, they’re by no means going to outshine stuffing or mashed potatoes. Individuals might take a scoop, however most are saving room for pie.
Brussels sprouts are ranked mid-to-low for one cause: they’re filler. Good filler, certain, however filler nonetheless. They maintain the plate from wanting like a beige carb explosion, they usually make you’re feeling barely higher about consuming three sorts of pie. That mentioned, they’ll by no means be the dish individuals struggle over.
9. Cornbread Dressing: Southern Soul with Limits
Cornbread dressing is a regional star. Within the South, it’s non-negotiable—a crumbly, buttery, barely candy dish that soaks up gravy like a dream. It’s hearty, cozy, and stuffed with taste. Households that grew up with it swear it outranks conventional stuffing any day.
However right here’s the factor—it doesn’t seem on each meals on Thanksgiving dinner desk. Outdoors of sure areas, cornbread dressing is extra of a novelty than a convention. That retains it decrease within the general rankings. It’s scrumptious, however not common.
The flavour is wealthy, the feel rustic, and it pairs superbly with roast turkey. Meals styling additionally loves it—the golden, crumbly look screams “genuine vacation.” However as a result of it’s not as widespread, it falls in need of top-tier. Cornbread dressing is a beloved basic for some, however for others, it’s the dish they’ve solely heard about in New York Occasions articles, not their very own kitchens.
10. Dinner Rolls: The Quiet Important
Dinner rolls are the peacekeepers of meals on Thanksgiving dinner. Comfortable, buttery, and at all times welcome, they don’t compete for consideration like turkey or pumpkin pie. As an alternative, they sit quietly on the aspect, ready to be become little taste autos. One roll with butter? Consolation. Two rolls filled with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce? Pure genius.
However right here’s the fact—dinner rolls by no means steal the highlight. Nobody sits down on the desk enthusiastic about rolls. They’re the backup singers, not the lead vocalist. With out them, you’d discover one thing’s lacking, however with them, you not often rave about how life-changing they have been. That’s why they land in the course of the rankings: reliable, helpful, however not unforgettable.
Nonetheless, rolls shine throughout leftovers. The most effective day-after Thanksgiving sandwiches are at all times constructed with mushy, pillowy rolls. That alone boosts their rating. Rolls are just like the glue of the Thanksgiving meal—obligatory, versatile, and at all times there to absorb gravy. They’re by no means top-tier, however they’ll by no means fall to the underside both.
11. Potato Salad: The Underrated Visitor
Potato salad is the wildcard of Thanksgiving. For some households, it’s a daily on the desk. For others, it’s an entire curveball. Creamy, tangy, and refreshing, potato salad may be the cool breeze on an in any other case heavy plate of carbs. However right here’s the catch—it’s competing with mashed potatoes. And amongst meals on Thanksgiving dinner, mashed potatoes at all times win.
That competitors retains potato salad from rating excessive. It’s scrumptious, sure, and it balances the meal with mayo-based creaminess and a touch of acidity. However it additionally feels just like the dish that belongs extra at a summer time cookout than a fall feast. On the Thanksgiving unfold, it feels barely misplaced.
Nonetheless, when executed proper, it earns respect. Further pickles, mustard, and even bacon can elevate it. However it’s at all times taking part in second fiddle to the extra conventional potato dishes. Potato salad is the enjoyable cousin who exhibits up uninvited and someway nonetheless will get a spot on the desk—welcome, however by no means important.
12. Carrots: The Shiny Pop of Colour
Carrots are the dependable background character of the meals on Thanksgiving dinner plate. Roasted with herbs, glazed with honey, or served plain, they add a flash of orange to an in any other case beige unfold. Visually, they’re a lifesaver. Taste-wise, they’re superb—however “superb” doesn’t win the vacation.
The issue is carrots not often excite anybody. Individuals pile on stuffing, potatoes, and turkey first. Carrots get added as a guilt-driven afterthought—“I ought to have a vegetable.” They’re higher than nothing, however they’ll by no means compete with inexperienced bean casserole or brussels sprouts by way of character.
That mentioned, carrots do their job. They steadiness the heaviness of gravy and stuffing with a contact of sweetness, they usually’re simple to organize in large batches. Nonetheless, within the rankings, they hover close to the underside. Thanksgiving is a vacation of indulgence, and carrots really feel too secure, too wholesome, too forgettable. They’re obligatory for steadiness, however not memorable sufficient to climb larger.
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13. Inexperienced Bean Casserole: Creamy Traditional or Outdated Relic
Inexperienced bean casserole has been driving the meals on Thanksgiving dinner wave because the Fifties, however let’s be trustworthy—it’s a dish individuals really feel obligated to serve multiple they really crave. Creamy mushroom soup base, tender inexperienced beans, and crispy onions on prime—it’s consolation meals by design.
The nice? The crispy onions are irresistible, and the creamy texture performs properly with turkey and stuffing. The unhealthy? Mushy inexperienced beans and bland sauce can flip it into a tragic beige pile. It’s a dish that ranks otherwise relying on who you ask. For some, it’s sacred. For others, it’s skippable.
Meals styling loves it—the golden topping makes it pop on the vacation desk. However honestly, no person is storming the kitchen for seconds of inexperienced bean casserole when pumpkin pie is ready. It’s a stable mid-tier Thanksgiving dish: dependable, conventional, however not within the working for better of the most effective.
14. Pecan Pie & Apple Pie: All-American Consolation
If pumpkin pie is custom, pecan pie is indulgence. Sticky, nutty, and unapologetically candy, it’s the dessert that makes you lean again in your chair and say, “Okay, perhaps only one extra chew.” Pecan pie won’t be the default selection for each household, however when it exhibits up, it’s unforgettable.
The place it loses factors is accessibility. Not everybody loves the intensely candy filling, and the chewy texture may be divisive. It’s additionally so wealthy that one slice usually seems like sufficient. However by way of taste affect? It ranks excessive. It’s daring, it’s dramatic, and it earns its seat on the dessert desk. Meals-wise, pecan pie is the vacation flex. Pumpkin could be the basic, however pecan brings aptitude. It’s not probably the most common, which retains it from outranking pumpkin, but it surely constantly lands within the prime half of the rankings. Candy, sticky, and barely over-the-top—pecan pie is aware of precisely what it’s doing.
Apple pie isn’t simply dessert—it’s consolation meals at its best. Heat spiced apples wrapped in a flaky crust, usually topped with vanilla ice cream, make it a robust contender for greatest Thanksgiving dessert. Not like pumpkin or pecan pie, apple pie feels lighter, brisker, and extra balanced.
However right here’s the explanation it ranks slightly below pumpkin and pecan—it’s not distinctive to Thanksgiving. You’ll be able to eat apple pie any time of 12 months, and it nonetheless feels becoming. Pumpkin pie screams “vacation.” Pecan pie feels indulgent and uncommon. Apple pie, nearly as good as it’s, doesn’t carry that very same exclusivity. That mentioned, it’s dependable. Everybody eats it, no person complains, and it usually disappears sooner than the opposite pies as a result of it appeals to all ages. It’s the crowd-pleaser that by no means disappoints, even when it doesn’t outline the vacation. Apple pie earns its excessive spot not by being flashy, however by being universally cherished.
Different Pies: The Unsung Heroes
Different pies deserve recognition, even when they not often win gold at Thanksgiving. Chocolate cream pie, cherry pie, coconut cream, and even key lime generally sneak onto the vacation desk. They’re not conventional, however they add selection. And selection isn’t a nasty factor.
The reality? These pies rank decrease not as a result of they style unhealthy, however as a result of they don’t scream “meals on Thanksgiving dinner.” They’re tasty distractions, just like the aspect quest in a online game. Everybody takes a slice, however nobody would miss them in the event that they didn’t present up. Nonetheless, they shine in a single essential means: they stop pie fatigue. After three rounds of pumpkin and pecan, a refreshing cream pie seems like a blessing.
So the place do they land? Center-to-low. They’re enjoyable, they’re welcome, however they don’t outline the meal. They’re the shock backup singers of dessert—nice, however not the celebs.
Cheese Recipes: Further Indulgence
Cheese-based recipes—mac and cheese, tacky potatoes, dips—are the rebels of Thanksgiving. Not a part of the normal lineup, but they’ve muscled their means into many trendy spreads. And truthfully? They’re scrumptious. Creamy, gooey, and indulgent, they win over each children and adults.
However right here’s the rating reality: they really feel like visitors, not household. Cheese belongs as meals on Thanksgiving dinner, but it surely doesn’t maintain the identical historic weight as stuffing or pumpkin pie. Some households would riot with out mac and cheese. Others see it as fully pointless. That divide pushes cheese dishes towards the center of the rankings.
Nonetheless, when executed proper, cheese recipes elevate the desk. They add richness, shade, and luxury. However within the grand scheme of Thanksgiving hierarchy? They’re supporting roles, not leads. They’ll by no means outrank turkey, however they’ll at all times win applause.
15. Leftovers: The Subsequent-Day Magic
Right here’s the place I break my very own guidelines. Leftovers aren’t a dish, however they completely deserve a spot on this rating. In actual fact, they generally outrank the feast itself. Give it some thought—Thanksgiving leftovers imply sandwiches piled excessive with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Or mashed potatoes fried into patties the subsequent morning. Or pie for breakfast. Pure bliss.
However leftovers rank decrease than the primary feast for one cause: they’re dependent. Their magic solely exists due to the meal earlier than them. On their very own, they don’t exist. That reliance retains them out of the highest tier, though they could secretly be everybody’s favourite a part of the vacation.
Leftovers are just like the encore at a live performance—you don’t go for them, however they’re what you bear in mind. They prolong the vacation into the weekend and maintain the enjoyment alive. So whereas they don’t rank highest, they’re the stealth champions of Thanksgiving.
The Battle of Thanksgiving Recipes
Thanksgiving isn’t only a dinner—it’s a battlefield of recipes. Each household believes their model is superior. Aunt Linda swears by her stuffing. Uncle Jim insists brussels sprouts want bacon. Cousin Jess experiments with maple syrup in all the things. The kitchen turns into an area of traditions, experiments, and powerful opinions.
This competitors shapes the rankings. Some recipes climb larger as a result of they’re perfected over generations. Others drop decrease as a result of they’re too experimental or don’t match the meals on Thanksgiving dinner vibe. And truthfully? That’s the enjoyable. It’s not nearly what’s on the desk, however whose recipe made it there.
These recipe battles maintain Thanksgiving alive and evolving. They make the vacation really feel private and distinctive. That mentioned, some dishes win constantly—turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes. Others, like carrots or potato salad, wrestle to carry their floor. The rating isn’t simply meals—it’s household historical past instructed chew by chew.
Ultimate Ideas: The Feast That Brings Us Collectively
So after rating the meals on Thanksgiving dinner tables from greatest to worst, what’s the decision? The celebs are clear—turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie maintain the crown. The center ranks belong to reliable sides like rolls, gravy, brussels sprouts, and cornbread dressing. The decrease spots? Carrots, potato salad, and “different pies” that don’t fairly scream Thanksgiving.
However right here’s the twist—none of it actually loses. Even the lowest-ranked dish nonetheless issues. Why? As a result of Thanksgiving isn’t nearly meals styling or taste. It’s in regards to the messy, overloaded plate that someway brings household and mates collectively.
On the finish of the day, the Thanksgiving unfold is greater than a meal—it’s custom, reminiscence, and consolation. Each dish, from the dry turkey to the most effective slice of pie, performs its function in creating the vacation. So argue, chortle, and cargo up your plate nevertheless you want. As a result of that, my mates, is the proper method to have a good time Thanksgiving.