State Favorite for Mississippi
You’d be hard-pressed to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal in Mississippi without baked sweet potatoes. The favorite potato at Mississippi tables isn’t the white variety, but the fragrant, earthy sweet potato. Yams are typically the dish prepared with sweet potatoes and they can be prepared fresh or from a can.
Fluffy, slightly sweet, and loaded with nutrients, a baked sweet potato makes a delicious side dish or meal. With lots of options for toppings and seasonings, there’s bound to be a combination you’ll love! Just remember to make extra if you live in Mississippi or you have guests from there.
State Favorite for Oregon
This next one may fool you because the state that adores them for Thanksgiving isn’t in the South. In Oregon, they love a good biscuit with their turkey and fixins. Confused? We were too. It turns out there are two different varieties that hit the table.
One is a cornbread buttermilk biscuit--which reminds one of a mashup between cornbread dressing and biscuits with cheese, jalapeno, bacon, and chives. The other recipe is your basic cream biscuit, which includes a cup and a half of heavy cream plus more for brushing on top. Top that off with some gravy and you've got the perfect food combination.
State Favorite for Kentucky
This dish will leave you scratching your head. Broccoli casserole? And even more--why is it Kentucky’s favorite? Down the rabbit hole we went to discover exactly what this could be and like most things, there are regional varieties in Kentucky. It doesn’t matter which variety you eat, the results are DELICIOUS.
Broccoli casserole may sound healthy but put away your scale, because it's not healthy at all. One variety consists of fresh steamed broccoli, cream of mushroom, cheese, and a full sleeve of ritz crackers topped with butter. The other (more commonly known as broccoli, rice, and cheese) takes frozen broccoli, cream of chicken, 8 oz of cheez whiz, and 3 cups of cooked rice.
State Favorite for Wyoming
This is a real headscratcher. Wyoming citizens listed brown gravy as their most requested side dish? But is gravy even a side? I mean, I suppose you could treat it as one but that might involve you chugging massive amounts of gravy straight from the boat.
However, it is classic and traditional, so you really can't go wrong with brown gravy. It’s the perfect complement to drape everything on the plate: turkey, stuffing, rolls, and mashed potatoes. With a rich, savory flavor, this gravy will make every bite a delight. If you are hosting Thanksgiving, have lots of gravy available to your dinner guests.
State Favorite for Iowa
This entry makes perfect sense although there are different ways to serve it, depending on the family tradition. The most popular, however, remains corn on the cob for Iowa tables. Corn is one of the easiest vegetables to prepare for your feast and people can season it and add as much butter as they want to their liking.
Many make a creamed variety, using cream cheese, peppers, and sugar to make a dreamy hot mess. Others use it to make a set casserole, mixing together two styles of corn along with a bunch of goodness including eggs and sour cream. Corn is always a hit for guests, but particularly those in Iowa.
State Favorite for New Hampshire
Of course, the next entry makes all the sense in the world, as the mighty cranberry hails from the northern states. Did you know that this little side dish favorite is one of three native fruits to America? Whether you love it or hate it: cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving staple.
Most fans like theirs freshly prepared--taking the whole cranberry and stewing it down with sugar and water. Seems simple enough. There are other families that simply won’t touch the whole berry stuff and require the canned variety with the can ridges on the side. Regardless, we love this native fruit.
State Favorite for Kansas
Those Jayhawk fans love their creamed corn, and while a canned substitute will work on a busy weeknight, it won’t suffice for a holiday side. That’s where the fancy comes in. Recipes are passed down for generations, and it’s the one dish to get right on the table.
Its much easier to cook than many think--start with fresh or frozen corn and cook down in heavy cream with a little sugar, milk, and flour. Season it and you’re ready to go. Want it fancy? Add in some parmesan cheese, minced peppers, or top with cornflakes/butter and bake it off for a second. Either way, it’s a delightful, colorful addition to your plate.
State Favorite for South Dakota
It's a bit surprising that this simple grocery staple is all the rage in South Dakota. And I won’t knock it because those buttery, flaky rolls are delicious! While you can eat them plain, there are folks that fill them with leftovers afterward, making the perfect Thanksgiving bite the next day or even that evening.
You can even roll them out on a dusted surface, use cookie cutters to create shapes (like leaves or pumpkins), top with a sprinkle of cheddar and rosemary, and bake up those up. They create a delightful shape to your plate and folks will never know they came from a package.
State Favorite for Indiana
Deviled eggs are an Indiana thing--they’re served everywhere in restaurants across the state, in both upscale and low-key establishments. And Many Indianians take the simple route with mayo, paprika, mustard, and vinegar. Sure Deviled eggs are a popular appetizer anywhere, but nobody loves them as much as Indiana.
But others take this time to show out and there are plenty of recipes to choose from. Some fancy it up with wasabi or cayenne for a kick. Others incorporate mashed avocado, bacon, cucumber dill, or an onion mixture. What’s common across the state is this--they don’t stuff the eggs with a spoon, every single recipe calls for a piping bag, so be prepared.
State Favorite for Louisiana and Alabama
Dressing is a Thanksgiving staple, but it takes 2-3 days to make--so prepare early. This beloved dish is a mixture of sweet cornbread and white bread, left under a towel to dry out overnight. In other states, you may know this dish as stovetop stuffing.
Day 2 comes when you mix it together with a heaping amount of chicken stock, minced celery, and onion, and you can dress it up with a tiny bit of sage or andouille sausage. Make two pans of it because one is never enough, and it happens to freeze beautifully.
State Favorite for Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas
There’s one casserole that never disappoints, and these states agree. You can find the recipe on the back of a can of cream of mushroom soup or on the back of the fried onions. However, there’s a bit of controversy over what kind of green beans to use. Do you use frozen, canned French-style, or canned regular style?
And another controversy is whether you add cheese to the mixture. Others add soy sauce, Worcester sauce, or even Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning. Whichever beans you choose and whichever additions you employ, you can be sure that this is one dish that won’t be leftover. One thing is sure: is that those that love green bean casserole have strong opinions about it.
State Favorite for Alaska
This Thanksgiving item turns out to be a standard only at Alaskan dining tables on Thanksgiving. And like most things, a bit of controversy rises up. Some use canned cream of potato soup while others use cream of mushroom. Which is better is really a matter of preference - and whether you like mushrooms.
Then there’s the whole “type of hashbrown” potatoes to use: cubed, shredded, diced, frozen, fresh? It's enough to lose your mind. What is common among all the recipes is sour cream and shredded cheese. But the most commonly agreed-upon topping is cornflakes with a tiny bit of butter thrown over the top.
State Favorite for Delaware, Washington DC, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia
In 7 areas in the U.S. mac and cheese is a state favorite. However, the debate rages heavily in the U.S. over the viability of mac and cheese as a true Thanksgiving side. Thank goodness Southern Living straightened it all out for us by showing the research backs up this dish into the 1800s.
What is different across America though, is the form and methods used. Some prefer the blue box while others shake their heads and feel sorry for those folks. Many use elbow macaroni while some elevate with shells or spirals. What is a fact is that most recipes are passed down across generations--ensuring that your table has the right version.
State Favorite for California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin
20% of Americans say it isn’t Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes, and they would be right. Curiously, Idaho isn’t one of them. And while nobody questions the integrity of placing them square in a Thanksgiving side dish category, questions arise over methodology.
Fresh potatoes? Packaged mix? Do you add cream cheese or just heavy cream? Are there chives involved? The consensus states that Yukon Gold potatoes make the best and all that is needed is heavy cream and butter, along with salt and pepper. But you can also make them with red potatoes and leave the skin on.
State Favorite for Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia
It's not surprising that four states do not consider their tablescapes complete without the humble roll. And the real challenge is this--how many is enough? Buying rolls is usually the way people go for Thanksgiving and it's easy to buy a lot of them for cheap.
Your best calculation is to bet on three per person. Why you ask? Because some folks will only eat theirs with turkey sandwiched in between while others just eat three to sop up all the goodness on the plate. Whether they're Parker House style, yeast, or the store-bought variety, don’t count on leftovers. Because someone will always sneak one before dinner anyway.
State Favorite for Maine
There’s always an odd state out that enjoys salad, which for the life of me I can’t relate to. Most people don't really think healthy eating for a Thanksgiving feast though. Thanksgiving is a time of generational recipes and hot food eaten in waves. You eat early then go back for the favorites hours later.
But here we are with salads for the Mainers. And I get it, a healthy fresh component seems necessary among all the lush side dishes. But seriously, if you raised your hand for salad, then you probably have those lobster rolls at Thanksgiving too - at least you should anyway.
State Favorite for Florida and Tennessee
Leave it to a couple of SEC states to declare their love for the cooked, gooey yam casserole. And everyone has a favorite methodology, but it always involves the same set of ingredients. The humble sweet potato, brown sugar, milk, cinnamon, flour, vanilla, marshmallows, and pecans.
To be honest, sweet potato casserole falls terribly close to a dessert in some households--resembling a sweet potato cobbler as opposed to a traditional side. And harsh words can be spoken over the final topping of marshmallows, sugared pecans, or both. Still, those are all popular toppings depending on where you are from.
State Favorite for Hawaii
While everyone shakes their head at this point and says duh, remember that Hawaii is a little different than the rest of the US. While most of us are using chicken gravy from a can, mix, or bird drippings, Hawaiians do it differently. They have a special kind of marinade.
Hawaiians have a turkey gravy that includes the marinade that is popular on Hawaiian turkey--which includes garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce. You then take those drippings and whisk them together with a roux and dash of pineapple to create an unctuous sauce. Sounds good if you ask me!
State Favorite for Arkansas
This one is a little disappointing. The Natural State prefers white gravy as their main side dish at Thanksgiving? Perhaps it's because it's low effort and every Arkansan has a white gravy recipe. Or maybe it's because most households have a bacon grease holder next to the stove, and it's quick and easy to throw in a pan and stir in some flour and milk.
White gravy is typically made from a roux of butter and flour mixed together which helps thicken the gravy. After making the roux, you whisk in milk, and seasonings like salt and black pepper. It's really easy to make, and for some reason a popular side dish in the state of Arkansas.
State Favorite for Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Down the east coast, you can find stuffing on many tables, but it’s the recipe variations that get you. First of all, let’s clarify that many people refer to stuffing as something cooked outside the bird, and it's much safer that way. Second, the ingredients are numerous.
Almost all versions start with bread crumbs and potatoes, but that’s where the similarities end. You can add celery, oysters, onion, eggs, or bacon to this favorite Thanksgiving dish of New England. There are millions of ways to stuff a turkey and most of them are pretty good because the dish adds a ton of flavor.
