Since it’s November, it feels like this is an appropriate time to talk about the top 10 most popular foods that are felt like they were meant to have for Thanksgiving.  Everyone has their preferences, but there is always the chance to give something new a try before you set your plate for the holiday too!  The following on the list will be the most specific ones that quite a bit of households can agree upon as the faces for the holiday.

1.) Turkey and Gravy- Was it ever a fair debate for the spot of #1?  Of course it had to be the classic- a Turkey!  Granted not everyone eats turkeys for thanksgiving, but most of the time if you ask anyone or search up thanksgiving, a turkey is practically the face of the holiday being the top result to come up.  Especially when it comes out of the oven cooked just right-not too dry and not over spiced.  But if you don’t enjoy your turkey alone, what can really make it for you is when you apply your gravy on it.  It feel’s like this is exactly what you and your stomach were waiting to have the most before you sat down.

2.) Stuffing- Now imagine your filling yourself with turkey, chicken, or some type of meat with cranberry sauce and maybe vegetables.  Then you turn over and see that there’s beautifully made stuffing leftover in your bowl.  Such a nice treat to add to the meal and feels like it helps in complimenting the whole plate.  It’s actually shocking that this isn’t a commonly eaten food outside of Thanksgiving and is quite underrated as a whole.

3.) Rice and Beans- Now sure this isn’t a most ideal meal to have in Thanksgiving, but this is a surprisingly delicious one to add to the roster, especially in your top three!  What makes it so good and different on Thanksgiving is the fact that it tastes good to have with anything on this list, whether it’s with stuffing, turkey and gravy, cranberry, or even something more casual like a thanksgiving salad!

4.) Canned Cranberry Sauce- Finally, just shy of the top three spots has to be starting to make more sense.  Primarily for the fact that if you had to go with three foods to stay with on Thanksgiving, having this in besides your triple combo never lets anyone down.  It has to go to the cranberry sauce!  Why is it specifically the canned version?  Because it simply just adds to the feel of the holiday and says “It’s time to eat like you haven’t eaten before” and it feels most official when you grab your canned cranberry.  Not only for the feels, but the taste is like no cranberry that you have ever had on any other day of the year.

5.) Pumpkin Pie- For sure, this one is meant for more of a desert type of meal to water down your dinner.  Sure, there are other typed of deserts or even pies for that matter that you can go with, but Pumpkin pie is the one that has the best taste to bring out the ultimate aftertaste.  It almost feels like it brings out the best of the flavors that you had earlier.  Especially when you have a nice bite of all layers of the pie-top to bottom, getting the best of the whipped cream, the edges, and the pumpkin in between of course.  Ironically even though this is a pie, it feels like the “icing on the cake” after a good Thanksgiving meal.

6.) Cornbread- Cornbread as a food choice during the gobble gobble holiday can serve as a surprisingly good desert to compliment the thanksgiving food and is only beaten by one desert, but it’s also still a pretty good side dish to take in with your main meal too.  It would never do you wrong and always feels like a happy, warm treat and only adds to the Thanksgiving feel for you and your family.

7.) Green Beans- It feels right to put Green Beans close, but not quite in the middle area of the list since it’s nothing special to write home about.  Although, it still does taste great with your turkey, chicken, or ham with gravy and even cranberry sauce, it’s pretty underwhelming as a meal and needs something to go with it to give you a good spin.

8.) Ham- Ham is nearly the last because it is a good meat to eat, but it almost feels like the backup that just doesn’t add as much hype as the OG (Turkey in this case) and always felt like more of a breakfast thing.  It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it with gravy and stuffing on thanksgiving too, but it feels like it needs too much help off of others to make it taste better, or to even measure to chicken on Thanksgiving for that matter!

9.) Salad- The salad has to be at the bottom of the list not because it’s ever bad, but because it doesn’t feel different or have a special holiday type of vibe.  Granted you can change it with a different sauce, but it almost feels like a lazy cop out food since a salad can’t be that bad or exciting to eat on the holiday, unless if you haven’t really eaten salads and you are trying it for the first time with your meal, then sure!

10.) Sweet Potatoes- If there was anything more worse than sweet potatoes on this list it would be higher, but personally, the taste of sweet potatoes feels like someone is intentionally trying to ruin potato taste while trying to make it too sweet.  So now imagine that with your Thanksgiving meal.  In my opinion, it would be better to just keep clear of it rather than trying it when you can have rice and beans, mashed potatoes, or even roasted potatoes with your holiday dinner!

Remember to always stay open to all food options on Thanksgiving, but if you want advice on the potentially best foods in order, this is your guide.  Stay eating, keep as much leftovers as you can, and have a gobble gobbling Thanksgiving this year!