Best Thanksgiving Sides Research Summary
The most popular Thanksgiving side in the U.S. is mashed potatoes, which reigns supreme in 9 states.
The second most popular side is rolls, being favored by Utah, Florida, North Carolina, and West Virginia.
74% of Americans expect to be eating at least 4 side dishes on Thanksgiving.
75% of Thanksgiving meals feature mashed potatoes and stuffing or dressing, 69% feature dinner rolls, 64% have cranberry sauce, and 59% serve sweet potatoes.
While some workers work holidays, the majority of workers can be thankful on Thanksgiving for a day off work.
This year the trend of more companies delaying Black Friday hours continues, allowing even more workers the opportunity to pile plates high and spend more time with loved ones.
It got us thinking, what foods will everyone be eating? Are some states crazier for corn than others? Is anyone cheesing out? We analyzed Google searches to determine each state’s favorite Thanksgiving side.
The results? Thanksgiving may be called Turkey Day, but maybe it should be called mashed potato or bread day.
Other Interesting Findings
In general, carbs are where it’s at– crescent rolls, stuffing, and dressing all made the map.
While most states are reaching for the carbs, Rhode Island is all about those carrots.
But bread should step aside, potatoes are the real choice of the people.
A staggering 15 states should be celebrating potato day.
No judgment, but can we talk about how Montana’s most popular side is turkey gravy? Hopefully, eaten with other foods and not gulped solo.
Louisiana likes dressing best- which is Southern for stuffing.
Unsurprisingly, if you want a casserole the south is where you should go- preferably made by someone’s Meemaw or Granny
Mac N’ Cheese took a nosedive from last year’s performance.
Only two states (Virginia and Vermont) are sane enough to recognize it’s cheesy, gooey, baked goodness.
How We Figured This Out
Using Google Trends, we determined what Thanksgiving side each state eats a disproportionate amount of. We examined over 20 Thanksgiving classics. From there, we determined which side is searched a disproportionately, high amount.
For example, while Nebraska eats all the Thanksgiving classics the rest of the country does, the search interest in crescent rolls is excessively higher than in the remaining states- making crescent rolls more popular in Nebraska than anywhere else.
Some controversial decisions were made, including counting gravy as a side. However, since it’s not the main dish and hopefully isn’t being consumed as a beverage, our hands were tied. Sorry if your family has an uncommon tradition of shrimp co*cktails, Red Lobster Cheddar biscuits, or whatever oddity for Turkey day.
Your family is weird, and didn’t fall into our data. However, it should be a good representation of what most of us chow down on at Thanksgiving.
We looked at the month of November 2022 to determine what folks are searching for the most in each state. Traffic for most Thanksgiving sides skyrockets on Thanksgiving day (Turns out, when you’re googling “how to make mashed potatoes”, so is most of America.)
How this year changes (if it does) won’t be apparent until after Thanksgiving- and who wants to wait that long? Luckily, odds are good most of us will still be making mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, and other favorites this year– and probably in 2050, too.
Have A Happy Mashed Potato Day!
Let’s be real, Thanksgiving turkey isn’t always that great.
We’ve all been forced to choke down a dry turkey, murmuring, “This is great,” to the chef. Or had to wait hours for the turkey to be done….and sometimes overdone.
Shoot, cooking a turkey is such a wild card, ham or another meat is often served side by side.
So, let’s give recognition to where it’s deserved- the sides. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, and more are the real heroes of the day.
The best part? You don’t have to choose just one. So pile your plate high with green bean casserole and rolls, maybe some cranberry sauce too. Put it right over the turkey, why don’t you, and just enjoy.
Each State’s Favorite Thanksgiving Side
| State | Favorite Side |
|---|---|
| Alaska | Stuffed mushrooms |
| Alabama | Sweet potato casserole |
| Arkansas | White gravy |
| Arizona | Mashed potatoes |
| California | Mashed potatoes |
| Colorado | Mashed potatoes |
| Connecticut | Mashed potatoes |
| Delaware | Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes |
| Florida | Rolls |
| Georgia | Collard Greens |
| Hawaii | Mashed potatoes |
| Iowa | Green beans |
| Idaho | Side salad |
| Illinois | Mashed potatoes |
| Indiana | Green beans |
| Kansas | Creamed corn |
| Kentucky | Hashbrown casserole |
| Louisiana | Cornbread Dressing |
| Massachusetts | Mashed potatoes |
| Maryland | Collard Greens |
| Maine | Stuffing |
| Michigan | Rolls |
| Minnesota | Charcuterie Tray |
| Missouri | Charcuterie Tray |
| Mississippi | Cornbread |
| Montana | Turkey gravy |
| North Carolina | Biscuit |
| North Dakota | Fruit salad |
| Nebraska | Crescent roll |
| New Hampshire | Stuffing |
| New Jersey | Stuffed mushrooms |
| New Mexico | Side salad |
| Nevada | Mashed potatoes |
| New York | Sweet potatoes with marshmellows |
| Ohio | Green beans |
| Oklahoma | Baked potato |
| Oregon | Mashed potatoes |
| Pennsylvania | Stuffing |
| Rhode Island | Glazed Carrots |
| South Carolina | Collard Greens |
| South Dakota | Baked Sweet Potatoes |
| Tennessee | Hashbrown casserole |
| Texas | Creamed corn |
| Utah | Rolls |
| Virginia | Macaroni and cheese |
| Vermont | Macaroni and cheese |
| Washington | Roasted Vegetables |
| Wisconsin | Baked potato |
| West Virginia | Rolls |
| Wyoming | Baked potato |
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Author
Kathy Morris
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
