Top Thanksgiving Side Dishes

As Thanksgiving approaches people start to think about Thanksgiving or even daydream about it. For some the focus is the turkey, which piece of meat they will eat, the crispy skin. For others, it becomes all about the side dishes.

To find out which side dishes people looked forward to the most, I took a poll around the radio station. Here are the items people are most looking forward to at their Thanksgiving dinner (for those who eat a traditional Turkey dinner that day).

Stuffing, some folks have special versions that they look forward to, ie "Grandma's Sausage & Sage Stuffing, others mentioned cornbread cranberry stuffing.

Mashed potatoes, lumpy, smooth, either version was acceptable, load on the butter and hit them with a nice helping of gravy too.

Cranberry sauce. Here is an item that made everyone's list, but this also had many versions like stuffing. Cranberry-orange relish served warm, whole cranberry sauce and also on the "list" the cranberry sauce loaf that comes out of the can. What do you mean those ridges aren't where you are supposed to slice the next serving?

Sweet potatoes. Here not surprisingly was another divided item. For those who like to eat sweet potatoes (or yams) there was the controversial topic of marshmallows and nuts. While most can agree that this is a traditional staple of the Turkey table, what went on them or how they were served is still being discussed as I write this.

Surprisingly not mentioned in this survey? Green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts and corn. Maybe this was due to the heated debate on how sweet potatoes should be served?

What do you most look forward to at Thanksgiving dinner? Which side dish? And is there a dish that your family makes that is special to your dinner and not to others? For example, one surveyor told me of a stuffed artichoke casserole that he has had at every Thanksgiving meal that he can remember. Another example, a friend who says it is not Thanksgiving dinner without creamed onions and chocolate cream pie.

What are your Thanksgiving food traditions? Do you have ones for Chrismas Day or New Years Eve/Day?