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When you think about Thanksgiving dinner, the first thing that comes to mind is obviously turkey. Even if you hate turkey, or the fact that your mother, wife, brother, father (or whoever) can’t cook one to save their goddamn life, turkey is the centerpiece of the meal. The real stars, however, are the sides. Because even if the turkey is drier than dust, dinner can be saved with sides!
When I think about Thanksgiving sides, however, I can’t help but to think about the glaring omissions from my family’s Thanksgiving feast. We have two kinds of stuffing, two kinds of potatoes, and a bunch of other shit that my family and/or my wife’s family never changes. It is just the same stuff every year. And every time I try to inject some new life into the menu I get holes stared through me by all the people who prepare the meal.
Here is how that conversation goes:
Me: “What if we added mac & cheese this year. Everyone loves a good mac & cheese!”
Unnamed Person Who Is Doing The Cooking: “We can’t add mac & cheese, Jason. That will be too much food.”
Me: “Well, I’ve got a wild fucking idea, how about we cancel the sweet potatoes or the corn and add the mac? It’ll be a hit!”
Unnamed Person Who Is Doing The Cooking: “No, we always eat grandma’s sweet potatoes. It’s tradition. And corn is literally the only vegetable we have.”
Me: “Fuck you, person who’s name I won’t say.”
I mean…sorry for being a goddamn culinary visionary. Now I know how artists who died before their brilliance was ever appreciated must have felt.
Anyway…
Google wrangled up all the most unique sides that each state searches the most. Some are surprising (the fuck is Ambrosia salad, Oregon?) and some deserve a more love on the list (looking at you, Mac & Cheese). Take a look below and see if you have ever, in your life, eaten the dish that your state searches the most.
Alabama: Squash casserole
Alaska: Green beans
Arizona: Pumpkin roll
Arkansas: Sweet potato pie
California: Stuffing
Colorado: Pecan pie
Connecticut: Sausage stuffing
Delaware: Butternut squash
Florida: Corn souffle
Georgia: Squash casserole
Hawaii: Sweet potato
Idaho: Sourdough bread
Illinois: Sweet potato casserole
Indiana: Roasted sweet potatoes
Iowa: Corn casserole
Kansas: Yams
Kentucky: Broccoli casserole
Louisiana: Yams
Maine: Mashed squash
Maryland: Collard greens
Massachusetts: Butternut squash
Michigan: Roasted brussel sprouts
Minnesota: Thanksgiving sweet potatoes
Mississippi: Cornbread dressing
Missouri: Thanksgiving rolls
Montana: Cranberry sauce
Nebraska: Sweet potatoes
Nevada: Pecan pie
New Hampshire: Homemade stuffing
New Jersey: Butternut squash soup
New Mexico: Pecan pie
New York: Acorn squash
North Carolina: Corn pudding
North Dakota: Sweet potatoes
Ohio: 7 layer salad
Oklahoma: Cornbread dressing
Oregon: Ambrosia salad
Pennsylvania: Candied sweet potatoes
Rhode Island: Stuffing
South Carolina: Cornbread dressing
South Dakota: Ambrosia salad
Tennessee: Mac and cheese
Texas: Broccoli rice casserole
Utah: Yams
Vermont: Butternut squash
Virginia: Corn pudding
Washington: Green beans
West Virginia: Broccoli salad
Wisconsin: Garlic mashed potatoes
Wyoming: Sweet potatoes
I grew up in Pennsylvania, I went to college in Florida and I live in New Jersey. And what I will be most thankful for this Thanksgiving is that I never in my life had to eat Candied sweet potatoes, butternut squash soup or corn souffle. #ThankfulAF