- Stuffing reigns supreme as America’s favorite Thanksgiving side for the second year in a row, per Campbell’s survey.
- 66% of Americans prefer cooking sides to turkey, and 47% would rather eat just sides for the holiday meal.
- Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese and green bean casserole round out the top five favorites.
‘Tis the season of preparing our Thanksgiving menus weeks ahead of the holiday. While the bird takes center stage on the dinner spread, the turkey isn’t the part of the meal that we’re most looking forward to.
In fact, people across the U.S. typically agree with this, according to a new report conducted by Campbell’s. When 5,000 Americans were asked about their passion for holiday sides, they revealed some telling statistics. In this survey, 66% of Americans enjoy cooking sides more than the turkey, 63% say they generally prefer sides over turkey, and 47% would rather eat just sides than the main protein.
So with this in mind, what is the most-loved Thanksgiving side dish? This is answered in the new report, and the top choice was agreed upon by multiple generations.
The No. 1 Thanksgiving Side Dish, According to Americans
The winner for the best Thanksgiving side dish, for the second year in the row stuffing. Stuffing (also known as dressing, depending on your region) won the majority vote for 42 states. It beat out mashed potatoes, as 2023’s winner was 2nd this year. And in case you’re curious: 3rd place is sweet potatoes, 4th place is macaroni and cheese and 5th goes to green bean casserole.
bhofack2/Getty Images
So what makes stuffing so special? Perhaps it’s because it’s likely a once-a-year side, or that it’s a delicious way to use up leftover bread, or that it reheats well alongside turkey or ham. But for our food editor Alex Loh, it’s the ease and comfort of the side that transports her to happy memories.
“If you gave me a plate with just stuffing on it, I would be thrilled,” Loh says. “I love that it’s basically a whole meal in one cozy casserole dish. I also love any kind of stuffing, from homemade cornbread stuffing to the Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing that my mom would always add sausage to. I missed Thanksgiving at home one year and to make up for it, my mom made stuffing for me in January and it was just as perfect.”
If thinking about aromatic, savory, warm, delicious stuffing is making your stomach rumble, we don’t blame you. Ahead of the holiday, we’re giving you an excuse to try out one of our recipes that you’ll definitely want to make again for the big meal. Our favorite stuffing renditions include:
But for some of our editors, stuffing is overrated. Here are the sides that they swear by instead (and, in their opinions, should have been higher on the top five list).
“I could care less if there’s stuffing,” our editorial director Carolyn Malcoun says, admitting that she “doesn’t even make stuffing” if she’s cooking. Instead, she focuses on the main starch. “My mom likes to tell a tale of how she made 5 pounds of mashed potatoes once for our family of four and there weren’t many left over. Also, that’s where I start my plate: lots of mashed potatoes, then add other things around it.”
“In my family I’m in charge of sides and desserts, and while I make almost everything from scratch, I insist on making green bean casserole with canned soup and green beans and pre-packaged crispy onions,” Abigail Abesamis Demarest, our news, trending and updates editor, shares. “It’s the simplest dish I make for Thanksgiving and one of my absolute favorites.” Malcoun agrees that this nostalgic method with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup is the way to go—buy this essential ingredient ahead of time using Amazon Fresh.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, we have tons more Thanksgiving recipes for you to try, from easy sweet potatoes to delicious pumpkin pies.
