This Is the #1 Thanksgiving Side Dish, According to a New Survey—Do You Agree?

‘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, 60% of Americans enjoy cooking sides more than the turkey, 55% say they generally prefer sides over turkey, and 38% 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 #1 Thanksgiving Side Dish, According to Americans

The winner for the best Thanksgiving side dish, aka the side that you absolutely should not skip this year, is stuffing. Stuffing (also known as dressing, depending on your region) won the majority vote for Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. It beat out mashed potatoes, as last year’s winner was 2nd this year. And in case you’re curious: 3rd place is sweet potatoes, 4th place is green bean casserole and 5th goes to macaroni and cheese.

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 associate 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:

• This highly rated Apple, Onion & Cranberry Stuffing that one reader notes is “easy to prepare.”
• Mushroom-Cornbread Stuffing, which is a version of one of Loh’s favorite recipes with an added earthy twist.
• This Vegan Cornbread Stuffing so everyone at the table can enjoy the beloved side.

And if you already have a stuffing recipe on lock but are looking for more inspiration, we have tons more Thanksgiving recipes for you to try, from easy sweet potatoes to classic casseroles.