America’s Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Was Just Dethroned

In a turn of events fit for election season, a new dish has claimed the top spot in the race for America’s favorite Thanksgiving side.

Although Thanksgiving might officially celebrate turkey, Campbell’s annual “State of the Sides” report shows that the real race is about the sides we pile up on our plates. And this year, there’s been a shake-up at the top of the polls.

The Most Popular Thanksgiving Side in America, According to Campbell’s

According to Campbell’s survey, more than half of Americans say they’d rather enjoy the sides over turkey, and almost 40% could happily fill their plates with sides alone. 

While Thanksgiving dish preferences vary by region—Midwesterners tend to love their cheesy delights (like breadcrumb-coated mac and cheese), while home cooks in the Southeast prefer their sides on the sweeter side (think sweet potato casserole and spoon bread)—there’s one holiday favorite we can almost all get behind, and that’s stuffing. 

Yep, according to Campbell’s study, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers, and even the Silent Generation all cast their support for “Stuffing/Dressing,” making it a rare crowd-pleaser across generations. Stuffing took a historic leap forward, unseating last year’s fan-favorite, mashed potatoes, as the “ultimate” Thanksgiving side.

Mashed potatoes didn’t move far, though, now sitting in second place for this season. Sweet potatoes landed in third, with green bean casserole and mac and cheese rounding out the top five.

Now, when it comes to preparing the most popular side, the study showed that a third of home cooks are willing to go off of the standard recipe rules to make their stuffing their own. Maybe that means using a mix of regular bread and cornbread as the base, incorporating proteins like ground pork sausage, or even adding in some sweet seasonal flavors. 

The data also showed that, to no one's surprise, consumers love to enjoy more indulgent flavors in their holiday sides—when in doubt, rich, creamy, and cheesy will always reign supreme at the Thanksgiving table.

So, as you start planning your Thanksgiving menu, whether you’re reimagining the spread or keeping things traditional, make sure stuffing gets its well-deserved first place at the table.