The Surprising Food You Won't Find on Travis Kelce's Thanksgiving Table

Growing up with a picky eater, the holidays were some of my brother’s favorite days of the year. Why? Because of the carbs, of course! Why have a full Thanksgiving meal when you can pile your plate with mashed potatoes, stuffing, mac and cheese, and freshly baked rolls? 

So, after seeing my brother and cousins make sandwiches using crescent rolls and gnocchi at every holiday dinner, I assumed most picky eaters were eyeing up the side dishes over the meat and veggies, too. But, apparently, not in the Kelce household.

Travis Kelce’s Least Favorite Thanksgiving Food Growing Up

On a 2022 Thanksgiving episode of Travis and Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, the brothers were discussing what Thanksgiving day looked like growing up in their household with Mama Kelce and Ed Kelce at the helm. Jason shared that Travis was a pretty picky eater—but not picky about the things you’d expect.

“One of the best things about Thanksgiving…was getting to hear my dad scream at my brother to finish his food,” Jason, the center for the Philadelphia Eagles, said. “Because Trav is a picky eater. Doesn’t like white sauces, doesn’t like goat, well, turns out he doesn’t like Thanksgiving food either.”

“It was the stuffing and the mashed potatoes, that was always it,” Travis, a Kansas City Chiefs tight end, said in defense.

So, while most picky eaters were only eating mashed potatoes and stuffing, Travis Kelce was pushing those items aside for ones other kids would turn their noses at.

“[I ate] corn, mac and cheese, the rolls, the ham, which is my favorite part. I ate all the ham,” Travis said.

Oh yeah, that’s the other thing: the Kelce family didn’t go for the turkey on Thanksgiving. 

“We were a big ham family growing up because we didn’t think turkey was very good,” Jason explained. “Turns out, if you cook turkey really well, it tastes fantastic. We had that dry turkey.”

“Dad knew about that honey-baked ham at the Boston Market—that one always slaps,” Travis joked.

So, no turkey, no stuffing, no mashed potatoes, but ham and Mama Kelce’s infamous marshmallow and cinnamon rolls. Honestly, doesn’t sound like a bad plate to me. 

However, it seems like those Kelce family Thanksgivings are a thing of the past. Mama Kelce recently shared that the holidays are challenging since the brothers play for different teams—and sometimes even have games on the big day.

“Ever since they were in college, we've always been on the road. I've never been in my own home cooking for Christmas or for holidays," she told People.

Last year, Mama Kelce spent Thanksgiving in Philadelphia with Jason, his wife Kylie, and their daughters, as confirmed by the photo Jason tweeted of his mom’s rolls—to which Travis responded: “Lucky.”

Mama Kelce told People that she will be headed to Philly again this year—but doesn’t know where Travis will celebrate yet as he has an away game in Las Vegas on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Wherever he is, I hope he has tons of Mama Kelce rolls and a correctly cooked, juicy turkey to enjoy—and maybe a ham for backup.