The best part of Thanksgiving is serving up large helpings of delicious food to our loved ones. Still, there are some holiday side dishes that remain controversial. We may love to hate them, but there’s usually at least one traditionalist who demands they remain part of the menu. Here, in no particular order, are the Top 7 Thanksgiving Side Dishes We Love to Hate:
Gravy
Okay, so most people love gravy. How can you eat the (often dry) Thanksgiving turkey without gravy? Or mashed potatoes for that matter? But when it comes down to it, we have to remind ourselves that that warm, flavorful gravy is made from a base of two parts flour, one part fat. This “fat” portion could come from pure butter, or from the gristle and fat that remains after cooking meat. True, it’s delicious, but only if you can reconcile with what you’re actually eating. For those of us who can’t, it’s a side dish (or rather, condiment) that we love to hate.
Brussel Sprouts
Brussel sprouts seem to be rising in popularity these days, which is clearly a mistake. The smell of this vegetable alone should be enough to ward one off from bringing them to a Thanksgiving dinner. And yet, some people still maintain that it’s a good idea. I’m all for adding some veggies in to round out the meal, but please, anything but these.
Creamed Corn
What sick creature invented creamed corn? Creamed corn. Why would we make corn into anything creamed? Or onions or spinach for that matter? Creamed vegetables just can’t be trusted to taste good. It’s a texture of vegetable that we shouldn’t have to stand for on a day where we should be celebrating the harvest.
Jell-O Salad
How is Jell-O salad a ‘salad’ exactly? The less disturbing variations often don’t include any kind of vegetable, and for those that do – good lord, why? Although Jell-O salads were traditionally savory, let’s keep the slide away from that trend going strong, shall we?
Pecan Pie
While pecan pie isn’t bad in itself, on top of an already heavy Thanksgiving dinner, it’s a bit much. How about try any other pie instead? Really. Any other pie. Pumpkin might be traditional, but if we’re being honest, it’s not always a crowd pleaser. So feel free in your pie choices! Apple pie, cherry pie, heck even lemon meringue pie! Go wild! Just save the pecan pie for after a less filling dinner.
Crudités
Needing to have a quick and easy appetizer for guests to snack on before the main meal is understandable, but nobody is looking forward to Thanksgiving for the crudités. There has got to be a better pre-dinner snack than raw veggies and dip. It’s simply the opposite of the kind of mouth-watering dish we all want on Thanksgiving Day.
Canned Cranberry Sauce
Who can bear to see this gelatinous hunk of a ‘sauce’ plop out of its can and onto a seasonally decorated dish? Not this girl. It never really loses its disturbing rubber-like shine. While I’m not strongly opposed to homemade sauces, the canned version just isn’t my cup of tea, and I’ve found that most people agree. Still, there’s usually at least one unfortunate family member who feels it’s not Thanksgiving without that can, making canned cranberry sauce one of the Top 7 Thanksgiving side dishes we love to hate.
What did you think of our list of Thanksgiving Sides Dishes We Love to Hate? Did any of your personal favorite make it on the list? Which ones would you put on this list? Let us know in the comments below or share your own Top Pick list.
Photo by Robert Owen-Wahl on Pixabay.
