The Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dish & Dessert In Every State

Thanksgiving table with turkey and sides

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Thanksgiving table with turkey and sides
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Favorite Sides n Sweets

The Olympics of eating food is upon us at last, and there are some (me) who argue that the Thanksgiving side dishes are better than the turkey itself. But what are the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes and dessert pies? 


The folks at the casino industry publication Online-Casinos.com knew we were pondering those big questions clearly because they put together a survey detailing exactly that. 

Mashed potatoes with gravy for Thanksgiving
VeselovaElena/istockphoto

Most Popular Side Dish: Mashed Potatoes

Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin 


My money would have been on stuffing, but this isn’t a shock at all. Mashed potatoes are wonderful. Here’s the secret to good mashed potatoes: Don’t try to make them healthy. Truly, you might as well skip them if you’re gonna do that. Cram those suckers with butter, milk/cream, salt, and bingo, you’ve got incredible mash. 

Traditional Homemade Cornbread Stuffing
bhofack2/istockphoto

2. Stuffing

Arizona, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, Washington 


There is nobody worse than somebody who uses the phrase, “Well, actually,” but unfortunately I am about to be that person. Ahem. 


Most of you are saying the wrong thing when you say “stuffing” because actually this food is usually called “dressing.” It’s only “stuffing” if it’s actually been stuffed inside the bird.


Whatever you call it, it’s a sensational side dish and truly, the only one that is solely associated with Thanksgiving. You could probably order most of these at a restaurant any time of year, but stuffing/dressing belongs to this night and this night only. 

Mac and cheese. traditional american dish macaroni pasta and a cheese sauce
ivandzyuba/istockphoto

3. Macaroni & Cheese

Florida, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas 


How is this not higher? Mac and cheese is a perfect food. Especially if it’s baked in the oven, and maybe has a little bit of a breadcrumb topping. This should have been a clean sweep, in my opinion. 

Traditional Green Bean Casserole
DreamBigPhotos/istockphoto

4. Green Bean Casserole

Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania 


I’m a fan of green bean casserole, but I understand why it’s this low. Green beans aren’t as flashy as dressing or mashed potatoes of course, but they’re solid and dependable. Like a Volkswagen. 

Homemade Sweet Potato Casserole
bhofack2/istockphoto

5 .Sweet Potato Casserole

Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi 


Only three states for the delicious combination of sweet potatoes and what I assume to be a marshmallow topping? This is one of the great salty-sweet masterpiece dishes of our time, and much like dressing, it’s usually only eaten once a year.  

Spinach and Cheese Casserole Horizontal
Brycia James/istockphoto

6. Creamed Spinach

Connecticut, Massachusetts 


Only Connecticut and Massachusetts? C’mon, creamed spinach is great. Old-school steakhouse vibes. Prime rib vibes. This is a great side dish, and it hurts my heart to see its name besmirched. 

Deviled eggs served on clear plate with grape tomatoes
sbossert/istockphoto

7. Deviled Eggs

Alabama, Indiana 


Deviled eggs are a phenomenal food, but it’s not quite a perfect connection to Thanksgiving. I love them, but if you asked me to name as many Thanksgiving sides as I could, I’m not sure I’d ever land on deviled eggs. 


Maybe stick some of the crispy roasted turkey skin in that yolk, eh? 

Homemade Corn Pudding Casserole
bhofack2/istockphoto

8. Corn Casserole

Kentucky, West Virginia 


Another supremely underrated side here, though I’d sooner think of corn on the cobb as a T-Day side than I would of corn casserole. This also feels like something you’d have at a prime rib joint, but that’s fine. Nothing wrong with pretending you’re in a prime rib joint. 

Homemade Red Cranberry Sauce
bhofack2/istockphoto

9. Cranberry Sauce

Wyoming 


This is legitimately insane. What are you doing over there, Wyoming? Cranberry sauce is your favorite side? There’s nothing on the Thanksgiving table you like more than the cranberry sauce? 


Cranberry sauce isn’t even a side dish; it’s a condiment. If it’s a side, then gravy is a side. Even ketchup and mustard become sides at this point, so this one is a no-go for me. 

Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Brent Hofacker/shutterstock

Most Popular Dessert: Pumpkin Pie

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, MInnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming 


Wow. This was an easy winner to predict, but this is quite the stomping. The people have spoken. Pumpkin pie is the one true Thanksgiving pie to rule them all. 

Sugar-Free Apple Pie on a White Plate

2. Apple Pie

Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont 


I am with these seven brave states, personally. All of them know that a delicious apple cinnamon pie is really all you need at the end of a big Thanksgiving meal. Pumpkin’s overrated. Yeah, I said it. 

Pecan Pie
pvcrossi/istockphoto

3. Pecan Pie

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas 


This is another surprisingly low number. And what about sweet potato pie? What about some kind of other fruit? Why are these the only three pies we surveyed? 


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