Lane's Top 10 Thanksgiving Side Dishes

With the Holiday season quickly approaching we took a poll here at Lane’s and with some help from the world wide web we came up with a top 10 list of side dishes we think should be on your table on Thanksgiving Day. (*Disclaimer, these were taken from employees and the internet. There are several dishes/toppings that are highly debatable. Ultimately, the point is to gather around the table with family and friends, express gratitude, and have a delightful meal!) Along with the Top 10 List, we will also give you a few honorable mentions. 

10 - Mashed Potatoes

America’s topside dish, despite what season of the year it is, is Mashed Potatoes. There is nothing like creamy mashed potatoes topped with a pad of butter. It has been a favorite for many years and with all age groups. Now, I know it may be hard to believe, but there are some pretty good mixes out there that just call for hot water. However, if you are going to make America’s favorite you might want to do it the old fashion way. Wash, peel, cut, and boil your potatoes. When they are finished cooking, drain the water, add a dash of milk, 1 tbsp of butter, and start mashing. The familiar sound of a hand mixer brings back childhood memories. They were always so creamy!

9 - Mac & Cheese (Baked)

Coming in a close second to mashed potatoes is Mac & Cheese. No, not the box edition, but the real version with elbow noodles and real cheese. No mix can replace the cheesy goodness and the buttery crust made from Ritz crackers. Add extra cheese on top and bake. Smell it yet? If you need help, then we’ll leave this recipe right here for you. Lane’s Mac & Cheese Recipe

8 - Stuffing/Dressing

Here is our first topic on the list up for debate...stuffing or dressing? As we polled our people we found that this question is regionally based. Our guys that lived up north were stuffing people and the rest of the crew (that happens to be from the south) said dressing. Ryan makes a cornbread dressing then adds shrimp with andouille sausage. Talk about a twist on an old classic. Lane’s Shrimp and Andouille Cornbread Dressing. Don’t be afraid to take your grandmother’s recipe and experiment. You might surprise yourself and make something that you can pass down to your kids and grandkids! 

7 - Cranberry Sauce

Another classic that is in the debate portal is Cranberry sauce. Some people are hardcore fresh cranberry sauce that you cook yourself. While others were strictly canned only. It is hard to beat canned sauce that already has the premarked lines of where to slice. (only the canned fans will get that joke!) Here is a great recipe from our friends at RecTeq Grills - RecTeq Cranberry Citrus Relish

6 - Green Bean Casserole

One of the easiest and simplest side dishes to make for Thanksgiving is Green Bean casserole. It is a fan favorite. Green beans, cream of mushroom, milk, and French fried onions. For the kiddos that don’t eat the casserole just pull some of the green beans and cook them on the stove. Thank You Campbell’s Soup for this tasty invention. Here is a great recipe from our friends at RecTeq Grills - RecTeq Green Bean Casserole

5 - Sweet Potato Casserole

Well, we have made it to the most debated topic of Thanksgiving. Most would think that the larger debate is between turkey or ham however, that would be incorrect. The most debated topic is, are you a nut or marshmallow topping person on your sweet potato casserole? After polling our crew we would agree with the statistics that this is a highly debated topic. Co-workers became enthralled with passion as they explained their reasoning for either pecans or marshmallows. This is a reminder, even if pecans are not your personal preference, it doesn’t make it wrong that someone else likes marshmallows on their sweet potato casserole. It means people are different.  Try our recipe either with marshmallows or pecans. Lane’s BBQ Sweet Potato Casserole

4 - Bread

Most people would say you need some sort of bread to soak up all the juices and gravy that are on your plate. Rolls were the popular favorite. It is hard to beat a warm buttery roll. However, in a close second was cornbread. Again, maybe this is a regional favorite. We have an incredible recipe Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread that will change how you view cornbread. Cheesy goodness with a kick of heat from the jalapenos, it’s almost too good to be true. We guarantee you’ll love it and we’ll bet you that you can’t eat just one piece!

3 - Corn

While we have an awesome recipe for street corn that we think you should try Chili Lime Grilled Mexican Street Corn most people are fans of cream corn at Thanksgiving. There is nothing like good cream corn that gives you warm fuzzies inside. Just remember if you don’t give the cream corn the attention that it requires you’ll end up with burnt corn stuck to the bottom of your pot. Trust us, if you burn it, start over, don’t try to save it.   

2 - Brussel Sprouts

After we searched through hours of data from the world wide web Brussel sprouts was a top 10 list winner multiple times. We were surprised too. Maybe they are not a traditional dish, but the masses have spoken. However, they are very delicious when prepared correctly. We have an excellent recipe for you to try -  Grilled Brussels Sprouts You might find that people that aren’t into veggies will totally be into these sprouts.

1 - Gravy

Another great debate is white, brown, or giblet gravy. Most people would agree white gravy is for biscuits and brown gravy is for mashed potatoes. Giblet gravy is great on turkey and dressing. Most families have a recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. Now, whether you put actual giblets in your recipe is up to you, but nothing beats a good gravy. It brings all the dishes together with the main course. Let’s be honest, sometimes you need a good gravy to get through some of those other “family” recipes. 

Honorable Mentions

Pineapple Casserole

This casserole sounds funky, but if you ever get the chance to try it or make it, please do. You will be pleasantly surprised by how good this dish is. For those folks in your family that might not like all the casseroles, this will definitely win them over

Dorito Salad

This seems to be a regional dish as well. But why wouldn’t salad with Doritos and ranch not be appealing? Just remember to eat this first before the Doritos get soggy.  

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Another classic that was close to making the list. C’mon on! Nothing says holiday like a good congealed salad. Jello, fruit, cream cheese, and pretzels...what’s not to love?

Squash Casserole

This seems to be a southern favorite among our crew. It will change your life, we promise! With a slice of that jalapeno cornbread, stop it! Somebody might find Jesus?

Asparagus

Asparagus has always been a dark horse. Can’t seem to get that one family member to eat anything? Anything wrapped in bacon can get people to do crazy things. Who knows, they might even ask for seconds. 

Corn Casserole

Coming in a strong second behind cream corn was corn casserole. If you took corn then decided to put it in a casserole dish and bake it with a large helping of deliciousness, yep, that’s corn casserole. This dish is always empty by the end of the meal!