Thanksgiving is meant to bring families together, celebrating life and giving thanks for much to be grateful for. When talking about Thanksgiving, it is important to remember its origin from many centuries ago. As we reflect upon Thanksgiving, quality family time and overall celebration of the holiday, it is difficult not to remember the food. Traditional Thanksgiving food, as we know, consists of turkey, mashed potatoes, some variant of green bean casserole and corn, and the best part, pumpkin pie. In my household, there is much debate regarding the best Thanksgiving food.  

Year after year, my family makes what we call corn bake, otherwise known as corn casserole. Corn bake, consisting of corn bread mix, corn, sour cream and butter, is a delectable combination of buttery warm flavors that happen to pair beautifully with turkey. It is by far my favorite Thanksgiving food, making sure to find a way to my plate every year. In addition to corn bake, my mom’s homemade mashed potatoes are among the best Thanksgiving foods. As with most traditional Thanksgiving meals, mashed potatoes can be found with brown gravy. Other than my mothers, I find this particular aspect of the traditional Thanksgiving meal spread to be mediocre. Though, I may just be biased towards my mother’s mashed potato rendition.  

There is no debate that a well-prepared turkey is a Thanksgiving staple. No matter how your family may prepare it, it is rather typical for a turkey to be the primary focus of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. The one gripe that I have with Thanksgiving turkey is the obscene amount of leftover turkey. In my family, we are often left with much of the turkey that is then made into soups and sandwiches. For this reason, turkey also falls in the mediocre Thanksgiving food category.  

While these are just some of the foods that you may have seen at Thanksgiving, there are many other varieties and flavors that different families and groups of individuals enjoy while celebrating Thanksgiving. The beauty of enjoying the warm, hearty Thanksgiving food is not just in the exceptional taste or the football game that follows, but instead the love and unity that Thanksgiving creates. Being able to spend time with family and friends functions as a wonderful break from school, work, and the cold winter weather. As Thanksgiving comes and goes, we may now shift our focus to Christmas and finishing the semester strong.  

Sadie Blace is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].