# What's MANDATORY for you to have on Thanksgiving (foodwise)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 24, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405 "2015-11-24T04:03:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/1 "2015-11-24T04:03:20Z")
Regardless of [what you may or may not be factually having](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=775588), what are some things you consider to be mandatory Thanksgiving foods? Just for yourself, I mean…not including stuff anyone else eats in the group you usually dine with…I’m talking about if it was up to you alone, what are the only foods you’d have, for sure? For me, there’s only three: Turkey, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. Those things are mandatory for me, personally. Everything else (yes, that includes stuffing, cranberries in any form, and any kind of pie) is optional, because I never eat anything but those three things at any Thanksgiving. I won’t judge you if you don’t judge me. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/2 "2015-11-24T04:09:00Z")
White breast meat with skin attached. Mashed potatoes (don’t skimp on the butter) and gravy. If there was nothing more, I wouldn’t cry. Well, maybe a slice of pumpkin pie and coffee. Wow! I am ready to partake! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/3 "2015-11-24T04:09:21Z")
Homebrew ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/4 "2015-11-24T04:28:56Z")
Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin or sweet potato pie, cranberry sauce. If any of those are missing, it’s not Thanksgiving, it’s just a big dinner. Basically, I’m a traditionalist. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/5 "2015-11-24T04:37:38Z")
Lasagna. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/6 "2015-11-24T05:40:48Z")
Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, Parker House rolls, apple pie. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/7 "2015-11-24T06:30:07Z")
Turkey. Potatoes, of an kind. Cranberry Sauce. Never understood the Green Bean Casserole. Must be a midwest thing, because my New England family never, ever, EVER had anything casserole-like on the Thanksgiving table. The GBC, in particular, is a modern invention with no roots in the Thanksgiving tradition whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/8 "2015-11-24T07:42:34Z")
Dressing, made by my mother. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/9 "2015-11-24T08:19:30Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin or sweet potato pie, cranberry sauce. If any of those are missing, it’s not Thanksgiving, it’s just a big dinner. > > Basically, I’m a traditionalist. Precisely. Walk into any diner in America that offers a turkey dinner and it’s going to include turkey, dressing, mashed with gravy and a wee bit of cranberry sauce. Those are mandatory Thanksgiving dinner components, with sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie next on the list. I like to include some kind of fresh green veg, not GBC, and apples in some form. Chop one into the dressing, bake apple strudel, offer some cider as a beverage, just get apples involved somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/10 "2015-11-24T09:18:26Z")
I love GBC and we always had it on Thanksgiving growing up (but then, my family liked to have one of everything anybody cooked for T’giving, and also, the rule was pretty much to eat until you were unconscious). GBC was also a must at church potlucks. So, I don’t make it. I did it once with bad results. Sometimes I get to have Thanksgiving with somebody who brings it, sometimes not. But the turkey and dressing? ONLY on Thanksgiving, and therefore mandatory. I did go through a rebel phase where I fasted (one year), grilled hamburgers (one year), and had a bunch of people over for lasagna (one year), but other than that… TFTW. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/11 "2015-11-24T11:29:07Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Dressing, made by my mother. Came in to post this. Dressing made by **BigT** ’s mother. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/12 "2015-11-24T14:49:45Z")
Gotta have green bean casserole. Heck, I don’t even have to have turkey, as long as there is ham. But GBC is a must. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/13 "2015-11-24T15:04:07Z")
Cornbread stuffing and my combination of cut up red skin potatoes mixed with sweet potatoes with a whole cranberry orange sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/14 "2015-11-24T15:07:54Z")
Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, cranberries (of either variety), pumpkin pie. There’ve been a few years in which my wife and I have another Thanksgiving meal (sized for a couple) at home, to include all of the above, if any of those components, except for cranberries, were missing at the meal we attended on Thanksgiving itself. I can overlook a cranberry omission, but the others are mandatory. And don’t get too fancy with the stuffing, for crying out loud. Thanksgiving is not the time to try out a new recipe on your family. ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/15 "2015-11-24T15:18:55Z")
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce. Everything else is optional, though some sort of dinner roll is a nice addition. ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/16 "2015-11-24T15:20:34Z")
Turkey (both dark and white meat), dressing, cranberry sauce (it can be from a can), sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and the two dishes mentioned below. I don’t care if there are mashed potatoes or not. One thing our family always had was what we called apple salad, commonly known as Waldorf salad. The main ingredients were apples, mayonnaise, and some kind of nuts (preferably walnut but pecan will do nicely). Skins left on the apples for color, and celery was a good addition, or more recently we’d add grapes to it, maybe even raisins. We only ate this dish at Thanksgiving, and I always liked it a lot. A newer addition to our Thanksgiving menu was brought to our family by my sister’s husband. It’s called oyster dressing, but it’s a cold dish, so more of an oyster “salad.” I don’t know how to make it, but I’ve developed a great fondness for it. It’s also a thing that is only eaten (in our family at least) on Thanksgiving. This same brother-in-law also has been smoking our Thanksgiving turkey for many years now. Now that I’ve had smoked turkey, I wouldn’t want to go back to roasted turkey for the holiday. My sister makes homemade rolls for the dinner, and though I really love them, I don’t consider them as essential because the stuffing/dressing is plenty of bread for me. We also have other vegetables but the sweet potatoes are my favorite to go with the turkey. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/17 "2015-11-24T15:20:38Z")
Booze. And a quiet room to take a nap in when the Big Fat Jolly Thanksgiving Extravaganza ordeal is over. ---
**Author:** ![Totenfeier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@Totenfeier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Totenfeier)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/18 "2015-11-24T15:25:43Z")
> [@Queen\_Tonya](#): > > Precisely. > > Walk into any diner in America that offers a turkey dinner and it’s going to include turkey, dressing, mashed with gravy and a wee bit of cranberry sauce. Those are mandatory Thanksgiving dinner components, with sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie next on the list. > > I like to include some kind of fresh green veg, not GBC, and apples in some form. Chop one into the dressing, bake apple strudel, offer some cider as a beverage, just get apples involved somehow. +2, though for me, sweet potato casserole with little marshmallows on top _just_ misses the cut; I’m a Southern boy. My wife, who was born in New Jersey and raised in D.C. thinks that’s gross and/or insane. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/19 "2015-11-24T16:11:22Z")
My only requirement during Thanksgiving dinner is the stuffing. Hours later: turkey sandwich on rye, pickle on the side. Force me to choose, I’ll limit myself to the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405/20 "2015-11-24T16:29:51Z")
Home made stuffing. Ham instead of turkey is fine, but gotta have home made stuffing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-mandatory-for-you-to-have-on-thanksgiving-foodwise/738405.md?page=2)