All across America, there’s a shared love of Thanksgiving side dishes – with most people ranking them above the main dish.
Campbell’s Third Annual State of the Sides Report offers a detailed look at Thanksgiving side dishes and recipe trends that Americans will enjoy as they gather around the holiday table.
Two stats solidify American’s love of side dishes:
56% prefer eating side dishes over turkey 38% would be happy to fill their plate with only side dishes
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We also see that 38% of Gen Z adults plan to cook seven or more sides this Thanksgiving, making the love of sides likely to continue for years to come. Gen Z’s favorite side dish is mac and cheese, with 45% saying they “can’t get enough.”
Here are the top five side dishes this Thanksgiving:
Stuffing/dressing (this is the favorite of Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation) Mashed potatoes Sweet potatoes Green bean casserole (especially in the Midwest where it will be on 62% of tables) Mac and cheese
As for Michiganders, stuffing is our favorite side dish and watching football is our top Thanksgiving tradition.
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Campbell’s commissioned a survey of 5,000 adults 18 and over in the United States who celebrate Thanksgiving, with 100 in each of the 50 states. The research was conducted in June 2024 by Reputation Leaders, an independent research organization. The margin of error is +/-1.4% for the national results and +/-9.8% for the state results, with 95% confidence.