Thanksgiving is here. What is your favorite side dish?

Turkey Day may look a little different this year, but our appetite will not!  Thanksgiving Day is a day we spend reminding ourselves of what we are grateful for and one thing that has stayed constant during this pandemic has been our craving for food!  To spice things up this Thanksgiving season, we went to Instagram to see what Ole Miss students prefer as their go-to favorite side dish at their family Thanksgiving celebrations. 

With over thirty plus responses on a recent poll via social media, we concluded the top three favorite side-dishes among Ole Miss students.  Can you guess which side dishes are a go-to?  You guessed it!  

Results are as follows:

Number 1: Sweet Potato Casserole

Surprised or not, many Ole Miss students are loving sweet potato casserole as their favorite side dish.  Whether it be the roasted marshmallows on top or the candy coated pecans, this devine dish is a go-to for many students here at Ole Miss!  “Thanksgiving isn’t really Thanksgiving without my grandmother’s sweet potato casserole,” said Julie Cook, senior biology major.    

Number 2: Macaroni & Cheese

This one is not even a surprise!  Everyone loves macaroni and cheese.  The ooey gooey cheesy deliciousness is a classic at most Thanksgiving meals.  Either baked and layered with multiple cheeses or topped with different garnishes, macaroni and cheese is a great comfort food for the picky eaters when they don’t want to try the strange looking dish that their aunt from up North brings in.  “Mac & cheese reminds me of home and it’s just a classic for any holiday meal,” said senior integrated marketing communications major, Ainsleigh Cunningham.  All people agree though that it must be homemade and can’t come from a box!

Number 3: Dressing 

Of course, we cannot forget a Thanksgiving day tradition.  Dressing (or known as stuffing in the Northern states) is a side dish that is usually paired with turkey.  A lot of people like to eat this side dish with cranberry sauce, whether from the can or homemade.   Ranked as a top three go-to side dish, dressing is, of course, a classic and will always be shared with family and friends on Thanksgiving day.  “Dressing is that perfect dish that is filling but not too heavy, especially if you’re a bread lover like me!” said Taylor Hall, junior English major. 

In the midst of a pandemic, it makes you realize even the small things like a side dish on Thanksgiving is something to be thankful for.  Hopefully, you were able to spend a little bit of time today with family and friends.  In this, we find a silver lining.