With delicious Thanksgiving only a week away and tantalizingly close, we at the Lode are ready and willing to dive into that steamy bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy alongside the rest of you. Last week we talked about the history of Thanksgiving, and this week I would like to put the spotlight on the traditional harvest foods that are enjoyed the most by Americans throughout the nation on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is slowly spreading to other countries and, likewise, their traditions are spreading to our feasts as we move into their countries and they into ours.
The foods that are most commonly associated with Thanksgiving are called “staples” of the feast. Some popular Thanksgiving dishes in America are, of course, the turkey, either roasted, fried or smoked, sweet potatoes (with or without marshmallows), green bean casserole, rolls, pumpkin and apple pie, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce. These are likely the most traditional foods that can be found on the majority of tables in America come Thanksgiving dinner.
Some other popular dishes include chili, cornbread, salad, potato salad, corn on the cob, pecan pie, sausage balls, sweet potato pie, cheesecake, monkey bread, buffalo chicken dip, cranberry relish, shrimp, macaroni and cheese, butternut squash soup (or other squash related dishes).
Different states have different favorites; for example, in 2017, the most searched for recipe in New Hampshire was blueberry pie and the citizens of Wyoming made enough pork chops to make the list of popular Thanksgiving recipes.
Thanksgiving as a holiday puts an incredible amount of emphasis on the dinner portion of the food, but so many families have breakfast traditions as well. While some people opt for a delicious and nutritious breakfast that is both quick and easy (so they can jump right into the feast-prep), my family has always made what we call an “egg bake” which is a scrambled egg casserole with three different types of cheese. It’s prepared the night before and the morning of we just pop it in the oven and let it bake while we turn on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We make the egg bake for Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter and it is the most amazing part of waking up to the holiday.
With plenty of people and college students heading home for the holidays, it can be difficult to find time to cook or the space for it as well. Since college students tend to live away from home for the majority of the year (especially up here away from everything), Friendsgiving is a newer tradition that has been taking flight. This feast is more of a potluck where friends get together to spend time with one another and eat yummy food. Friendsgiving tends to be more casual and relaxed than the traditional, family-style Thanksgiving, but the core feeling is the same.
The greatest tradition of Thanksgiving is coming together with friends and family and spending time with loved ones that we don’t get to see very often. This part of the festivities often takes place after the meal as everyone is napping and digesting their treats.
Some groups watch movies together after dinner while others play board games or card games. Everyone does something unique or different in their own family or friend circle, but those who celebrate take full advantage of this opportunity to get together with distant and close family and siblings and spend some much-needed time with good friends.
I went around and asked several members of the Michigan Tech community about their favorite Thanksgiving things. Bre Jones, a third-year Social Sciences major, said that her favorite food was sweet potato casserole, and her favorite activity was Black Friday shopping.
Jessie Stapleton, director of Student Activities said her favorite food was absolutely green bean casserole, and that her favorite tradition was spending time with her siblings.
Jared Wohlford, a third-year mechanical engineering major, said his favorite food was mashed potatoes with gravy and his favorite tradition was eating food. A similar sentiment was expressed by Sarah Lindbeck, a second-year Scientific and Technical Communications major, who said her favorite Thanksgiving food was sweet potatoes and her favorite tradition was family dinner.
Stephanie Bois, a third-year Finance major, does not celebrate Thanksgiving but had been invited to a Friendsgiving sort of tradition, which was like a potluck. She said that she really enjoyed it and that her favorite part was being together.
Thanksgiving is in no fear of being taken over by Friendsgiving as it is far more enjoyable to celebrate twice during Thanksgiving break than once, after all. As we break for the holidays and head home to spend some much-needed time napping and eating, remember to stay safe. The roads are icy out there.
