10 Thanksgiving Side Dishes Americans Say They Could Do Without
Thanksgiving menus can feel almost sacred. Take away someone’s stuffing, cranberry sauce, or family casserole, and you may hear about it before the turkey even reaches the table.
Still, not every traditional side gets the same enthusiasm. Consumer surveys show that a few familiar dishes regularly inspire “no, thanks” reactions, while others have become more regional, nostalgic, or dependent on how they are prepared. That does not mean these foods are universally disliked. Thanksgiving traditions vary widely by family and region. But if you are wondering which sides are most likely to divide the table, these are some of the strongest candidates.
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is one of the clearest dividers at Thanksgiving dinner. An Instacart/Harris Poll from 2024 found that 27% of respondents named cranberry sauce their least-favorite Thanksgiving dish. Earlier 2021 polling also found that 24% considered it one of the worst sides.
But the story is not as simple as “nobody likes cranberry sauce.” Regional preferences matter, and Northeasterners are more likely to serve it than diners in some other parts of the country. Preparation matters, too. In 2021, homemade cranberry sauce narrowly beat canned sauce in preference, 37% to 35%.
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Candied Yams
Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet, and candied yams push that idea further with sugar, syrup, butter, and sometimes marshmallows. That dessert-like character is part of what makes the dish so recognizable and potentially divisive. In 2021 Instacart/Harris polling, 27% of U.S. adults called candied yams the “worst” Thanksgiving side, giving the dish one of the survey’s strongest negative results.
Still, the marshmallow question is far from settled. Separate Harris reporting found that 39% of respondents thought marshmallows make sweet potato dishes better. For anyone who prefers the savory side of Thanksgiving, simply roasting sweet potatoes is one alternative.
Green Bean Casserole
Few dishes illustrate Thanksgiving disagreement better than green bean casserole. Instacart/Harris found that 25% of respondents called it the worst Thanksgiving side in 2021. Yet the dish remains deeply established on American holiday tables.
Campbell’s classic version dates to 1955, when the company’s Test Kitchen developed the recipe. The combination of green beans, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions became a holiday fixture. Its popularity also varies by region. The Midwest and South have historically shown stronger attachment to the casserole than the Northeast. So this dish is hardly forgotten. It is better described as the casserole Americans love to argue about.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potato casserole occupies the same tricky territory as candied yams: is it a vegetable side, or is it dessert that arrived early? In the 2021 Instacart/Harris survey, 21% of respondents called sweet potato casserole the worst Thanksgiving side. That is enough to show real disagreement, but not enough to dismiss its importance. Sweet potato dishes have a meaningful place in Southern and African American holiday traditions, and recipes vary dramatically.
Some versions lean heavily into brown sugar and marshmallows. Others are much less sweet. For diners who object to the dessert-like versions, a savory roasted or mashed sweet-potato dish offers a completely different direction.
Canned Cranberry Sauce
Sometimes the argument is not about cranberry sauce itself. It is about whether the sauce should still have the ridges from the can. The 2021 Instacart/Harris findings showed homemade cranberry sauce leading canned by only two percentage points. That surprisingly close result suggests the familiar canned version still has plenty of defenders.
And among respondents who preferred canned sauce, many wanted it served in its recognizable molded shape. This may be the ultimate Thanksgiving presentation battle: a rustic bowl of whole berries or a perfectly sliced ruby-red cylinder.
Green Salad
A fresh salad can provide contrast to a plate filled with casseroles, stuffing, gravy, and potatoes. But for some diners, Thanksgiving is exactly the day they do not want to devote plate space to lettuce. In 2021 polling, 12% of respondents called salad the worst Thanksgiving side. That is far below the percentages for candied yams or green bean casserole, so it would be an exaggeration to describe salad as broadly disliked.
Regional preferences also complicate the picture. Western diners have shown more enthusiasm for salad than Midwestern diners. In other words, salad may be optional on some Thanksgiving tables and essential on others.
Jell O Salad
Gelatin salads once had a much bigger place in American home cooking than they do today. Their popularity grew during the early and mid-20th century, when molded gelatin dishes became symbols of convenience and creative entertaining. Fruit, vegetables, cream, and other ingredients could all end up suspended inside brightly colored gelatin. No major national survey shows that Americans now rank Jell-O salad among Thanksgiving’s most-hated foods.
Instead, its place on this list comes from cultural change. What once looked modern can now feel distinctly retro. For families that still serve a treasured gelatin recipe every Thanksgiving, however, nostalgia may be the entire point.
Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia is another dish that can make diners ask whether they are looking at a side or dessert. The Southern holiday classic often combines fruit, coconut, and other sweet ingredients, with modern versions sometimes adding marshmallows or creamy components. No reliable national polling shows widespread rejection of ambrosia, so it shouldn’t be treated as a universally unpopular dish.
Its divisiveness comes instead from changing expectations. A sweet fruit mixture labeled “salad” may feel perfectly traditional in one household and completely out of place in another. That regional history is exactly why it survives.
Creamed Onions
Creamed onions have considerably more history than modern menu visibility. Recipes for pearl onions served in cream sauce appeared more than a century ago, and the dish remains associated particularly with New England holiday traditions. No current national poll shows that Americans broadly dislike creamed onions.
Their challenge is different: many Thanksgiving diners may not encounter them anymore. That makes them less a “hated” dish than a heritage side with a narrower modern footprint. Roasted onions offer a more contemporary alternative for cooks who like the flavor but not the cream-sauce preparation.
Marshmallow Topped Sweet Potatoes
The marshmallow topping deserves its own debate, even though it overlaps with sweet potato casserole and candied yams. Some diners consider the browned marshmallow layer essential. Others see it as the exact moment a vegetable side crosses into dessert territory.
Shopping data shows the sweet potato and marshmallow combination isn’t limited to the South. In contrast, survey findings show a substantial group of people actively prefer marshmallows on sweet-potato dishes. That leaves one question underneath nearly every sweet potato argument at Thanksgiving: should the dish be savory, sweet, or unapologetically dessert-like?
Thanksgiving Sides Are Personal
The polls reveal disagreement, not a universal verdict. Cranberry sauce, candied yams, green bean casserole, and sweet potato casserole have the strongest survey evidence behind their divided reputations. Others survive because of regional identity, family tradition, or nostalgia.
And Thanksgiving cooking continues to evolve. Recent consumer research shows many Americans want to try new recipes while still keeping familiar dishes on the table. So the side one guest skips may be the first thing another person serves themselves. Which Thanksgiving side would you happily leave off your plate?
