Americans Love These 5 Thanksgiving Sides More Than The Turkey, Survey Finds, Plus The Viral Slow-Cooker Turkey Taking Over TikTok

Turkey may be the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table, but for a lot of Americans, it isn’t the main event. The sides are.

That’s the big takeaway from Campbell’s 2026 State of the Sides Report, which surveyed 5,017 U.S. adults who celebrate Thanksgiving, with 100 people from each state. The research was conducted by the independent firm Reputation Leaders in August and September 2026, according to the company’s announcement.

Here’s what Americans say they love most, and the viral TikTok turkey shortcut that fits right into a sides-first holiday.

Traditional Thanksgiving stuffing in a baking dish — Image Credit: fahrwasser via 123RF

The 5 Most Popular Thanksgiving Sides

If you enjoy this kind of thing, Frenz Hub’s Skip the Checked-Bag Fee This Thanksgiving: 5 Carry-On Suitcases Worth Packing is worth a read too. According to Tasting Table’s look at the report, these are America’s top five sides this year:

1. Stuffing (or dressing). It’s No. 1 for the third year in a row and the top pick in 39 states.
2. Mashed potatoes. The creamy classic is a close second.
3. Yams or sweet potatoes. Whether topped with marshmallows or pecans, they hold strong at No. 3.
4. Macaroni and cheese. It’s the favorite of Gen Z, with 46% of Gen Z respondents ranking it No. 1, according to Chowhound.
5. Green bean casserole. It’s the most nostalgic of them all: 67% say it reminds them of Thanksgivings past, and only 19% would change the recipe.

The Sides Are Winning

We also covered this angle in Your Thanksgiving Turkey Will Be Juicier When You Rub It With This Before Roasting. Frenz Hub took a similar look at everyday life in Your Personal-Item Survival Kit for Holiday Flights. Some of the most striking numbers from the survey:

80% of Americans say they’d rather make the sides than the turkey.
86% plan to serve at least four sides this year, with a median of five per table. That works out to about 749 million side dishes nationwide.
46% of people who celebrate would be happy with a Thanksgiving meal made entirely of sides. That jumps to 65% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials.
39% say they wouldn’t even mind a turkey-free Thanksgiving.

In other words, a lot of families would happily trade a little less turkey stress for a little more mac and cheese. For a related read, Frenz Hub has Pet Hair Everywhere? Shark vs Bissell Vacuums to Get the House Guest-Ready.

Sliced roasted turkey breast on a white platter — Image Credit: apolonia via 123RF

The Viral Turkey That Takes the Stress Out

It pairs well with our earlier story, ALDI’s Thanksgiving Basket Feeds 10 for Under $39 This Year. That’s part of why one recipe is getting so much attention online right now. Allrecipes’ Nicole McLaughlin shared a simple crockpot turkey breast, and home cooks across TikTok have been posting their own versions, according to Upworthy.

It’s built for smaller gatherings and for anyone who’d rather spend their energy on the sides. The basic idea:

A fully thawed 3-pound boneless turkey breast is seasoned and placed in a slow cooker.
It’s topped with a packet of onion soup mix and a cup of whole berry cranberry sauce, with a little apple cider poured around it.
It cooks for 5 to 6 hours on Low (or 2 1/2 to 3 hours on High) until a thermometer in the thickest part reads at least 165°F.
The cooking juices, plus the gravy packet that comes with the turkey, become an easy gravy.

TikTok cooks have been adding their own twists, like fresh rosemary, orange juice or Trader Joe’s Chili Crunch. The full recipe is on Allrecipes.

The best part? It frees up the oven for all those sides.