The most popular Thanksgiving side dish in every state

Everyone has their favorite Thanksgiving recipe – the one thing that can’t be missing from the table. And most of the time (sorry, Türkiye) it’s all about the side dishes. But did you know that your favorite recipe says something about where you live? We looked at Allrecipes data surrounding Thanksgiving and found the best side dish recipe in every state, according to you, our community members.

The 6 Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Let’s get a little geeky for a moment: I’m sure you’ve seen other cards showing the best Thanksgiving recipes around the country, but most of the time they look at what it is unique searched, meaning a recipe is more popular in this state than any other state. For Allrecipes, we specifically look at all website traffic for a supplement in a specific state. So when we say that the best green bean casserole is the most popular Thanksgiving side dish recipe in Minnesota, according to our analysis, we mean the most popular—period.

So what have we discovered? As you can see from the menu above, six recipes are trending across the country this Thanksgiving: Best Green Bean Casserole, Delicious Sweet Potato Casserole, Grandma’s Cornbread Dressing, Candied Yams, and Grandma’s Corn Pudding. Below, we’ll go over each recipe and the states where it performed best.

The best green bean casserole recipe

States: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Nineteen states named Allrecipes community member Jan’s Best Green Bean Casserole recipe as their #1 side dish recipe for Thanksgiving. The recipe itself has over 700 reviews with an average rating of 4.7. It’s easy to see why this recipe is so popular. First, it consists of only four ingredients: green beans, condensed cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, and fried onions. And secondly, it takes about 25 minutes to prepare. When so many Thanksgiving recipes—from turkey to pie—take longer to prepare, it’s nice to have something you can rely on that’s easy.

Plus? It’s delicious and reliable. Allrecipes community member MEMPHISBELLE says this recipe is “ALWAYS the first to go at potlucks when there are other versions of green bean casseroles.”

Delicious sweet potato casserole recipe

States: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

It’s no surprise that our #1 Thanksgiving recipe is from all time is the #1 Thanksgiving side dish in 16 states. This cozy casserole from Allrecipes community member TINA B has a brown sugar and pecan topping that adds the perfect amount of sweetness. This recipe is also easy to adapt—according to the very active comments section, chefs have added cinnamon or nutmeg to the sweet potatoes and even added cornflakes to the pecan topping.

Grandma’s cornbread dressing

States: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas

There are so many different types of dressing (stuffing) you could make for Thanksgiving, but the only recipe that can be considered “most popular” in eight states is Grandma’s Cornbread Dressing. This is a no-frills recipe from Allrecipes community member Amy. Simply combine crumbled cornbread—homemade or boxed will do—a few vegetables, sage, egg, butter, and chicken broth. It takes less than an hour to make.

“We love this recipe,” writes Brittany Rundle in the recipe comments. “I’ve been using (this recipe) for a few years. It is now a staple for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my favorite dish for a potluck dinner or dinner with friends.”

Candied yams

States: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington

From Alaska to Hawaii, this candied yam recipe is the most popular Thanksgiving side dish in six states. It’s a humble dish made with just four ingredients: mini marshmallows, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and butter. The dish can also be easily enhanced with simple spices like nutmeg and cinnamon; or even extra marshmallows or pecans.

A quick look through the comments shows how popular this dish is. “It was my first time making this and OMG IT WAS SO SO GOOD!!! Thank you for sharing your recipe. It was so easy and quick to make,” says an Allrecipes community member.

Grandma’s corn pudding

Condition: Maryland

No, your eyes didn’t deceive you when you looked at the map at the top of this story – there’s only one state, specifically Maryland, that stands alone in its admiration for Grandma’s corn pudding. Although corn pudding isn’t as popular at Thanksgiving as a green bean casserole or stuffing recipe, it shouldn’t be ignored.

This recipe for Grandma’s Corn Pudding by Lisa Cohen has over 800 reviews with a 4.7 star rating. This is exactly how you imagine a flavored corn pudding made with both creamed corn and regular corn kernels. “No leftovers! This has become a popular staple at holiday and birthday dinners!” writes Allrecipes community member Marie.