80% of Americans admit they’d rather cook the Thanksgiving sides than the actual turkey and 56% of Millennials would rather eat a sides-only meal
Whether you’re cooking on Thanksgiving, bringing your specialty, or just enjoying the food, you probably have a favorite side dish. Now, Campbell’s (yes, the soup company) has released its 2026 State of the Sides Report to confirm or debate your choices. Honestly, the data proves what we’ve all secretly known for years: turkey is just an obligatory centerpiece that takes up valuable oven space.
It’s officially time to pardon the poultry
According to the report, 80% of Americans admit they enjoy cooking the side dishes more than the turkey itself — a sentiment up 11 points from 2023. Younger generations are taking it a step further: 65% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials agreed they would be perfectly happy eating a side-only Thanksgiving meal.
We’re also cooking more of them than ever. This year, 86% of hosts plan to serve at least four different sides, with the national average clocking in at five dishes. Campbell’s estimates that Americans will cook about 749 million side dishes this season.
And America’s favorite side dishes are…
The top five dishes haven’t changed in three years. The official ranking is: green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, yams or sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. (Shocked that mashed potatoes are so low on the list and that green bean casserole is on here at all.)
Mac and cheese is obviously Gen Z’s favorite (for the second year in a row), with 57% of people calling it the dish everyone can agree on and 42% claiming there are never any leftovers to pack up. Fans also love it for the convenience, with 46% citing how easy it is to prepare.
Meanwhile, classic green bean casserole has somehow reigned as the most nostalgic dish, with 67% saying it reminds them of Thanksgivings past. Very few people (only 19%) are willing to mess with the original five-ingredient recipe created in the Campbell’s Test Kitchen over 75 years ago. In fact, 87% of people still insist on using Campbell’s soup as their casserole base, which, according to the brand, has led to nearly 40 million cans of Cream of Mushroom soup sold during the holiday period alone.
Top-rated kitchen gear for your Thanksgiving prep
If you’re tasked with bringing a side dish this year, you might want to upgrade your kitchen arsenal before the holiday panic sets in. Check out these top-rated Amazon finds to make your prep work a little less chaotic:
