As Halloween passes, and Christmas nears, we can’t forget about the overlooking holiday in the middle – Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday, (I’m an early Christmas celebrator) I still really enjoy seeing family on Thanksgiving and getting to enjoy my family’s cooking. In our family we cook the classic Thanksgiving dishes and let’s be honest, some are better than others.

First, let’s start with the most famous dish – turkey. I think turkey is good with a lot of gravy, salt, and other seasonings. Although, very well-cooked turkeys I find them dry and lacking flavor regardless. Other meats are much better, like chicken or steak, and I would be happy to replace turkey with them. However, turkey is such a long-standing tradition I don’t think that will ever happen.

The best Thanksgiving side in my opinion is mashed potatoes. They’re so flavorful and creamy, and I love how smooth it is. Although they aren’t the healthiest, the best-mashed potatoes have the most cream and butter. My family makes them with chunks of potato mixed in which adds a lot of texture. In addition to mashed potatoes, my family always makes sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top during Thanksgiving which is a perfect combo especially if you have a big sweet tooth.

Another Thanksgiving staple is stuffing. Usually, people put stuffing inside of the turkey, but I always have stuffing as a side on Thanksgiving. I don’t like stuffing because it’s really bland, and doesn’t offer anything to the entire meal overall. It usually doesn’t have any flavoring to it except a couple of herbs. It’s safe to say stuffing is not the first food I grab at the dinner table.

I have to give an honorable mention to sides like rolls or cornbread with butter because they complement the Thanksgiving meal really well and provide a nice, sweet snack on the side of dinner.

My all-time favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is the dessert. We usually have an assortment of pies with ice cream, and it’s a great way to end the night. My favorite pies are french silk, apple, and pumpkin pie and I have no critiques for any of them. While apple pie and pumpkin pie are usually the go-to fall pies, I think french silk is a classic that also deserves a spot at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Ice cream with pie is a must, as it provides a cool and creamy contrast to the warm pie.

I see Thanksgiving as more of a gateway holiday into the Christmas season. Is the traditional Thanksgiving meal anything extraordinary that I look forward to every year? Definitely not. But it’s more about enjoying my family’s presence, getting to cook with them, and appreciating our little holiday traditions that I look forward to every year.