Thanksgiving is supposed to bring families together, but sometimes the biggest disagreements happen right over the dinner table. Grandma loves her cranberry jelly, Dad insists on oyster stuffing, and someone wonders why marshmallows sit on top of sweet potatoes.
Many of these dishes have been holiday favorites for decades. Some even date back centuries. Yet changing tastes and family traditions mean younger Americans don’t always share the same enthusiasm.
A 2021 YouGov survey found that 80% of adults aged 65 and older liked cranberry sauce, compared with roughly half of adults under 45. Still, that doesn’t mean younger generations reject every old-fashioned dish.
Here are eight traditional Thanksgiving foods that can spark some lively dinner-table debates.
Canned Cranberry Sauce That Still Looks Like the Can
There’s something unforgettable about cranberry sauce sliding out of a can while keeping every little ridge perfectly intact.
For many families, that familiar red cylinder is practically a Thanksgiving decoration. The smooth, sweet-tart sauce requires almost no preparation, making it a convenient addition to a busy holiday meal.
Canned cranberry sauce dates back to 1912, while the familiar jellied version became available nationwide in 1941.
Younger diners may prefer a sauce with whole berries, but the canned classic hasn’t disappeared. Ocean Spray reportedly sold 75 million cans of jellied cranberry sauce in the year preceding November 2022.
Sweet Potato Casserole Covered in Marshmallows
Sweet potatoes are already sweet, so why cover them with marshmallows?
That’s a question some Thanksgiving guests have been asking for generations.
This casserole combines soft sweet potatoes with a layer of marshmallows that turn golden and sticky in the oven. Depending on the recipe, butter, sugar, and warm spices make the dish even richer.
The combination dates back more than a century, with an early printed recipe identified in 1918.
In a 2021 YouGov survey, 21% preferred sweet potatoes with marshmallows, compared with 32% who preferred them without. Clearly, the marshmallow debate isn’t going away anytime soon.
Cranberry Gelatin Salad That Wobbles on the Plate
Imagine a bright red, wobbly salad packed with cranberries, pineapple, and chopped nuts.
For some families, that’s a beloved Thanksgiving tradition. For others, it’s a confusing combination of dessert and side dish.
Gelatin salads became especially fashionable during the mid-20th century, when decorative molds and packaged ingredients helped home cooks create impressive-looking dishes.
The unusual texture may not appeal to everyone, particularly when served alongside hot turkey and stuffing.
However, this old-fashioned favorite still has fans. Food52 reported that one cranberry gelatin salad was its most-visited Thanksgiving recipe during November in both 2017 and 2018.
Oyster Stuffing With a Seafood Surprise
Most people expect bread, herbs, onions, and celery in their Thanksgiving stuffing.
Oysters? That’s where things get interesting.
Oyster stuffing combines familiar bread dressing ingredients with pieces of oysters, creating a distinctive briny flavor.
The tradition has deep historical roots. Oyster dressing appeared in a 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook and was served on historical railroad Thanksgiving menus.
It’s especially tied to coastal and regional cooking traditions, including Chesapeake and Southern recipes.
While diners unfamiliar with oysters might prefer ordinary stuffing, the seafood version remains an important family tradition in some households.
Ambrosia Salad With Marshmallows and Canned Fruit
Is it a salad or dessert? Ambrosia has been confusing Thanksgiving guests for years.
The creamy mixture often contains canned pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, miniature marshmallows, and whipped cream or another creamy dressing.
Its earliest documented form was much simpler. An 1867 recipe combined oranges, coconut, and sugar.
By the mid-20th century, convenience ingredients had transformed ambrosia into the fluffy fruit mixture many families recognize today.
Although it’s especially associated with Southern Christmas celebrations, historical recipes also connect it to Thanksgiving.
Some guests love its sweetness, while others would rather save the marshmallows for dessert.
Green Bean Casserole Made With Canned Soup
Green bean casserole might be one of the most recognizable dishes from midcentury American kitchens.
The familiar recipe combines green beans, condensed cream-of-mushroom soup, milk, seasonings, and crispy fried onions.
Campbell’s home economist Dorcas Reilly developed the dish in 1955, and soup-label promotions helped make it a Thanksgiving tradition during the 1960s.
Some diners prefer fresh green beans or homemade sauces instead of the canned-soup version.
But don’t count this casserole out. Campbell’s 2026 research still places green bean casserole among America’s five leading Thanksgiving side dishes.
Apparently, those crispy onions continue winning people over.
Giblet Gravy With Bits of Turkey Organs
Regular turkey gravy is familiar enough. Giblet gravy takes things a little further.
Traditional recipes use turkey giblets, including the heart, liver, and gizzard, often simmered alongside the neck to create flavorful stock.
The cooked pieces are chopped and added to thickened gravy, giving it a texture quite different from smooth turkey gravy.
Some family recipes even include chopped hard-boiled eggs.
It’s an inherited Thanksgiving preparation that uses parts supplied with the bird.
For guests unfamiliar with organ meats, those little pieces can be unexpected. Others consider them essential to a proper holiday dinner.
Mincemeat Pie That Once Contained Actual Meat
Here’s a Thanksgiving dessert that can surprise anyone hearing its name for the first time.
Traditional American mincemeat pie could contain chopped beef, apples, raisins, suet, spices, and cider or wine.
Yes, actual meat was once a familiar ingredient in this sweet holiday pie.
An American cookbook published in 1796 included a minced beef pie recipe, and the dessert later became associated with Thanksgiving traditions, particularly in New England.
Modern versions sometimes leave out the meat, although ingredients vary.
The dense, fruity filling and strong spices may seem unusual beside pumpkin and apple pie, but mincemeat remains a nostalgic holiday favorite for some families.
Thanksgiving Traditions Are Changing, Not Disappearing
Thanksgiving menus have always reflected family memories, regional traditions, and changing tastes.
Some younger Americans may skip gelatin salads or prefer homemade cranberry sauce. Others happily serve the same casseroles their grandparents made.
And plenty of supposedly outdated dishes remain popular.
The fun part? Every Thanksgiving table has its own rules. Whether you love marshmallow-covered sweet potatoes or wouldn’t touch oyster stuffing, there’s always room for a little friendly disagreement before dessert.
