Next Thursday is Thanksgiving, one of the most celebrated American holidays. Many people have traditions related to the celebration of this holiday, many of which have to do with foods served for Thanksgiving dinner. You and your family are welcome to eat anything they want! Different families have different traditions and that’s as American as apple pie (pun intended).
Here are some foods commonly found on a Thanksgiving table.
 | Green bean casserole is a side dish (a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal) consisting most commonly of green beans (also known as string beans or snap beans), cream of mushroom soup, and french-fried onions, baked in a deep dish (called a casserole dish) and served hot in the same vessel. |
 | Glazed carrots are a side dish of carrots cooked in both butter and sugar or honey until tender and glazed with sugar. This method of cooking carrots is known as Vichy in French. |
 | Cranberry sauce is made by boiling cranberries in sugar water until the berries pop and the mixture thickens. Other ingredients commonly found in cranberry sauce include slivered almonds, orange juice, citrus zest, ginger, maple syrup, port, or cinnamon. Unlike most sauces, it is usually served on its own rather than atop another food. |
 | Pumpkin pie is a dessert consisting of a pumpkin custard – a mixture of pumpkin puree, eggs, evaporated or sweetened condensed milk, sugar, various spices such as nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves – baked in a pie shell, rarely with a top crust. It is usually served chilled, and frequently topped with whipped cream. |
 | Mashed potatoes are a side dish prepared by mashing or whipping boiled potatoes. Butter, vegetable oil, milk and/or cream are often added to improve flavor and texture, and they are frequently seasoned with salt and pepper. Other popular ingredients and seasonings include garlic, cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, mustard, and chopped herbs such as parsley or rosemary. |
 | Turkey and stuffing is an entrée and side dish all in one! Most turkeys in the U.S. are sold frozen. Once thawed, the cavity of the turkey is stuffed with a mixture of dried bread and other ingredients such as onion, celery, salt, pepper, and spices and herbs such as summer savoury and sage. The bird and the stuffing cook simultaneously. Sometimes the stuffing is cooked separately in a casserole dish, in which case it is often called dressing. |
 | Candied sweet potatoes are a side dish consisting mainly of sweet potatoes (also known as yams) prepared with brown sugar, marshmallows, maple syrup, molasses, orange juice, or other sweet ingredients. |
