Really, Texas? The Top Thanksgiving Side Dish For Each State

HOUSTON, TX — From sausage balls in Alabama to pork chops in Wyoming, every state has a unique side dish that's more popular than any other. And while turkey is usually the main dish — I'll fry mine, thank you — side dishes are popular and sometimes can't be any more different than Republicans and Democrats.

American Thanksgiving tables are usually all about the side dishes, appetizers and the pies — pumpkin, blueberry and pecan, but sweet potato and pot pies, too. According to data compiled by popular American cooks, the top side dish in Texas is, um, chicken spaghetti — the same as Mississippi. Chicken spaghetti can work as a side, especially if it's jazzed up sort of like a King Ranch casserole. In Louisiana it's cornbread dressing, while in Oklahoma and New Mexico it's pecan pie for both. Michigan has chili, in Kansas they like pinwheels and they prefer shrimp in both Arizona and Wisconsin.

What in the world of mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce is going on here? We cooked our Thanksgiving dinner last weekend and, well, chicken spaghetti didn't make the cut in our house, whose menu included turkey, boudin dressing, homemade macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls and homemade butter pecan cheesecake. And then a very long nap.

The list of the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes by state comes from sources American cooks have trusted for eons. General Mills pulled search data from BettyCrocker.com, Pillsbury.com and other properties for the breakdown, which was published by The Daily Meal.

Alabama: Sausage balls
Alaska: Cinnamon rolls
Arizona: Shrimp
Arkansas: Chicken and dumplings
California: Macaroni and cheese
Colorado: Cranberry sauce
Connecticut: Butternut squash soup
Delaware: Sweet potato casserole
Florida: Pumpkin cheesecake
Georgia: Sweet potato casserole
Hawaii: Crescent rolls
Idaho: Biscuits
Illinois: Mashed Potatoes
Indiana: Peanut butter cookies
Iowa: Monkey bread
Kansas: Pinwheels
Kentucky: Chicken and dumplings
Louisiana: Cornbread dressing
Maine: Chicken pot pie
Maryland: Crab cake
Massachusetts: Cheesecake
Michigan: Chili
Minnesota: Green bean casserole
Mississippi: Chicken spaghetti
Missouri: Breakfast casserole
Montana: Oven-roasted vegetables
Nebraska: Monkey bread
Nevada: Peanut butter cookies
New Hampshire: Blueberry pie
New Jersey: Crab cake
New Mexico: Pecan pie
New York: Cheesecake
North Carolina: Sweet potato pie
North Dakota: Apple crisp
Ohio: Buffalo chicken dip
Oklahoma: Pecan pie
Oregon: Bread stuffing
Pennsylvania: Buffalo chicken dip
Rhode Island: Monkey bread
South Carolina: Sweet potato pie
South Dakota: Pumpkin pie
Tennessee: Sausage balls
Texas: Chicken spaghetti
Utah: Crescent rolls
Vermont: Butternut squash soup
Virginia: Macaroni and cheese
Washington: Sugar cookies
West Virginia: Buffalo chicken dip
Wisconsin: Shrimp
Wyoming: Pork chop

For all of these dishes and more, check out The Daily Meal's 101 best Thanksgiving recipes.

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