We are two days away from the biggest food holiday in the US. People will gather around tables across the nation to eat a huge Thanksgiving feast, and the majority of those tables will contain turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing/dressing. According to an Associated Press poll, more people say that turkey is their favorite dish (32%) than any of the sides or accompaniments. Second place honors go to stuffing/dressing (19%).

Accidental turkey from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten

To my astonishment, only 6% of people say that the mashed potatoes are their favorite. Apparently almost no one likes cranberry sauce, leading me to wonder how much of it ends up in a landfill since 80 million pounds of it are served each year. A great divide exists on the sweet potato front, with a slight plurality saying a vehement "no" to marshmallow topping versus those who prefer it. For many years I lived south of the Mason-Dixon line where marshmallows were non-negotiable additions to sweet potato casserole. In the Midwest where I live now, they are favored but not required. Despite this, I'm in the no marshmallow camp. Pumpkin pie was the clear winner for dessert in the poll, followed by pecan pie, apple pie, and sweet potato pie, in that order.

Our household would be outliers when it comes to this poll. We aren't having turkey, and I would be drawn and quartered if I didn't make mashed potatoes. My husband eagerly anticipates our homemade cranberry sauce and it's one of my favorites as well. We're making a carrot cake for dessert, although one traditional item from this poll, apple pie, will also make an appearance. How do your family preferences fit with this poll?