From the Bench: A Little Thanksgiving Competition as to Best Side Dish, Dessert to Grace the Family Table
By Jeff Toquinto on November 26, 2023 from Sports Blog
Editor's Note I: You can select your favorite in a poll up on Connect-Bridgeport. Just scroll down the page and the poll will be to the left.
Any regular reader of my sports blog knows I love to put my opinion out there about certain things that are “the greatest” or “the best.” Any regular reader of my ToquiNotes blog knows I like to do a lot of stories on food and, in particular, restaurants no longer with us.
Today, I am going to combine both topics. And since competitive eating is considered a sport, it is going to go in today’s edition of the Glotfelty Tire Centers Sports Blog.
The good news is that I will soon make my opinion known as to what the greatest side dish of all time is when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. The better news for you is that since this is social media, you can comment on your choice in the comment section below, or on our social media platforms of Facebook and Twitter.
My choice? It is simple. Mashed potatoes.
Period. Nothing else is close.
Understand, I also think mashed potatoes – homemade, boxed, whatever type the school used to serve – is also the greatest side dish for any dinner. That includes dinner at the house, at a restaurant, at a friend’s place or any other venue one can imagine.
Those fluffy mounds of potatoes, drenched in butter, and occasionally smothered in gravy are an argument that a higher being exists. It should be noted that Chris Johnson, who helped me come up with some other candidates for this blog, said if his father Huey were given dictatorship nationwide, he would make serving mashed potatoes without 
gravy a criminal offense.
gravy a criminal offense.
When I go naked or clothed when it comes to my potatoes and gravy, I can abide by that rule. In fact, if he makes mashed potatoes mandatory for all meals, I will probably vote for him for the office where he would have complete control.
I digress. The list of side dishes comes from a search on the internet, along with my other favorites and some of Chris’ favorites as well. It is not a definitive list, just what this blogger and his colleague agreed are either among their favorites or ones they know others enjoy.
Before throwing out insults, we know we have likely missed a bunch. By all means, please not only add a comment where you can about what that favorite is, buy why it is your favorite. Even better, if you like what we have on our list, comment about it as well.
Here we go:
Stuffing: There are few things better than stuffing out of the bird on Thanksgiving Day. I should also note that I am a proponent of stuffing on unofficial holidays and, like mashed potatoes, will not complain if it comes from a box. First-team side dish choice.
Sweet potatoes/yams: Never ate this sweet treat until probably a decade or so ago, and now I love them. They get a spot at plenty of tables at Thanksgiving, and I like them as part of an everyday meal – smothered in butter and with brown sugar.
Cranberry Sauce: Never eat it, but Chris and I agree that it is standard when it comes to Thanksgiving side dishes. You can have my share.
Green beans/casserole: Green beans, when coked correctly for me (bacon grease or in an unhealthy way) is a regular go to as a side dish on any occasion and usually goes into casserole form on Thanksgiving. If served, I will find a spot on the plate.
Macaroni and cheese: Okay, this is something I rarely have had at Thanksgiving, but most of my online research (see Google search and reading a handful or articles), included macaroni and cheese. You got it, I will eat it. Just ask Joe Shuttleworth’s wife Kellee, who makes some of the best I have ever had (hint).
Corn casserole: This was introduced to me at my mother’s own Thanksgiving Day dinners. It is now a regular dish at my mother-in-law's place as well. It is easy to make, and it is absolutely delicious. Want the recipe, email at jeff@connect-bridgeport.com and I will get it to 
you after I return to work. First-team pick for me.
you after I return to work. First-team pick for me.
Broccoli/broccoli casserole: Would not eat broccoli as a kid. As an adult, steamed broccoli or any type of broccoli is one of my favorites. Put it in a casserole format, particularly smothered in cheese, and I am all in. This is a first-team side dish selection.
Deviled eggs: Seems this is either love them or hate them. I absolutely love them, and not sure anyone makes them better than my mother-in-law does. If you think yours are really good, feel free to drop me off eggs at any time.
Dinner rolls/bread/crescents: Bread is pretty much a staple for most at Thanksgiving. I added crescents because we usually have them every year, piping hot, and covered in butter. Cheap and easy to make. Bread is an automatic first team selection.
Salad: I love a good salad. However, just like when going to a buffet that includes salad, I am not taking up space on greens. That does not mean it is not good, it just means I will pass on it.
Collared greens: I can honestly say I don’t remember any family member ever making these. I can recall decades ago going out for Thanksgiving dinner and eating them for the first time and, well, they were and remain delicious. My wife’s greens are top notch. I would also be willing to sample any leftovers for those willing to deliver.
Okay, that is it on the food front. As noted, agree, or add your own in the comment sections. I am interested in your choices.
We also have a few “sides to the sides” that are included. The automatic is salt and pepper. The other is the aforementioned gravy that would be mandatory with your food if someone I know were in charge. Butter is also practically mandatory, while vastly underrated is Cool Whip because it is an add-on to the dessert portion of the meal.
Speaking of dessert, I am limiting it to two: Pumpkin and Pecan Pie. I have taken a healthy love of pecan pie in recent years, but I go back with pumpkin pie – smothered in Cool Whip – to the days when my grandmother and mom would make them. Today, my mother-in-law makes them with cream cheese, and they are top notch. Valerie’s pecan pies, though, are my first choice and there are never leftovers.
Okay, that is the complete list. Let me know your G.O.A.T. of side dishes and desserts as well. When you think about it, there is no wrong answer.
Happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend to you all.
Editor's Note: Top photo, third and fourth photos are from the kitchen of Valerie Toquinto. Second and bottom photos, courtesy of Chris Johnson, are from the kitchen of Nancy Johnson.
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