One week from Thanksgiving, our readers are focused on the upcoming feast. The majority who participated in the Thanksgiving poll are hosting family and friends, a quarter of respondents will travel and others will volunteer or go out, very few won’t celebrate. The all-around winning dish this year is mashed potatoes. For desserts, pumpkin pie is the hands-down favorite.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Slices

The faves, according to our readers

Turkey reigns supreme as the favorite protein, vegetarian dishes are a distant second. Stuffing beat dressing, but many will make both. Canned cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole with marshmallows have fallen out of favor, Brussels sprouts are meh at best. The votes are split on the green bean casserole, either a favorite or banished from the table.

Many of the poll respondents shared their special dishes or traditions:

  • Giglibini (Sardine) pie- Mark, Auburn
  • Having roast chicken this year with all the trimmings. We like to turn tradition slightly on its ear! We usually have a birthday cake as well, for one family member whose birthday is adjacent or on Thanksgiving. Birdsong, Forest City
  • This is probably way too long, but we have a pretty traditional meal every year – turkey, sage stuffing (but not stuffed), mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade yeast buns, sweet potatoes (with just a little brown sugar and orange juice), homemade cranberry-orange relish AND the can with the ridges, and one or two green veggies. This year green beans (but not casseroled), and a new thing–slaw made with shredded cabbage and brussels sprouts, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, and a slightly sweet dressing (oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard). Pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Various platters, bowls, and table linens passed down in the families. Candles and the whole 9 yards. All day to prepare and half an hour to eat. Tradition! – Paige, Grass Valley
  • Home made cranberry sauce made with raspberries. It’s great on turkey sandwiches instead of mayo. Yum! Home made turkey gravy is better than canned or packaged. – Wanda
  • Persimmon pie, instead of pumpkin. Yum! Just make the custard filling with persimmon pulp instead of pumpkin puree. – SR, Nevada City
  • Artfully arranged platter of roasted vegetables – Frank, Penn Valley
  • Corn bread chestnut dressing filled with herbs and sausage, just enough spice to balance the sweetness of the chestnuts and corn bread. Cannot have a Thanksgiving without it. Roasting and the peeling chestnuts are part of Thanksgiving now. Years ago I took three different recipes and rolled it into one. It’s grand and I’m happy to have it once a year, keeps it special. – Sage, over the river in Colfax.
  • After dinner we play a fierce game of phase 10 & corn hole. – Lois
  • Chocolate cake for my great grandson – Ginni, Grass Valley
  • Contribution to dinner(s): foothills mandarins Dishes: Maple glazed baked yams with smoked salt, Cornbread – Star Nevada City
  • Our tradition is to stay home, watch some football on TV and invite our “orphan friends “ over for dinner. A fire in the wood stove burning throughout the day, wine 🍷 and other libations. Also, listen to “Alice’s Restaurant “ by Arlo Guthrie on KVMR in the afternoon. THAT is a tradition! Rick, Nevada City”
  • Creamed cipollini onions, with a touch of parmesan in the cream sauce. Nathaniel, NevCo.
  • Leftovers in our house are traditionally heated up all together in our large cast iron skillet, and usually get a nice crispy bottom. The flavors blend together beautifully and the crisp is fantastic, adding an extra depth to the food. It’s something I look forward to every year, almost as much as Thanksgiving itself. Ryan in Nevada City.
  • My specialty is a Thanksgiving turkey that still contains its plastic parts, ie giblets wings and whatever. I also excel in putting the bird in upside-down and not seeing the pop-out thermometer thing.
  • Whipping cream from a can is something we look forward to every year. For more than 50 years, we all travel for a picnic potluck Thanksgiving meal. Nancy, Nevada City
  • “Nuclear Waste” jello salad of cream cheese, tomato soup, celery and little shrimp topped with mayonnaise. My MIL always made it, delicious and I so miss her!!! Maryellen, Penn Valley
  • Jeree, Grass Valley – sparkling cider for kids and adults, and appetizers including an assortment of olives and pickles.
  • Walnut pie, butternut squash or mushroom soup( from scratch), lots of cookies, fresh homemade yeast rolls, martinelli’s cider, ginger bread.
  • Lemon meringue pie – Christina in R&R
  • I always bake and take either a chocolate chip pecan pie or a chocolate chip cheesecake when I go to Marin County (family) for Thanksgiving. I’m also making a big salad this year since there will be a couple of vegetarians. Hindi, Nevada City
  • My mom would always make pea salad, her mom’s recipe. Peas, chopped pecans, chopped onion, chopped boiled egg, mayonnaise, paprika maybe? I never knew the appeal, but they liked it!
  • Thanksgiving was always the first day we turned on the Christmas lights and played Christmas music, no earlier.
  • This might be our 28th-29th year hosting… we historically make room for holiday “orphans”—many who have now become family. Every year is different! But two traditions must be upheld: the breaking out of the fake mustaches (after dinner) and the ever-popular fart machine. We have no idea how these actually started, but is there a better way to “welcome” strangers and break the wind–I mean, ICE!!?? – Laurel & Mark, Nevada City
  • We do double baked potatoes not mashed. My grandmother’s Lone Star Gas Company recipe for cornbread dressing. Stacey. Grass Valley.
  • Hello! My Mom’s Jello Salad! She does lime green jello, can crushed pineapple, chopped celery & walnuts with some little cherries at the bottom of the mold & get this folded in whipped cream. If this salad thing is not there, it isn’t Thanksgiving! I’ve heard not many people know this side dish & when guests come over it definitely gets the conversation going. It’s an odd one but something about it is the best turkey day palate cleanser & always ends up a hit. I wonder if anyone else has a jello salad at their table this year! – Carolyn, Grass Valley
  • Just me with a boneless turkey breast and small portions of all the fixings. – Lynne, Grass Valley
  • We have SALAD, dressing in southwestern with diced roasted poblano chiles, pecans, dried cranberries, onions, celery, garlic and red CHILE powder from Chimayo New Mexico, with cornbread.There are never any leftovers of dressing! – Jane Grass Valley.
  • First no meat holiday. It’s all new! A perfect chance to invent new traditions. – Rebecca in Grass Valley
  • Every year we make Mama Stamberg’ cranberry relish. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it.
  • Gathering of friends…our favorite part is after dinner – Lucinda cuts out tree leaves and we write what we are grateful for (beyond family and friends). We go around the table and guess who wrote what. Teri, Nevada City
  • I have my late sister in laws creamed corn recipe. So decadent but, I think I will make it.
  • Homemade cranberry sauce. Keith, Grass Valley
  • I always have to have a can of black olives, it’s a must for me. I will be making my own cranberry sauce for the 2nd year in a row, last year was my first time making it. I had no idea how easy it is to make. – Anishia, Anniston Alabama
  • Cranberry Relish; a little more fancier then cranberry in a can.
  • Notice your survey allows Pies AND Ice cream. How dare you ask for one, or the other. Both necessary. Vital to life.
  • Deviled Eggs and Potatoe salad!
  • Gotta have those creamed onions! Bill, Grass Valley
  • Waldorf Salad – Catherine, Grass Valley
  • Grandmas dressing w spinach, sourdough and more. Ann, Grass Valley
  • I make green peas with pearl onions in a mushroom sauce. It’s a tradition, been doing it for many years now! Melinda, Penn Valley
  • Baked Bacon Wrapped Dates – IYKYK
  • Stuffed turkey breast. Margaret, Penn Valley
  • Homemade Parker House rolls – hit and miss
  • My family lived in Atlantic Canada for many years and we decided to get lobster instead of turkey as our main dish. Kim, Grass Valley
  • Thanksgiving is usually the first fire pit of the season and we gather there in late afternoon before dinner. It is beautiful to be outside and warm and not be worrying about wildfires.
  • Vegan turkey made from scratch, Bonnie – Grass Valley
  • Mutton soup-I will be in Navajo lands delivering food and firewood. Some years I get several Thanksgiving dinners, all include fry bread, turkey and mutton soup.
  • Peas and onions- since at least the 1950s!
  • We are having salmon for 5 of us. I’m over turkey unless I have 8 or more. My family makes apple tarts in honor of my mother in law who made them every holiday gathering throughout the year. She added berries in the summer time. Very yummy.
  • 5 layer dip – Bernie, You Bet