Thanksgiving might be all about the turkey, but for many, the real heroes of the feast are the side dishes. While mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and mac and cheese dominate today’s tables, Thanksgiving spreads were quite different a few decades back.
Dishes like stuffed oysters and gravy that utilized every part of the turkey show how cooking and celebrations have evolved in America.
Let’s dive into six Thanksgiving dishes from the past.
1. Stuffed oysters
This dish combined shucked oysters with traditional stuffing ingredients like bread, celery, and various spices. Oysters were a common item on Thanksgiving tables in the 1800s, often found in refrigerated railroad cars, as reported by Food52.
Originally inspired by British cuisine, the dish has fallen out of favor, especially in the Northeast, as oyster populations dwindled and tastes shifted towards ingredients like sausage.
2. Ambrosia salad
Ambrosia salad, typically made with canned pineapple, tangerines, marshmallows, and whipped toppings, was seen as a luxurious dish in the 1800s and early 1900s, according to Chowhound. Though out of fashion now, it still enjoys a spot in Southern kitchens, sometimes adapted into variations like frogeye salad and Watergate salad.
3. Mashed turnips
Once deemed a “poor man’s” vegetable, turnips offer a sweeter, less starchy alternative to potatoes. They can be mashed with butter and seasoning for a light, earthy dish. Though their reputation has dwindled, some food experts suggest it might be time for these humble roots to make a comeback.
4. Corn pudding
This creamy mix of corn, eggs, cream, and butter serves as a bridge between cornbread and creamed corn. Once a favorite at Thanksgiving, corn pudding has regional varieties, from Pennsylvania Dutch recipes using dried corn to New England’s sweet Indian pudding with molasses.
5. Offal gravy sauce
Traditional gravies were robust, made by simmering turkey innards like liver, heart, and gizzard. However, with more modern turkey purchases typically lacking giblets, many have turned to convenient commercial gravy mixes.
6. Cranberry Fluff
This colorful mix of cranberries, marshmallows, applesauce, and whipped cream was a popular dish during the 1960s and 70s, reflecting the era’s affinity for gelatin-based salads. Often enjoyed alongside the main meal, it’s a Southern staple dotted with pecans.
