Michigan Declares Its Ultimate Thanksgiving Side for 2025

Which classic Thanksgiving side dish are Michiganders most looking forward to this year?

I know for me, personally, it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving without the staple green bean casserole. According to Campbell's, the folks who invented the holiday classic, their green bean casserole recipe is viewed nearly a million times over the Thanksgiving holiday each year. 

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Which is your favorite side?

Each year Campbell's releases a State of the Sides report delving into America's favorite holiday cravings. 2025 marks the soup giant's fourth year of the report, and this year there's an unexpected rising star:

Macaroni and cheese!

Don't get me wrong, Mac & Cheese is one of my favorite foods and I'll find any and every excuse to eat it no matter the occasion, but my family would never really think to put it on the Thanksgiving dinner table-- not that it's too late to start a new tradition! Adds to Campbell's,

50% of the nation believes Mac & Cheese should be a staple at every holiday table, with Gen Z and Millennials leading the charge.

According to the report Michiganders have listed their top favorite Thanksgiving sides as follows:

1. Stuffing/Dressing
2. Mashed Potatoes
3. Sweet Potatoes/Yams
4. Mac & Cheese
5. Green Bean Casserole

But, where do we stand on the cranberry sauce: canned or fresh?

Newsweek claims cranberry sauce preference varies by region, with areas like the Northeast and South being fans of the canned stuff, and the Midwest and Western portions of the U.S. favoring fresh sauce. However, claims Newsweek, 

46 percent of Americans dubbed canned cranberry sauce "disgusting," while 29 percent still ate it out of tradition despite a secret dislike for the sauce.

Did you know: nearby farms in West Michigan farms provide cranberries for Ocean Spray? Michigan cranberries can be found in any of their products!