With the holiday season on our doorstep, and the Christmas spirit inching ever closer, it’s easy to forget about little old Thanksgiving. Though it lacks the theatrics of Christmas, Thanksgiving is still a holiday many people hold near and dear to their hearts. This holiday season, over fifty FM students were surveyed on their opinions of Thanksgiving foods. Their answers to questions of the best side, to the worst foods, and the best main course were used to compile the lists of foods below.

What is the best Thanksgiving food?

#4: Macaroni and cheese

Coming in fourth place on the list of best foods is a childhood favorite. Mac n cheese is a comfort food that reminds many of the days when life was simple and homework was coloring. Keep in mind, just because it came in last for the best foods on this list, doesn’t mean that it is bad. In fact, mac n cheese showing up, not just in the best foods but also in the best sides, shows just how loved this classic is. Homemade or store bought, you can’t really go wrong.

#3: Stuffing

The third food on this list is one that is quite polarizing, with it also being within the top three most disliked dishes served on Thanksgiving. With it being the runner up for the best side, stuffing shows up everywhere. Some love it, some hate it, but its cult-like following ensures that this mix of herbs and spices with carbs is a dish that will most certainly be in every house come Thanksgiving.

#2: Mashed Potatoes

Another classic, mashed potatoes are a food found at many tables across the country during Thanksgiving. Although the texture is off putting for some, most find mashed potatoes to be delicious, as can be seen in the fact that it won the best side on Thanksgiving by a landslide. Whether they are served with gravy, cheese, or just butter, mashed potatoes are clearly a crowd favorite.

#1: Turkey

This one can’t be a surprise to many, as turkey is a Thanksgiving staple for most if not all of those who celebrate it. Turkey has been the main course that leaves people with full stomachs and a strong urge to take a nap for generations. With a nice helping of gravy on top, turkey satisfies students throughout the school, and the country.

While everyone has their favorites, everybody also has one food in their mind that they cannot stand to see on the table at Thanksgiving. This begs the question:

What is the worst Thanksgiving food?

#5: Squash

Squash is a dish considered to be off-putting for many students who celebrate Thanksgiving. The texture and the strange taste contribute to the dislike for this food. Surprisingly, squash is the only vegetable present on this list of the worst foods, possibly signaling students’ healthier, more mature taste in food.

#4: Turkey

With how many households turkey is present on Thanksgiving, it makes sense that someone is going to not like it. Many dislike specifically a dry turkey, as it ruins the experience. It’s a good thing gravy was created to save dry turkey, otherwise it may be truly irredeemable.

#3: Gravy

This one may come as a shock to many, who consider gravy to be a must at Thanksgiving, but gravy is very polarizing according to the responses given by students. Those who like gravy, love it and put it on everything. Those who hate gravy however, won’t go near the stuff. Maybe it’s the color, or maybe it’s the seemingly random slew of ingredients used to make the sauce, but whatever the reason, students clearly have strong opinions on gravy.

#2: Cranberry Sauce

Consisting of cranberries–and pretty much just cranberries–cranberry sauce is another substance that confuses and unsettles many of those who celebrate Thanksgiving. The fact is that even google doesn’t know if it is a jelly, a jam, a sauce, or even a relish. Is it a food on its own, or does it go on stuff? Additionally, the overpowering cranberry taste is off-putting for anyone who doesn’t have a passion for cranberries.

#1: Stuffing

Showing up in the top three for the best and worst Thanksgiving dishes, stuffing is perhaps the most controversial food there is. The texture is strange and inconsistent, and the ingredients are essentially just leftovers in a pot. Although some like it, clearly students have stronger opinions of hate towards this mystery of a food.

Though the food we eat is impactful to our experience in that it fills us up, it is really just an added bonus to what really makes Thanksgiving great. Whether you have the best, most delicious turkey at the table, or you’re stuck with a dish that puzzles you like cranberry sauce, it is really the people that matter on Thanksgiving. So whether you have Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or something else to look forward to, let’s not forget about Thanksgiving and the people we are thankful for.