In looking forward to Thanksgiving food, most people tend to fantasize about our turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. While traditional Thanksgiving sides are always on the menu, in my house, we always had a strange array of sides that mimicked the menu on Jewish holidays such as Passover and Rosh Hashana. As a kid, I literally had no idea that every single person didn’t have matzo ball soup and noodle kugel at Thanksgiving–I mean, what was a holiday without my Grandpa’s matzo balls? If you’re sick of tradition and want to spice it up with this Thanksgiving, here are some of the weirdest Thanksgiving sides I’ve come across.
NOODLE KUGEL
Forget the mac & cheese this Thanksgiving–this classic Jewish delicacy is obviously the superior pasta dish. While pasta with cinnamon sounds frightening at first, I guarantee you that there is nothing in this world that is more comforting than drowning your sorrows in Grandma’s kugel. If you’ve never tried kugel, you’re seriously missing out–and don’t trust any recipe you find on the internet, either. Kugel recipes are best when they’ve been passed down from generations of bubbies who add an obscene amount of butter, and if you’re unsure, I’d recommend finding your local Jewish deli and asking about it. The cinnamon and apples are honestly kind of on-brand for Thanksgiving anyway, so like, I’m not that weird.
PIGS IN A BLANKET
Who needs turkey when you can have delicious mini-hotdogs wrapped in puff pastry? Pigs in a blanket are not just for passed hors d’oeuvres anymore, but a valuable addition to this November’s Thanksgiving dinner. You can dip them in any of your favorite Thanksgiving dips and sides–if you’re brave, try one in cranberry sauce. It can’t be that bad. This delicious snack will make your tired-out Thanksgiving meal feel like a cocktail hour.
MARSHMALLOW FLUFF
I mean, yum, first of all. We’ve heard of marshmallows atop our sweet potatoes, but straight up fluff from a jar definitely threw us for a loop. Picky eaters everywhere can unite in convincing their families that their aversion to turkey and stuffing, in fact, can be validated with this mature and viable replacement–good luck with the nutrition facts. POV, you’re sitting at the table, your whole family is grilling you about finding love or a job or an apartment, and you’re just chillin’ with your marshmallow fluff. The more I think about it, the more appealing this idea becomes…
JELLO WITH CREAM CHEESE
NGL, I cringed just thinking about this concept. Though definitely weird, apparently, pairing Jello with cream cheese or ranch dressing is not entirely uncommon on some Thanksgiving tables. In some households, this is referred to as a “salad,” yet the only green thing about it is the green color-powder that makes the Jello. Guess I’ll have to get over my genuine fear of ranch dressing and try this one out.
LEFTOVER TURKEY CREATIONS
We all know about Ross and Monica’s iconic turkey sandwich with the “moist maker,” but aside from this high-class turkey sandwich, there are several non-traditional ways to enjoy your turkey post-Thanksgiving. For example, try turning your leftover Turkey into a turkey-noodle soup, a shepherd’s pie, or even a turkey chili. If you’re still hungry after your Jello and marshmallow fluff, try serving turkey and stuffing sliders as a Black Friday snack.
Look no further than this crazy list of concoctions to spice up your Thanksgiving. Hey–nobody can judge your cooking over Zoom.