Who makes the best Thanksgiving (holiday) food?
By Amber
@AmbiePam (110783)
United States
November 27, 2025 12:06pm CST
It was always my late maternal grandmother who could cook you out of the kitchen. Everything was homemade, and, unfortunately, low fat was not on her radar. So, everyone knew they were probably going to gain five pounds every Thanksgiving and Christmas. My mom learned to cook from her, of course, but as good as my mom’s food was, my grandmother was even better. Of course, my mom was also busier, and was in poor health all the time so it’s not like she had time to devote to it.
So, I’d say, of the many family Thanksgivings at various relatives, my maternal grandmother reigned supreme for making Thanksgiving food.
Who is the best at cooking Thanksgiving/holiday meals in “your neck of the woods”?
15 people like this
15 responses
@DaddyEvil (166205)
• United States
27 Nov
I can't remember if I've said "Happy Thanksgiving!" to you so I'm saying it now.
Mom always did all the baking/cooking when I was growing up. She always wanted ham for holidays which would have been okay except she always insisted on putting pineapple rings all over the ham, so I wouldn't eat it. *shrug* There was always plenty of stuff I would eat so missing out on the ham was okay with me, even if it did make her mad that I wouldn't eat it. 
Now, of course, I do all the baking/cooking for holiday meals and we always have smoked turkey. 
Now, of course, I do all the baking/cooking for holiday meals and we always have smoked turkey. 2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (166205)
• United States
27 Nov
@AmbiePam I'm just weird, I think. I don't like sweet tastes during my meal but want sweet desserts after the meal itself is done.
I'm a carnivore so the meat is the part of the meal I like best.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (110783)
• United States
27 Nov
@DaddyEvil I’m a big non red meat eater. I think it’s because we ate so much red meat growing up because it was the cheapest. There are days a hamburger sounds good, but I just got played out on beef. I thought it was just me, but my sister is the same way. We just got overloaded on it. Not that I would have dreamed of complaining. And back then, we didn’t really think much of it, we just ate what was on our plate. Of course, there was always one item I tried to get out of eating…a beef casserole. My mom thought I was just being hard to get along with it, until I, uh, had my head in a toilet. She never made me eat it again!
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (211568)
• United States
28 Nov
I think mine was best. I"m not bragging...my mother was not a good cook; and she make chicken and spaghetti on the holidays. No turkey.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (211568)
• United States
29 Nov
@AmbiePam The best things were my stuffing and cheesecake.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (39351)
• Toccoa, Georgia
28 Nov
My husband. He likes to cook and makes the best Thanksgiving foods
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (12208)
• United States
28 Nov
It was many years ago, but mom was the best with everything. She baked from scratch and made the best apricot pies from our trees (she would blanch and freeze from the summer), and amazing stuffing she made from scratch. I don't see my family. Everyone is scattered. Next year, my oldest daughter and grandkids all should be up here so we all can have a nice big Thanksgiving with my son and his ex and family.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (110783)
• United States
28 Nov
I think back then they were so active doing work that has been made easier now by modern conveniences. It kept them fit and they didn’t worry about low fat. Of course, back then they also didn’t add a bunch of crap to our food like they do now.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (369875)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Nov
@AmbiePam On the farm we had three decent meals and also a couple of biscuits/cookies or pieces of cake at morning and afternoon tea. We were ready for a break mid-morning and afternoon. None of us were overweight but, shall we say, nicely covered. 
1 person likes this
@much2say (57758)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Nov
Happy Thanksgiving to you! 
The taste of Tday, to me, is my mom's Tday cooking. Growing up, Tday was always at our house . . . I don't even remember having turkey at any other family's house.
Now my mother doesn't cook for a crowd, so I do it. My technique is different but the essence of Tday taste is all from her 
.
The taste of Tday, to me, is my mom's Tday cooking. Growing up, Tday was always at our house . . . I don't even remember having turkey at any other family's house.
Now my mother doesn't cook for a crowd, so I do it. My technique is different but the essence of Tday taste is all from her .1 person likes this
@xstitcher (37630)
• Petaluma, California
27 Nov
LOL--sounds like my maternal grandmother--loved her Christmas cookies and fudge--low fat was not on her radar, etither!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (93231)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 Nov
I made plenty of Thanksgiving meals in the time I lived with mom in NYC, Now I enjoy the memories, In Latvia they do not have this holiday and when I suggested we reenact it we discovered that the turkeys were very expensive and not very good,
1 person likes this
@Dreamerby (9878)
• Calcutta, India
28 Nov
Grandparents have a special touch in their food. That's why their prepared meals are so tasty!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Nov
My mom used to do the brunt of it with everyone else bringing a dish to pass but then as my mom got older my brothers wife took over. She was a stay at home Mom so had a bit more time. We then took dishes to pass at her house.
She recently let her daughter in law take over but they had two kitchens the main one being gluten free. One of my sister's was upset about that, possibly not fully understanding. We found our since that she, that sister has the beginnings of Alzheimer's. The rest of us had no problem with the gluten free kitchen.
Two to three years ago we began doing a much smaller group. There are just seven of us that have Thanksgiving at our house.
