Is Macaroni And Cheese A Proper Thanksgiving Side? No, But Let’s Talk About It

I was perusing the aisles of my local grocery store when I came across a display that was filled to the brim with an array of small trays of pre-made Thanksgiving sides.

“Hm,” I said to no one. “That’s convenient.”

“Convenient” is the slightly more go-getting cousin of "lazy." Sure, some might see it as a lazy to show up to Thanksgiving dinner with a tray of pre-made mashed potatoes, but others would see it as a way of saving some serious time.

As one with a love of convenience (again, not laziness; as I said, there’s a difference) I started having a look around. I saw trays of cornbread stuffing and of cranberry relish. Of green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and even succotash… whatever the hell that is. I've never been given a definitive answer, I just know Sylvester the Cat from Looney Tunes mentions it semi-frequently.

Then I saw one that made me pause: macaroni and cheese.

“Wait, a second,” I said, once again, to no one. “Mac and cheese isn’t a Thanksgiving side… is it?”

I was in the midst of a Thanksgiving-side existential crisis. Everything I knew about the side's starting lineup was thrown into question.

I don’t think the Pilgrims ever busted out a box of Velveeta shells and cheese, did they? But then again, I’m sure boxes of Stove Top stuffing were a little hard to come by back then too… unless the Indians had some.

I started asking people this question. Some were horrified that I would even ask this, while others told me that mac and cheese had been shoulder-to-shoulder with true Thanksgiving stalwarts at their family’s celebrations for decades.

My journey for the truth of whether or not macaroni and cheese is a Thanksgiving side ultimately left me with more questions than answers. However, as I sat alone, pondering one of the Thanksgiving riddles, I had an epiphany:

Macaroni and Cheese is not a Thanksgiving side... but it is welcome at the Thanksgiving table.

You see, some sides are synonymous with the holiday. I’m talking about your cranberry sauce, your stuffing, your green bean casserole, et al. These are sides that sit on the bench for most of the year only to make a grand entrance on the fourth Sunday of November to raucous applause.

Some sides are not Thanksgiving sides in that they get more play throughout the year, yet still find some time in their busy schedules to suit up for Thanksgiving. For instance, if you didn’t set out a tray of mashed potatoes, you may have a riot on your hands. However, mashed potatoes have a frequent presence for 12 months of the year,

I think this is where macaroni and cheese slots in. It’s not a Thanksgiving side, but it’s more than welcome at the Thanksgiving table.

That’s the beauty of Thanksgiving, you can celebrate it however you want. It’s less about what’s on your plate and more about what’s around the table. I.e. your friends and family (also football).

The Pilgrims risked life and limb sailing across the cold North Atlantic so that they didn’t have to have some dude in a crown telling them what to put on their plate. There were other reasons they decided to amscray from England too, but surely that was a big one.

So, if you want macaroni and cheese on your plate, do it. If you want to eschew turkey for ham, you may get some judgy looks, but you do you.

Whatever is on your table this year, there’s only one thing I’m hoping for: that you have a fantastic Thanksgiving (and if the Lions want to cover the spread, that would be cool too…)

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle