You might be surprised to know, in America, there are hundreds of different side dishes to go along with turkey on Thanksgiving. This seems like an insane number, I'll agree. Basically, it's just a bunch of variety of sides you've probably heard of.

The essential side dishes for the winter holiday are mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, sweet potatoes, green casserole, and stuffing, right? These are definitely the most popular across the United States. How there are dozens and dozens of varieties is beyond me.

Canva
Canva
loading...
Get our free mobile app

Campbells, the soup company, researched each state's favorite holiday side dish and how they should be served. This is very interesting and could possibly point to which states are responsible for some unique eating habits we've all seen or are guilty of.

Did you know in Alaska, Arkansas, and Idaho the majority prefer their sides not to touch? Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wyoming don't even have a main course like turkey, prime rib, or whatever. According to Campbells, those three states are perfectly content with eating only sides. Honestly, I'm a fan of that idea.

Canva
Canva
loading...

What Is Illinois' Favorite Holiday Side Dish?

Illinois shares its favorite side dish with Indiano, Iowa, and Wisconsin and it's kind of boring but not as much as two of its neighbors though. Kentucky and Missouri's numero uno side is stuffing or, "dressin'" as they call it down there.

The number one ranking holiday side dish in Illinois is plain mashed potatoes. Really, plain? There are so many options to add to those potatoes and Illinois wants them bare? Meh.

You can find the entire list here.

[h/t NBC Chicago]

LOOK: Here are copycat recipes from 20 of the most popular fast food restaurants in America

KEEP READING: 3-ingredient recipes you can make right now

More From Rockford's New Country Q98.5