Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. After a while, there’s only so much you can ask for on Christmas. Food, football, and family make Thanksgiving a top notch day. Usually, it’s not too cold to play in the family football game outside. Then, you have the games on TV to watch. All while grubbing on the best food you’ll eat all year. It really is a perfect day.

If you’re checking out this page, it means you like sports. If you like sports, then you probably like rankings. Everyone is talking about the college football Top 25, and the fact that Boise State finally cracked the Coaches and AP poll. The top 4 gets shuffled by the College Football Committee every week. That’s cool and all, but now it’s time to talk about something that actually matters. That’s Thanksgiving food. It’s the biggest Top 25 of the year, the food that will set off your Thanksgiving gathering. Think of the rankings like a draft big board. If you were drafting food, this would be your cheat sheet.

1. Turkey – No debate. If there’s no turkey, it’s not really Thanksgiving. Don’t get cute, this is the Ladainian Tomlinson in the mid 2000s number 1 pick. If you’re playing a draft game with your friends, we can amend the rules to allow you both to draft turkey. However, you have to choose different ways of preparing the turkey. My order of turkey preferences is oven-roasted, deep fried, and grilled. I’m sure there’s other ways.

2. Ham –  Meat makes Thanksgiving. Turkey is in a tier by itself. If you miss out on turkey, you only have one option, and that’s to go with ham. But, even if you get turkey, ham is still a great option. It has a different taste and consistency than turkey, so you aren’t duplicating (like the Redskins drafting 2 QBs in 2012). Plus, a well cooked ham is very flavorful.

3. Roast Beef – This rounds out the meats that be be the cornerstone of your franchise, I mean meal. Just like ham, roast beef can be a compliment to turkey because of the different tastes. The juices that flow from a perfectly cooked medium-rare can add to the sides that are farther down the list.

4. Gravy – Gravy has to get a spot in the coveted Top 4. Seriously, great gravy can cover up a lot of other weaknesses throughout the meal. And a bad gravy can be devastating. The importance of this element makes it such a high priority. No two gravy’s are the same, so make sure you don’t mess this one up.

5. Stuffing – This is another make or break item. I don’t even consider stuffing a side dish, because side dishes give off an element of interchangeability. There’s no replacement, stuffing is a Thanksgiving staple. But, there’s also a wide range of variability when it comes taste. People jack up stuffing all the time, and it’s really disappointing because of how great a well-cooked stuffing can be. To me, stuffing has to be firm, has to have juices from the turkey juices infused in the flavor, and has to have a hint of sausage in it.

6. Mashed Potatoes – Tops the list of true sides, especially in Idaho. Mashed potatoes are extremely versatile. Put some garlic in those bad boys, throw in butter as well. Make sure you season them up too. Everybody has their favorite culinary herbs that add to the flavor as well.

7. Drinks – Too many different types, too many different brands to separate the categories. You get water by default, but outside of that, cranberry juice is very popular for Thanksgiving. Of course, the alcoholic beverages are included too. With football on all day, Refrigerators will be stocked with beer.

8. Pie – You will rule the Thanksgiving dessert game if you get pie on your side. So many types to chose from, and so many unique ways to make them. Pumpkin pie is synonymous with Thanksgiving, but apple pie, cherry pie, blueberry pie, and any other type of pie will do. I don’t think there’s any debate as to pie being the highest ranked dessert, it’s just a matter of how high to place it. With dessert being the lasting impression of the meal, it’s worth a spot in the top 10.

9. Mac & Cheese – Everybody loves their momma’s mac & cheese. And no two mommas make their mac & cheese the same way. Which also makes this tricky, because it’s hard to hook up a mac & cheese that pleases everyone. Somebody could say it’s the best mac & cheese ever, while the next person won’t like it at all. My philosophy? As long as it isn’t EasyMac, then we’re good.

10. Biscuits – Biscuits round out the top 10, because of the upside. Phenomenal biscuits carry the meal to an entire different level. They have to be light, flaky, and infused with a buttery flavor that keeps them moist. If the execution is the there, then you have the perfect meal compliment, and the item to gobble up the extra gravy.

11. Sweet Potatoes – Most people consider sweet potatoes a side dish rather than a dessert, but I guess it can be both. This is the chance for a chef to show off their skills and add their personality. Lots of sugar, and marshmallows are usually involved

12. Rice – Simple, but effective. Rice goes well with the gravy, and one of the easiest side dishes to make. But, the lack of “wow factor” costs rice points in the side dish department.

13. Collard Greens (bacon) – Takes the spot of the top vegetable. Collard greens can be cooked with the ham, ham honk, salt pork, and bacon. Sure, they make the greens less healthy, but this isn’t a day where we prioritize healthy foods.

14. Chips – Potato chips, corn chips all included. Football is a part of the Thanksgiving culture, and chips are the most popular food to eat when watching it.

15. Cranberry Sauce – The sleeper, under the radar food on the list. Cranberry sauce is almost necessary to be a legitimate Thanksgiving meal. Nice, sweet taste that goes with the main course.

16. Cornbread – Another value choice, it’s tough to beat a good cornbread. Of course, cornbread is more of a staple down south with any meal. It’s right biscuits on this list as a way to soak up that gravy.

17. Green Beans – It’s a solid vegetable choice after collard greens. You can cook it the same way you would the greens, but the green beans just don’t soak up the flavor of the salt pork, bacon, or ham the same way.

18. Peach Cobbler – A warm peach cobbler is something exciting to look forward to after dinner. In a way, it’s like a warm pie that you can put in a bowl.

19. Cheesecake – Cheesecake slides into the top 20 by being another serviceable dessert option. It’s popular because it has the consistency and shape of pie. Really, couldn’t it be considered pie?

20. Black Eyed Peas – Not the music group, but the food. Again, it’s similar to the collard greens in terms of cooking methods. The black eyed peas are a fantastic compliment to rice. It’s more of a New Year’s Eve classic than Thanksgiving, but you can’t have too much of a good thing.

21. Rolls – Basic bread rolls are in the rice category of simple, but effective. It doesn’t exactly pass the “eye test”. I’d rather have biscuits or cornbread on my side, but bread rolls make it as a last resort.

22. Ice Cream – This is necessary on the list if you already have peach cobbler on your side. The two together is a game changer. But, ice cream separately is something that no one is going to ever complain about.

23. Pudding – I’m going to be honest, I’m not much of a pudding guy. I might be letting my own bias play into the low ranking here. I have a hard time putting it above any of the other desserts on the list.

24. Brussels Sprouts – Here’s the area of the fake smiles. Meaning, if you brought these items to the Thanksgiving gathering, people will pretend they like it, but really be rolling their eyes. Nobody is thrilled about brussels sprouts.

25. Beets – I know people who won’t eat beets all year, except for Thanksgiving. My question is, why? Seriously, on a day where you have a plethora of food options, why would you waster your time and space on something that just isn’t good?