Worst Thanksgiving Dishes to Leave Off Your Table

Thanksgiving is a holiday built on tradition — some delicious, and some… well, questionable. While many side dishes and desserts have stood the test of time, others show up on the table year after year even though nobody really wants them. Whether it’s strange textures, overpowering flavors, or recipes that feel stuck in a different century, these dishes have rightfully earned their reputation as the worst Thanksgiving offerings. Here are the top five dishes most likely to be avoided, picked at, or “accidentally” forgotten in the fridge.

1. Canned Cranberry Sauce
While homemade cranberry sauce adds brightness and flavor to the Thanksgiving plate, the canned version is a different story entirely. It slides out of the can with those famous ridges still imprinted, wobbles unnervingly on the plate, and brings an artificial sweetness that doesn’t pair well with much. Some people swear by it out of nostalgia, but for many others, canned cranberry sauce feels more like a gelatinous relic than a worthy holiday dish. It’s a staple — but rarely a favorite.

2. Green Bean Casserole (When Made Poorly)
Let’s be clear: a well-made green bean casserole can be delicious. But far too often, it’s a mushy, flavorless dish that suffers from shortcuts and canned ingredients. When overcooked green beans meet gloopy cream-of-mushroom soup and soggy fried onions, the result is more sad than satisfying. This dish earns its “worst” label not because the idea is bad, but because it’s so frequently executed in the most bland and lifeless way possible. Done right, it’s fantastic — but done wrong, it’s unforgettable for the wrong reasons.

3. Jell-O “Salads”
Few dishes confuse guests more than the classic Thanksgiving Jell-O salad. These colorful creations often include a chaotic mix of fruits, marshmallows, cottage cheese, nuts, and even vegetables — all suspended in gelatin like a culinary time capsule. Originally popular in mid-20th-century America, Jell-O salads now feel outdated and out of place on a holiday table filled with hearty, warm comfort foods. They’re visually jarring, texturally bizarre, and often left untouched except by curious kids.

4. Overcooked Turkey
Technically not a side dish, but definitely one of the biggest Thanksgiving offenders. Overcooked turkey turns the holiday centerpiece into a dry, stringy challenge to choke down. Even a gallon of gravy can’t save a bird that’s been roasted past its prime. Unfortunately, it happens in countless households every year. Whether it’s a misjudged cook time or a chef too distracted by football, dry turkey earns a spot as one of the worst Thanksgiving “dishes” because it turns the heart of the meal into a disappointment.

5. Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia salad is an old-school dessert that simply hasn’t aged well. A mixture of fruit cocktail, whipped cream, coconut, and marshmallows, it aims to be sweet and refreshing but usually tastes overly sugary and oddly textured. It’s too creamy to be a fruit dish and too chunky to be a dessert. Many people take one bite out of curiosity — and rarely go back for a second.