Thanksgiving Food Trends and Fun Facts for 2026

Thanksgiving is almost here, and the table is looking a little more playful than usual. Some people are swapping the long sit-down for a spread of dips. Others are stirring gochujang, chili crisp, miso and harissa into the classics. Mac and cheese is getting a second life online, cranberries have a surprisingly bouncy party trick, and the turkey count is in. Here are the fun facts and trends worth talking about this week.

Dips-Giving is Friendsgiving's cooler cousin

If a formal sit-down feels like a lot this year, you're not the only one. Allrecipes recently made the case for Dips-Giving: a Thanksgiving spread made entirely of dips. Writer Bridget Olson calls it Friendsgiving's cooler, younger cousin, and compares it to a holiday tailgate in your kitchen. The idea is casual on purpose. Guests can move around, try a little of everything, and bring a bowl if they want to.

The name is newer than the habit. Allrecipes notes that Dips-Giving has been taking over social media for the past couple of years, and that some groups have been hosting it since at least 2018. Plenty of families have probably been doing a version of it for decades, just without the hashtag. The appeal is the same either way: finger foods, dips and spreads that take the pressure off, and still leave room for dishes that mean something.

This year's Thanksgiving is getting spicy

The turkey isn't going anywhere, but it may be getting a makeover. In early November, USA Today reported that food trend experts and chefs expect traditional Thanksgiving meals to come out spicier this year, with younger hosts leading the way. People aren't necessarily giving up the classics. They're remixing them.

The flavors showing up again and again are gochujang, chili crisp, miso and harissa, stirred into must-haves like turkey and green bean casserole. USA Today highlights examples such as gochujang Brussels sprouts and harissa honey-glazed carrots. Chef Rowena Scherer told the paper those same ingredients are landing in glazes, butters and dressings, and that the turkey might get a spice rub, a citrus-chili marinade or a chimichurri on the side.

It's a friendly kind of change: keep the dishes people already love, then add a little heat or a flavor that feels like home.

Mac and cheese is TikTok's most-liked Thanksgiving side

If you needed an excuse to put mac and cheese on the table, the internet has already voted. Campbell's 2026 State of the Sides Report, looking at TikTok's most-liked Thanksgiving posts from November 2022 through 2025, found that mac and cheese is the most-liked Thanksgiving side on the app.

That lines up with how people actually feel about it. In the same report, 57% of Americans said mac and cheese is the dish everyone can agree on at the Thanksgiving table, and 46% of Gen Z ranked it number one over every other side, for the second year running. It's now the number one favorite in New York, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas, a nice note if you're cooking in Texas this week.

And if one version has been following you around your feed, it's probably Tini Younger's. Food Network featured her viral mac and cheese with buffalo chicken as a 2026 holiday centerpiece, from her cookbook Today We Are Cooking. It's creamy, a little spicy and built for a crowd. Whether you make hers or your own, mac is having a moment.

Two facts for the table

Here are two you can drop between bites.

Ripe cranberries bounce. US Cranberries puts it simply: a fresh, ripe cranberry will bounce when you drop it. The same berries also float, because they have four air chambers inside them. That's why they rise to the surface during a wet harvest, and why a handful of firm cranberries can double as a tiny science experiment in the kitchen. If you buy a bag this week, try it.

And the bird at the center of the table is still a big one. The National Turkey Federation's Thanksgiving 2026 preview says Americans will enjoy nearly 30 million turkeys this Thanksgiving. Fresh, frozen, organic and kosher birds are all in the mix, along with bone-in and boneless breasts. However you cook yours, that's a lot of gravy.

What this means if you cook or sell from home

If you're a home baker, a cottage cook or a food creator taking holiday orders, these trends are practically a menu brainstorm.

A Dips-Giving platter is an easy add-on: a few homemade dips, something to scoop with, and a note that it works for a casual Friendsgiving, not just a sit-down dinner. A spicy remix of a classic side, like a chili-crisp garnish, a harissa roasted vegetable or a gochujang glaze, lets people keep a familiar dish and still feel like they tried something new. Mac and cheese travels well as a preorder tray, and a buffalo-chicken version gives you a clear, craveable twist.

You don't have to overhaul the menu. Pick one idea that already fits what you make, write it clearly, and tell people how to order.

Reserve your name for what's next

Open Cottage is a food-focused platform launching soon, a home for food creators away from feeds that have nothing to do with food. The site is on a waitlist today, and you can reserve your name free at opencottage.com so it's ready when we launch.

Sources

• Allrecipes, "Move Over, Friendsgiving. Dips-Giving Is Having a Moment," Nov. 10, 2026 (AOL republish): aol.com
• USA Today, "Changing tradition for Thanksgiving? If it's Gen Z it must be 'spicy,'" Nov. 4, 2026, updated Nov. 5, 2026: usatoday.com
• Campbell's 2026 State of the Sides Report: PDF
• Food Network, "7 Viral Thanksgiving Recipes From TikTok Creators You Need to Make Immediately," and Tini's Viral Mac and Cheese with Buffalo Chicken: roundup, recipe
• US Cranberries, Frequently Asked Questions: uscranberries.com
• National Turkey Federation Thanksgiving 2026 preview, as reported Nov. 10, 2026, by Morning Ag Clips: morningagclips.com

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