A list of the most-loved Thanksgiving foods in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - ABC-7 has compiled a list of El Paso's most-loved Thanksgiving food.
We asked the community to send in their responses and let us know which traditional (or nontraditional) Thanksgiving food they love best. Then we compiled the list below based on the number of responses we received.
Look through the list and let us know in the comments if you agree.
Rolls have been a staple of the Thanksgiving table for years. Colonial Williamsburg has a recipe on the books that dates back centuries. An expert explains that rolls were served only in the wealthiest houses in colonial times.
Many El Pasoans tell ABC-7 that cornbread dressing is their all-time favorite Thanksgiving dish. Many people told us that the dish is best homemade and served with gravy.
As opposed to the majority of Thanksgiving dishes, which date back hundreds of years and have often vague origin stories, we know exactly when and where the green bean casserole originated.
In 1955, Dorcas Reilly, a recipe developer at Campbell's Soup Company, concocted the beloved dish. The company estimates that the casserole has since been served at more than 20 million Thanksgiving dinners.
A lot of Thanksgiving hype focuses on the food, but cocktails and other fun drinks are the unsung holiday heroes for many El Pasoans. We heard from several El Pasoans who say the drinks are their favorite part, especially while waiting for El Paso traditions, such as the parade, to begin.
Though not as popular as the iconic Thanksgiving turkey, ham is certainly a well-loved staple on many El Pasoans' holiday tables. Many historians believe that ham was originally connected to our winter holidays because northern European cultures such as the Germanic tribes and the Norse traditionally served the meat at their Yuletide and Winter Solstice celebrations.
Pecan pie beat out all other types of pies, including pumpkin pie, to make our list's top 10. The Borderland enjoys an abundance of pecan orchards, especially in the Mesilla Valley, making sourcing pecans for your own homemade pie a breeze.
Many El Pasoans say they love mashed potatoes for their Thanksgiving dinner, but historians say the beloved dish wasn't likely a part of the first Thanksgiving. The colonies' first potato crop was harvested in 1722 and the first written recipe for mashed potatoes comes from 1747.
Many El Pasoans tell ABC-7 that tamales are their favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. The dish has been served at Thanksgiving in the southwest since the 18th century. Also, tamales have long been connected to celebrations, since their creation in precolonial Central America.
The iconic Thanksgiving dish ranks #2 on ABC-7 list. El Pasoans tell us they enjoy turkey in a variety of ways, including topped with chile con queso, bacon wrapped, smoked, in a burrito, with red salsa chile de arbol and white rice, fried, and in a pot pie.
Homemade with mom's recipe and smothered in gravy. That is how many El Pasoans tell ABC-7 they like to eat their stuffing. Stuffing received more votes from El Pasoans than any other dish by a wide margin.
