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5 Thanksgiving side dishes that do not belong on the dinner table

By Brian Miller

Clockwise from top left, pumpkin pie with almond crust, dry-brined turkey with Keto gravy, creamy Keto cauliflower, Keto Green Bean Casserole Supreme and kale, fennel and butternut squash salad.Keto 10291818 63
Clockwise from top left, pumpkin pie with almond crust, dry-brined turkey with Keto gravy, creamy Keto cauliflower, Keto Green Bean Casserole Supreme and kale, fennel and butternut squash salad.Keto 10291818 63 /
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Sauerkraut
Top, an implement used to pound shredded cabbage rests atop the crock during the sauerkraut-making process at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gluckstadt.Above, the finished sauerkraut.File/Clarion LedgerOne of the most popular items at GermanFest is sauerkraut.Tcl Germanfest07 Jpg /

Sauerkraut? Really? For Thanksgiving? Just say no and save it for New Years Day!

I love sauerkraut and sausage on New Year’s Day. Call me superstitious, but I consider it more of traditional food or something you throw on a sausage sandwich. Turkey makes for a great sandwich don’t get me wrong and there is nothing better in the world than a leftover turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and stuffing thrown on the leftover dinner rolls but I’m not topping it off with sauerkraut.

I don’t consider it is a staple for my Thanksgiving dinner. First, it doesn’t pair well with turkey and doesn’t pair at all with the rest of the sides you are likely to have. When was the last time you ate mashed potatoes and sauerkraut? Nevermind, I’m not sure I really want to know the answer to that!

In Maryland, sauerkraut is a common side dish on family tables right alongside crab cakes which is something else you should not be eating on Thanksgiving.

I suppose acceptance is part of life but that doesn’t mean you’re still not wrong! I kid of course but when you have other options like mashed potatoes, candied yams, and that wonderful cranberry sauce that should be dressed on your turkey sandwich, there simply isn’t room for sauerkraut. Besides, isn’t that like a condiment, not a side? Or is that a topping? See, it’s not a dish, it is something else entirely, which really when you think about it, it is something entirely different.