(CNN) — Roasted, non-brined white meat, white bread stuffing, canned cranberries, pumpkin pie, a good old fashioned hunger-induced family feud, and don’t you dare skimp on the butter.
Welcome to a typical American Thanksgiving, according to our not-so-scientific but extremely festive polls on holiday behavior. Over 200,000 votes were cast in poll questions ranging from pie preferences and cooking methods to levels of meal prep panic and bad guest behavior.
As it turns out, Americans are a pretty traditional bunch of eaters, who don’t fuss quite as much as sitcoms might have you believe, but they might need a reminder to defrost the turkey in time.
Read on – and don’t forget the marshmallows.
White or dark turkey meat?
* White 48.49%
Dark 47.93%
No turkey — another meat 1.88%
No meat 1.7%
What’s the best way to cook a whole Thanksgiving turkey?
Roast in a bag 17.2%
* Roast outside of a bag 28.28%
Sous vide 0.64%
Broil 1%
Smoke 6.41%
Grill 3.34%
Deep-fry 15.65%
Slow-cook / braise 5.56%
Boil 0.59%
Bake 18.96%
Other 2.37%
Do you brine?
Yes — wet brine 33.94%
Yes — dry brine 4.96%
* Nope 38.2%
What’s brining? 22.9%
Dressing inside or outside the bird?
Inside 43.35%
* Outside 56.65%
For that matter, do you call it “stuffing” or “dressing”?
Stuffing if it’s inside, dressing if it’s outside 26.81%
* It’s all stuffing 56.29%
It’s all dressing 16.9%
Which of these ingredients are essential in your Thanksgiving stuffing? Note — voting was multiple choice
* White bread 22.54%
Rye or other dark bread 5.43%
* Cornbread 14.67%
Wild rice 1.94%
White rice 0.46%
* Mild sausage 9.57%
Spicy sausage 4.57%
Oysters 2.31%
Nuts 4.3%
Chestnuts 1.86%
* Apples 6.95%
Raisins 2.85%
Dried fruit 2.95%
White Castle Slyders (seriously — it’s a thing) 0.27%
* Mushrooms 7.32%
Plain old Stove Top 5.86%
Other 6.15%
Lumps in your mashed potatoes?
I like ’em chunky 14.98%
* A few are fine 55.31%
They’ve gotta be silky smooth 29.71%
Cranberries from a can — yea or nay?
* Yay! 54.89%
No way 45.11%
Sweet potato casserole — marshmallows on top?
* Of course! 46.81%
Not on your life 37.1%
What’s sweet potato casserole? 16.09%
Pie preference?
* Pumpkin 50.57%
Apple 16.92%
Berry or other fruit 6.03%
Cream (banana, coconut) 3.68%
Nut 5.18%
Chocolate 5.42%
Other flavor 6.06%
No pie for me — another dessert 3.8%
No dessert 2.36%
Do you ever try to slim-down traditional Thanksgiving dishes?
* I wouldn’t dream of it. 41.5%
If it won’t make a flavor difference, I might. 19.45%
I try to whenever possible, but I don’t go overboard — especially if it compromises the taste. 27.53%
No full-fat at my table! 4.13%
I don’t do the cooking, but I would be SO mad if someone tried to pull that on me. 2.46%
I don’t do the cooking, and I’d be grateful for the effort. 3.73%
I don’t do the cooking, and I won’t eat somewhere if I know they’re going full-fat. 0.63%
Other 0.58%
How frenzied do you get about Thanksgiving meal preparation?
I start work waaayyyyy ahead of the date and make a big production of it. 4.36%
About a week ahead of time, I put all my ducks in a row, but I still end up panicked. 6.6%
I get it all together a week or do ahead of time, it it’s a piece of cake. (Mmmm…cake…) 12.17%
* A few days ahead of time does the trick, and it works out just fine. 38.1%
Starting a few days ahead of time still leaves me freaking out. 4.17%
I start at the last second, but it all works out. 6.19%
My last second start tends to leave things in a mess 0.38%
I never host and I’m not responsible for any major dishes. 10.86%
We’re super casual, so whatever happens, happens. 9.45%
And that’s why we have restaurants. 2.88%
I don’t bother with Thanksgiving. 3.38%
Other 1.45%
What staples have you failed to find in your cupboard or fridge on Thanksgiving?
Canned pumpkin 8.09%
Turkey 4.73%
Stuffing mix 5.58%
* Gravy mix 12.55%
Parsley 3.68%
Sage 9.63%
Wine or beer 9.14%
Potatoes 3.97%
Sugar 5.27%
Flour 6.56%
Salt or pepper 2.15%
Pans 11.34%
Other 17.31%
What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you at Thanksgiving dinner?
* Turkey didn’t thaw in time 17.32%
We ran out of an ingredient 4.23%
We ran out of food 2.15%
We forgot someone’s favorite dish 3.02%
There was an injury in the kitchen 4.31%
A dish burned 5.83%
A dish just plain ol’ flopped 9.26%
Someone got too tipsy 5.13%
* Big family fight 14.35%
Not enough place settings 0.82%
Not enough seating 4.77%
Broken dishes 0.99%
* It’s been smooth sailing every time 17.99%
Other 9.82%
Any drama at your family’s Thankgiving meal?
Not even a little. Perhaps it’s the Tryptophan. 15.4%
* Maybe someone’s gotten cranky, but it was just from stress or hunger. 20.85%
Someone may get tipsy, but it’s no big deal. 8.58%
It’s the same relative (or their partner) every year! 13.15%
There have been one or two memorable blow-outs. 14.27%
Armageddon — every year, and I dread it. 8.42%
It’s a mess, and I kind of enjoy it. 7.94%
I celebrate with friends, and they behave just as badly. 0.72%
I spend it with friends, and it’s pretty smooth sailing. 6.26%
I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, precisely because of this. 2%
I don’t observe Thanksgiving for another reason. 1.2%
Other 1.2%
Should a meat-eating Thankgiving host be expected to accommodate a vegetarian guest?
You come to my house and you eat what I serve you. It’s rude not to. Just pick the meat out. 3.07%
If I’m given fair warning, I’ll make one or two things they can eat. 29.2%
* If I invite them, they’re my responsibility and I’ll put a lot of effort into their dishes. 42.72%
If they won’t eat meat, I won’t even it allow it on the table. We’ll all be vegetarians today. 0.84%
I won’t make anything special, but they’re free to bring their own. 7.62%
I would be deeply offended if someone brought their own food to my house. 0.32%
Vegetarians aren’t welcome in my house. 1.61%
Meat eaters aren’t welcome at my table. 1.54%
I don’t serve meat at my house, so it’s not an issue. 11.92%
Other 1.15%
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