5 Sides Every Tar Heel Craves & 5 That Will Get Your 'Southerner Card' Revoked in 2025

Thanksgiving in North Carolina isn't just a meal; it's a high-stakes performance review of your culinary heritage. In 2025, as traditions evolve, some things remain sacred between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Outer Banks.

At Bill Layne Insurance, we know a thing or two about risk management. While we usually help you protect your home and auto, today we're helping you protect your reputation at the potluck. Serve the top 5, and you're a local hero. Serve the bottom 5? Well, bless your heart.

The "Safe Bets": 5 Sides NC Craves

These are the 2025 Top Five Thanksgiving Foods guaranteed to get you invited back next year.

1. Slow-Simmered Collard Greens

It’s not a holiday without them. Cooked down with ham hocks or smoked turkey necks until they melt in your mouth.

Pros Supposed to bring wealth in the New Year. Delicious with vinegar.

Cons Requires hours of washing to remove grit. The smell lingers for days.

Our Verdict: Mandatory. If you don't serve greens, are you really in NC?

2. Cornbread Dressing (NOT Stuffing)

In Elkin and beyond, we don't "stuff" the bird with white bread. We bake a skillet of cornbread specifically to crumble it up for dressing.

✅ Pros Savory, sage-forward, and texture perfection.

❌ Cons If it's dry, it's a choking hazard. Needs plenty of gravy.

Our Verdict: The centerpiece of the plate (sorry, Turkey).

3. NC Sweet Potato Casserole

Since North Carolina is the #1 sweet potato producer in the US, this is practically civic duty. Topped with pecans (and maybe marshmallows).

✅ Pros Supports local farmers. Basically dessert masquerading as a side.

❌ Cons The great "Marshmallow vs. Pecan" debate can divide families.

Our Verdict: Essential. Use Covington sweet potatoes for best results.

4. Baked Macaroni & Cheese

This is not the blue box stuff. We're talking custard-style, eggs, milk, sharp cheddar, baked until the corners are crispy.

✅ Pros Universally loved by kids and adults. Reheats beautifully.

❌ Cons Must be served hot. One cold bite ruins the magic.

Our Verdict: It counts as a vegetable in the South.

5. Deviled Eggs

A sprinkle of paprika and a smooth filling. If you don't have a dedicated deviled egg platter, you need to visit an antique shop in Yadkin Valley immediately.

✅ Pros The perfect finger food while waiting for the turkey.

❌ Cons Peeling the eggs is a test of patience and sanity.

Our Verdict: Make double what you think you need. They vanish.

The "Card Revokers": 5 Sides to Avoid

Bringing these worst Thanksgiving foods to a North Carolina dinner in 2025 is a risky maneuver.

1. Canned Cranberry Sauce (The Cylinder)

If it retains the shape of the can, complete with ridges, and makes a "schloomp" sound when hitting the bowl, leave it at the store.

Pros Nostalgic for some (very few). Extremely cheap.

Cons High fructose corn syrup overload. Zero texture.

Canned cranberry sauce still in cylinder shape

Our Verdict: Make a fresh relish with orange zest instead.

2. Ambrosia Salad

Marshmallows, coconut, canned fruit, and sour cream? In 2025, we have evolved past this textural confusion.

✅ Pros Grandma might appreciate the gesture.

❌ Cons Usually remains untouched. A waste of bowl space.

Our Verdict: Leave this one in the 1970s where it belongs.

3. Oyster Dressing (Inland)

If you are on the Outer Banks, this is a delicacy. If you are in the Piedmont or Mountains, serving warm seafood inside bread is a risky move.

✅ Pros Very traditional for coastal families. Unique umami flavor.

❌ Cons Polarizing flavor. High "yuck" factor for picky eaters.

Our Verdict: Know your audience. Keep it coastal.

4. "Soggy" Green Bean Casserole

We love green bean casserole, but not the grey, mushy kind made with canned beans and insufficient fried onions.

✅ Pros Easy to make. Classic comfort food ingredients.

❌ Cons Texture often resembles baby food. High sodium.

Our Verdict: Use fresh beans or don't do it at all.

5. Unsweet Tea

It's not a side dish, but it's on the table, and it's an insult. If the spoon doesn't stand up in the glass, is it even tea?

✅ Pros Better for your dentist.

❌ Cons It's just brown water. You will be asked to leave.

Our Verdict: Grounds for immediate Southerner Card revocation.