15 Boomer Thanksgiving Dishes Gen Z Swears They’d Never Eat (Until They Try Them)

Every Thanksgiving has the same standoff. Someone puts a pink, fluffy salad on the table, and a Gen Z cousin whispers, “What is that?” Ten minutes later, the bowl is empty.

At my holiday table, the kids ask for cranberry fluff salad before they even sit down, and it takes ten minutes to make. Retro sides have one thing going for them: they’ve survived decades of Thanksgiving tables.

These 15 boomer favorites, from marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes to Watergate salad, get side-eyed first and finished first. Serve one, and see who can resist.

Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans

Candy on a side dish? That’s the part your Gen Z cousin will side-eye. A creamy, spiced sweet potato base gets a buttery pecan topping and gooey toasted marshmallows, and leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Take one bite, and the side-eye turns into a second helping.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows and Pecans

Creamed Onions

Creamed onions get a bad reputation, but this recipe adds extra onion flavor to every bite of the creamy sauce. Serve a small scoop first. Let the doubters decide if they want more.
Get the Recipe: Creamed Onions

Creamy Corn Pudding

Corn pudding sounds strange until you taste it. Creamed corn and whole kernel corn bake into something soft and custardy. Spoon some onto a plate, and the younger crowd will see why it’s a holiday regular.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Corn Pudding

Cranberry Jello Salad

Jello with celery sounds like a dare, but apples, nuts, and fresh cranberries make this salad crunchy, tart, and sweet. It’s a retro holiday side with more texture than you’d expect. Put it out, and let the doubters find out for themselves.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Jello Salad

Sweet And Spicy Glazed Carrots Recipe With Red Wine

I love these carrots for a reason: red wine, butter, honey, and chili flakes cook down into a sweet and spicy glaze. Cover the pot while they cook so they stay moist and soak up the wine, and keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. They’re a modern side, but they sit well next to the retro dishes and win over carrot skeptics.
Get the Recipe: Sweet And Spicy Glazed Carrots Recipe With Red Wine

Southern Pineapple Cheese Casserole with Ritz Crackers

Pineapple and cheese? Yes, really. Sweet pineapple meets a cheesy, buttery Ritz cracker topping in a Southern casserole that’s part sweet and part savory. Take one bite before you decide.
Get the Recipe: Southern Pineapple Cheese Casserole with Ritz Crackers

Classic Southern Deviled Eggs

Just one bite is all a skeptic needs. Egg whites hold a smooth yolk filling made with mayo, mustard, and sweet pickle relish, with paprika on top. They’re small, so even the pickiest Gen Z guest can try one.
Get the Recipe: Classic Southern Deviled Eggs

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans

Think green bean casserole is mushy and gray? Fresh green beans give it a better texture, and a cheddar sauce makes it richer, with a crisp fried onion topping on top. Let leftovers cool to room temperature before you store them, and the doubters will be back for more.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans

Almond, Cranberry And Sweet Potato Stuffing Casserole

Stuffing doesn’t have to be heavy and beige. Roasted sweet potato cubes, dried cranberries, and almonds bake under a berry granola topping, so every bite is a little sweet, a little salty, and a little crunchy. Make it ahead and freeze it, then reheat it in the oven for about 15 minutes, and even a stuffing skeptic may become a fan.
Get the Recipe: Almond, Cranberry And Sweet Potato Stuffing Casserole

Cranberry Syrup

Not a side dish, but it’s worth keeping for the morning after. This cranberry syrup is sweet and tart, and it works in cocktails, mocktails, pancakes, and waffles. Even a doubter will pour some on breakfast.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Syrup

Scalloped Potatoes

Thin potato slices bake in garlic cream until the edges turn bubbly. Nobody needs convincing on this one, so use it as a bridge for the picky eater who won’t touch the stranger dishes. Start here, and the rest of the table gets easier.
Get the Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes

Watergate Salad

Green fluff made with pistachio pudding and cherries sounds odd until you taste it. It’s a retro potluck salad that’s closer to dessert than salad, so it’s an easy sell for anyone with a sweet tooth. Dare a doubter to try one spoonful.
Get the Recipe: Watergate Salad

Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole without Canned Soup

Cheesy, creamy, and made without canned soup, this casserole bakes tender broccoli and rice into a family-friendly side. It’s the dish that gets vegetables onto the plate without a fight. Even the broccoli doubters go back for more.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Broccoli Rice Casserole without Canned Soup

Chicken Marbella Ottolenghi

Chicken Marbella is a boomer-era classic from The Silver Palate cookbook, and this updated tray-bake is my favorite easy main for Thanksgiving. Chicken, Medjool dates, olives, and sweet potatoes roast together on one tray in a sweet and zesty sauce. Marinate it for up to 2 days, or freeze the baked dish for up to 6 months, so the big day stays easy.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Marbella Ottolenghi

Cranberry Fluff Salad

Is it dessert or salad? Nobody at the table will care once they taste this one. Tart cranberry cream gets pineapple and soft marshmallows folded in until it turns fluffy and pink. Put it out next to the turkey and watch the doubters ask for a second scoop.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Fluff Salad

Which one will you put in front of the skeptics first? Tell me in the comments who went back for seconds. Happy Thanksgiving!