Campbell’s officially kicked off Sides Season with the release of its 2026 State of the Sides Report. Now in its fifth year, the report offers a look at how Americans are celebrating this holiday season, from the side dishes they can’t imagine a meal without to the traditions that bring loved ones together, revealing what defines the holiday table in 2026.
This year’s milestone report confirms that sides continue to be the favorite part of Thanksgiving tables, and they’re taking even more of the spotlight.
– 65% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials say they would be happy with a side-only meal.
– 80% of Americans enjoy cooking the sides more than the turkey, up 11 points from 2023.
– Americans are also serving more sides: 86% will serve at least four sides this year, with a median of five sides, which amounts to about 749 million sides.
– The top five sides have shifted slightly in ranking, but the lineup has been the same for the past 3 years: green bean casserole, mac & cheese, yams/sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing.
“For the past five years, our State of the Sides Report has given us a front row seat to evolving holiday traditions, and one thing is clear: sides are more central to the celebration than ever,” Rebecca Duke, senior director of brand marketing at The Campbell’s Company, said in a statement. “We’re proud that Campbell’s has been part of those traditions for generations, with trusted recipes that make holiday cooking a guaranteed success. For iconic green bean casserole and creamy, cheesy mac & cheese, there’s only Campbell’s!”
In fact, this year’s report continues to put the spotlight on Campbell’s holiday signature dishes, the iconic green bean casserole and the creamy, cheesy mac & cheese, which are among America’s favorites for the festivities.
Campbell’s original Green Bean Casserole is America’s most nostalgic and untouchable Thanksgiving side.
– 67% say green bean casserole reminds them of Thanksgivings past, and only 19% would change the recipe, the least of any top five sides. Created in Campbell’s Test Kitchen by Dorcas Reilly over 75 years ago, the simple 5-ingredient dish is still a classic. 69% of Americans say it’s best when made with cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup, and for 87%, Campbell’s Soup is their go-to for the best green bean casserole.
– Campbell’s sells nearly 40 million cans of Cream of Mushroom soup during the holiday period. Over the last five holiday seasons, it has sold more than 308 million, enough to make green bean casseroles that would circle the country four times, lined up end to end.
– 57% say mac & cheese is the dish everyone can agree on, and it is Gen Z’s number one side for the second year running. 42% say there are never any mac & cheese leftovers.
– Convenience is part of the appeal: 46% cite easy preparation as a reason they choose it for the holiday. Crafted with real cheese, Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup makes the perfect creamy, cheesy mac & cheese, while allowing home cooks to skip the roux.
This year’s State of the Sides report finds that Americans are honoring cherished family and cultural food traditions while embracing new ones, with side dishes serving as the perfect canvas for experimentation, convenience-driven cooking, and even new sources of inspiration, including AI.
