This Is The Top Thanksgiving Side Dish In Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Turkey steals the show on many American Thanksgiving tables, but for many, it's all about the side dishes. Turkey steals the show on many American Thanksgiving tables, but for many, it's all about the side dishes, appetizers and the pies — pumpkin, blueberry and pecan, but sweet potato and pot pies, too.

Among all of the delicious Southern comfort foods to cook up, macaroni and cheese takes the top stop in Virginia recipe searches for the holiday.

It doesn't come as a surprise, since macaroni and cheese is a staple that even the kids enjoy. Search trends show it surpasses other favorites like collard greens, cornbread and even sweet potato, pecan and apple pies.

Virginia shares its love of macaroni and cheese with California. Meanwhile, the top searches for sweet potato pie came from North Carolina and South Carolina, while pecan pie surprisingly garnered the most interest in New Mexico and Oklahoma.

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The list of the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes by state comes from sources American cooks have trusted for eons. General Mills pulled search data from BettyCrocker.com, Pillsbury.com and other properties for the breakdown, which was published by The Daily Meal.

Here is the run down of the top Thanksgiving side dish searches by state:

Alabama: Sausage balls
Alaska: Cinnamon rolls
Arizona: Shrimp
Arkansas: Chicken and dumplings
California: Macaroni and cheese
Colorado: Cranberry sauce
Connecticut: Butternut squash soup
Delaware: Sweet potato casserole
Florida: Pumpkin cheesecake
Georgia: Sweet potato casserole
Hawaii: Crescent rolls
Idaho: Biscuits
Illinois: Mashed Potatoes
Indiana: Peanut butter cookies
Iowa: Monkey bread
Kansas: Pinwheels
Kentucky: Chicken and dumplings
Louisiana: Cornbread dressing
Maine: Chicken pot pie
Maryland: Crab cake
Massachusetts: Cheesecake
Michigan: Chili
Minnesota: Green bean casserole
Mississippi: Chicken spaghetti
Missouri: Breakfast casserole
Montana: Oven-roasted vegetables
Nebraska: Monkey bread
Nevada: Peanut butter cookies
New Hampshire: Blueberry pie
New Jersey: Crab cake
New Mexico: Pecan pie
New York: Cheesecake
North Carolina: Sweet potato pie
North Dakota: Apple crisp
Ohio: Buffalo chicken dip
Oklahoma: Pecan pie
Oregon: Bread stuffing
Pennsylvania: Buffalo chicken dip
Rhode Island: Monkey bread
South Carolina: Sweet potato pie
South Dakota: Pumpkin pie
Tennessee: Sausage balls
Texas: Chicken spaghetti
Utah: Crescent rolls
Vermont: Butternut squash soup
Virginia: Macaroni and cheese
Washington: Sugar cookies
West Virginia: Buffalo chicken dip
Wisconsin: Shrimp
Wyoming: Pork chop

For all of these dishes and more, check out The Daily Meal's 101 best Thanksgiving recipes.

Tell us in the comments: What's the one Thanksgiving side dish your family expects every year?

Reporting by Patch Editor Beth Dalbey

Image via Shutterstock