Sean Dengler.

While Easter has ham, Fourth of July has hot dogs, nothing compares to Thanksgiving. With food galore and many options available, it is always a good holiday to eat several types of food. Thanksgiving has the staples like turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, but it is time to dive into the underrated foods of Thanksgiving.

The first underrated food is cranberries. Whether it is cranberry sauce or the canned cranberry rounds, these forms of cranberries provide a perfect, complementary taste to the rest of the Thanksgiving meal. When it comes to the cranberry sauce, the liquidness of it blends well with the buns or gravy served with the meal. When it comes to the cranberry rounds, these also provide a wonderful texture difference compared to the rest of the meal.

While both being yellow, corn casserole or a mac and cheese dish are both underrated Thanksgiving dishes. A good corn casserole has a nice crumbly aesthetic which provides a slight crunch to each bite. While I enjoy canned corn, corn casserole takes a simple ingredient, corn, and turns it into a magnificent side dish. This adds character to any Thanksgiving plate. When it comes to mac and cheese, it does not matter how it is utilized. Make it thick and creamy, and this dish will benefit any Thanksgiving meal. While mac and cheese can be a simple dish kids can enjoy, the adult palate will also benefit. A delicious mac and cheese works for people of all ages.

The last underrated Thanksgiving snack is peanuts, candy corn, and peanut M&Ms mixed for the whole family to share. While separately all okay, when combined, this is the A-Team of snack Thanksgiving dishes. Nothing tastes better together than these snacks. This is a low-cost option to make. Not much effort is required to make this wonderful snack for the entire family to enjoy. I have always loved it, and I always will.

Thanksgiving can also be tough for some individuals and families. Luck or circumstances may not be on their side. Whether it is food or money, consider donating to a local food pantry and help spread the holiday cheer to your neighbors. No matter who they are, everyone should get a chance to enjoy a satisfying meal on Thanksgiving. Hopefully, everyone can enjoy some relaxation around this holiday and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, now-retired beginning farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.