What are the best Thanksgiving sides and desserts?

Today, Virginia Sports shared a video of the Virginia Football players saying what their favorite Thanksgiving side and dessert were. Check it out:

So, we decided to ask our Streaking the Lawn staff the same question: What is your favorite side dish and dessert?

Tiki: Favorite side is sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Dessert is pecan pie.

Leung: There is literally no such thing as too much stuffing. Like, real actual stuffing, not just dressing. It’s carbs soaked in butter and turkey drippings — what else do you need?! My favorite dessert Thanksgiving dessert is probably pecan pie. With whipped cream. And a side of more pie. YOLO.

Pierce: Wine.

Hobes: This is like picking who my favorite all-time UVA basketball player is. Corn pudding is a family tradition on my mom's side going back generations and I love sweet potato casserole with pecans on top, but stuffing gets the nod here. Favorite dessert is pumpkin pie and it ain't close.

Leung: Hobeck’s response doesn’t count because he doesn’t like mac and cheese.

Pierce: I didn't know Hobeck was a communist

Darns: Yeah, redacted. Haha Pierce is that the answer for both?

Pierce: Yeah, probably haha.

Will: Favorite side is probably my Grandma's dumpling noodles. Big fan of some good mashed potatoes and gravy though. Basically gravy over everything. I do have a spicy take though and that is sweet potatoes with marshmallows is not a side, that damn thing is a dessert. It's basically just pumpkin pie, which everyone agrees is a dessert, with marshmallows on top. How in the world does that deserve a space on the plate with potatoes, stuffing, and turkey? It doesn't. I'll die on this hill. Come at me, Fam.

Leung: Tell me more about dumpling noodles.

Ryan: Normally, Leung isn’t a go to for food takes, but he’s spot on here. Stuffing, stuffing and more stuffing. But more specifically I love Spinach Balls which are a recipe from a family friend. Spinach is mixed with stuffing, Parmesan cheese, and more butter than should ever be used for anything, rolled into a ball and baked. As for dessert, you cant go wrong with apple pie.

Stats Guy Danny: My favorite side dish is mashed potatoes with gravy. Usually half my plate is mashed potatoes and the rest is just in the way. I still remember the one time they were salty 20 years ago or another time five years ago where there wasn't any and I had to make them when I got home to get my fix. As far as dessert goes, my siblings make an apple crumb pie that is awesome. You slice the Granny Smith apples thin and top with brown sugar/cinnamon clusters. So much better than the generic apple goop filling.

Will: ^This is a bad take. "Apple goop filling." SMH, that is America and as far as I am concerned, Danny is railing against the Republic right now. For favorite dessert, my Aunt makes what is called a "Derby Pie" which is more or less bourbon pecan pie with chocolate in it. Pecan pie? Good. Chocolate? Always good. Make your life double good this Thanksgiving. Add some chocolate chips to your pecan pie.

Stats Guy Danny: Don't get me wrong, I like the apple goop filling, but you can get it anywhere, like in Dunkin Donuts apple crisp donuts. This recipe is special treat that I've never seen anywhere else and I like better. And I'm probably shocking people that I didn't go with pumpkin pie either. While I like pumpkin pie and will always eat it at Thanksgiving, I like this apple pie better and among the pumpkin spice flavored things I like, pumpkin pie is not at the top.

Darns: I will take my mom’s mashed potatoes all day, every day. They’re so delicious and enough work that we only have them on Thanksgiving really (because I’m not doing all that at home on a Tuesday night TBH). No gravy, thanks. For dessert, I’m going all-in on the pumpkin cheesecake. We’re also having cherry pie today, so hell yes.

Wiley: Stuffing is just a way to get salmonella on perfectly good cornbread. No, my friends, dressing is the way to go. Oyster dressing, to be specific. Dense, savory, the PERFECT medium through which to guzzle gravy. Have it hot as a side on the main day. Use slices as bread for your leftover sandwich on the days that follow. So long as it’s loaded with Virginia oysters and a little crispy on top, you’re not gonna go wrong.

What are your favorites? Leave a comment below and from our STL family to yours, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!