No matter what your Thanksgiving celebrations look like, you’re likely looking forward to a day of eating yummy food. Yet, unfortunately, dinner doesn’t always go according to plan.
Here are ten foods shared across social media that failed the table in 2023…
1. Water Pie
One TikTok user shared her Friendsgiving contribution, and the internet was not a fan.
“Water Pie” is a Great Depression-era recipe that consists of water, butter, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and a pie crust. @kilahreigan said it was a hit with her friends, but her TikTok viewers refused to believe her.
One person, @ronove, commented, “I know they flipped it upside down in the trash can.”
Another, @aiden_123, said, “If somebody gives me a water pie… everybody’s getting retaliated on.”
More comments followed, stating how upset they would be or how they would try to hide the fact that they didn’t eat it. They suggested cutting it up into smaller bites or stashing it beneath other food. But hey, don’t knock it until you try it! The effort was there, and that’s all that matters when it comes to friends.
2. Creamed Onions
X user Tim Kaine posted one of his family’s favorites: creamed onions.
Other X users, however, were outraged. Some comments included:
“Tim Kiane’s creamed onion pic is ruining Thanksgiving” – @LRinaldiArt
“Who TF does creamed onions? ?” – @TheyCallMeNans
“Are creamed onions actually a thing??? it seems… strange” – @necroesthe
I have never heard of creamed onions before, so I can’t comment on how good the dish actually is. Based on the internet’s response, not many other people have heard of it either. However, having a niche Thanksgiving dish can make the dinner even more special! Perhaps more people will throw it on the menu next year.
3. Oyster Dressing
Seafood is not the most common category represented at the dinner table, making this oyster dressing even more surprising. Shared on Reddit by undercovermother71, she describes it as “the grossest thing [she] will make this Thanksgiving.”
Her recipe consists of crushed saltines, canned oysters, Dijon mustard, an egg, and milk poured over the top with a few dabs of butter.
Apparently, her family finds the dish disgusting, except for her husband and father-in-law. You can respect her going out of the way to make a dish for only two people! Most Reddit users were understanding about keeping the tradition alive but others couldn’t wrap their head around the food, revealing their own experiences.
“Ugh. I had an absolutely horrible MIL who insisted on making that stuff every fricking year. Nobody liked it, and yet she kept making it,” said user JapaneseFerret.
“My husband requested oyster dressing one year, and I – an oyster fan – gladly charged ahead. It was one year and one year only. Thankfully, no family recipe obliges me to keep it on the table,” added user Refiase.
4. Japanese Purple Sweet Potato Pie
Reddit user RelevantFly6531 shared, “My Thanksgiving contributions…. The pie was supposed to be Japanese purple sweet potato pie. Don’t ask how it got like that…”
Even if you have never seen a Japanese purple sweet potato pie before, a gray pie probably isn’t going to be seen as the most appetizing dessert on the table. It seemed other Reddit users agreed by commenting on the appearance:
“Mmmm, cement pie.” – ShnickityShnoo
“Penicillin Pie, just like mama used to culture.” – Quill_Flinger
Luckily, user AwkwardDisasters explained, “Purple stuff goes blue/grey without acidity, you need lemon juice or some other acid in it [to get the purple color],” so I’m sure it tasted fine. Plus, bonus points for it being made from scratch!
5. Whatever This Is
The fact that I can’t identify what this food is supports the fact that it is a Thanksgiving flop.
It appears to contain some turkey legs and perhaps green bean casserole, but the green goo is baffling. It caused people in the comments to speculate as well.
“I’m hoping it’s the worst coleslaw I’ve ever seen because the only alternative that comes to mind is some sort of Jell-O or Cool Whip ‘salad’” – elefhino
“Is that green… Concoction…. One of those weird Jell-O salads? Looks like with cottage cheese and pistachios.” – PugGrumbles
Whatever it was, I hope it tasted better than it looked.
6. Tri-layer Bean Jell-O
This baked bean Jell-O concoction didn’t take the internet by storm, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. I can’t judge it because I didn’t taste it (and I won’t be), but the idea gives me shivers.
While the presentation is on point, the ingredients simply don’t go together, and user Icy_Rush7246 agrees when they say, “Oh, no.” There’s not much to say beyond that.
Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like Bean Jell-O will be taking off as a trend anytime soon due to the lack of internet presence. We’re safe for now!
7. Raw Turkey
Everyone knows that you can’t have Thanksgiving without a turkey. Even festive decor, “Turkey Trot,” Thanksgiving day 5Ks, and children’s school crafts all revolve around it.
As it is such a prevalent dish, there likelihood of things going wrong is high. It may be burnt, someone may forget to take out the bag of organs inside the turkey, OR it may not be cooked at all.
One user on Reddit shared a photo of their Thanksgiving turkey, which ended up being raw. Consider that a flop.
The only thing worse than sitting through the family disagreements on Thanksgiving would be leaving with salmonella. This is your reminder to thaw the turkey early for next year!
8. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Turkeys
The creativity was definitely there, but the execution was not. TikTok user @njpyschler shared her attempt to make chocolate-covered strawberry turkeys made up of chocolate, strawberries, mini marshmallows, and small pretzel rods. The goal is to produce a tasty treat that looks like a turkey, but this attempt didn’t go quite according to plan.
Despite the way they look, I’m sure they still tasted great! You can’t go wrong with those ingredients.
9. Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is a Thanksgiving staple in many households, and nearly everyone has a different recipe. Unfortunately for TikTok user @_iamterrence, his co-worker’s recipe missed the mark. There seemed to be all mac and very minimal cheese.
TikTok users were quick to judge in the comments, saying things like:
“HR needs to be involved! ?” – @tinkersdamm
“How is it wet and dry at the same time???” – @deja_blueynn
“I think she may have forgotten the cheese ?” – @celestes_mom
Needless to say, Terrence’s co-worker may want to try a different recipe for next year’s Thanksgiving potluck.
10. Mashed Potatoes
Another Thanksgiving staple in many households is mashed potatoes. There are other potato dishes that are also quite popular, such as cheesy potatoes, scalloped potatoes, or even potato casserole. Notice how I didn’t say liquid potatoes?
TikTok user @jazy_1281 shared her friend’s mashed potato fail with the world after she was late to their Friendsgiving celebration because of the mishap. Surely it would’ve been difficult to transport the liquid concoction.
While people didn’t seem to be grossed out (how could you be? It’s potatoes), they did seem confused.
@momahthree stated, “I thought it was Alfredo sauce.”
@vetxx0 wondered, “Now, how have you turned mashed potatoes into cream of wheat?”
I don’t know what went wrong in her recipe, but I can say that it’s unlikely she’ll be bringing potatoes to the Friendsgiving feast next year.
Looking Forward
While the food could have been better, all of these people walked away from Thanksgiving 2023 with a memory. On a day that encourages people to be thankful, we can look past the flop foods and celebrate the quality time we get to spend with those around us. And if that’s not enough, there’s plenty of time to improve the recipe for next year!
To get a jump on Christmas, be sure to check out some holiday films coming out in December. Who doesn’t like dinner and a movie?
