What Thanksgiving Was Like the Year You Were Born

For the first time, macaroni and cheese cracked the top 10 Thanksgiving side dishes this year. Three in 10 Americans say they typically serve mac and cheese as part of their meal. The most popular dishes continue to be mashed potatoes (81%), pie (79%) and rolls (75%).

Over-the-top isn't always better, and millennials across America started toning down the Thanksgiving theatrics in 2018 by buying tiny turkeys rather than 30-pound monster birds. According to Bloomberg, the downsized birds, which weigh as little as 6 pounds, are a more natural option. They're also ideal for small families who don't want to eat leftovers for the next month.

RELATED: How Much Turkey Per Person Do I Need for Thanksgiving?

Crazy food mashups were the name of the game in 2017, and even the turkey didn't get to skip the trend. Some hosts dared to switch up Grandma's classic spice rub, opting for Reynolds' flavor-blasted turkeys instead. One was encrusted with Flamin' Hot Cheetos, another covered with Cool Ranch Doritos, and one coated in bits of Funyuns. Apparently, the younger generation likes to spice things up.

When it comes to Thanksgiving dessert, people have really started thinking outside the pie crust. PVDonuts in Providence, Rhode Island, nearly broke the internet with the Friendsgiving donut — a limited-edition creation that combined cranberry glaze, slices of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy on top of a brioche doughnut. A full Thanksgiving meal, no forks required.

The Saturday Night Live cast showed us how to get through heated family dinner conversations with a hilarious skit called "A Thanksgiving Miracle." Adele's song, "Hello," — released in October 2015 — was the only thing keeping this clan from throwing turkey at each other.

"Friendsgivings" became all the rage with the millennial set, who gathered for Thanksgiving potluck dinners and cranberry Jell-O shots. These chosen family gatherings are especially popular with those whose blood relations aren't exactly Norman Rockwell material.

Thanksgiving TV specials got kicked up a notch when Lady Gaga appeared on ABC alongside the Muppets for a Holiday Spectacular. The variety show featured Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and guests like Elton John and RuPaul, all performing Gaga's hits as well as classic Christmas songs

Following the withdrawal of troops from Iraq in 2011, then-Vice President Joseph Biden hosted wounded warriors for Thanksgiving dinner at his home in D.C., setting new standards for holiday hospitality.

With the launch of Pinterest in 2011, Thanksgiving decorations would never be the same. Now, hosts could easily reference countless blogger tutorials on simple Thanksgiving centerpieces and Thanksgiving table settings, so even the craft-challenged have a chance at wowing their guests.

A group of giant pumpkin growers in New Bremen, Ohio, banded together at their local pumpkinfest to bake a Thanksgiving dessert of epic proportions. The largest pumpkin pie even won a Guinness World Record for weighing in at 3,699 pounds. It was made up of 440 sheets of pie dough, plus huge quantities of canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and seasonings.

This year, home baker Charles Phoenix created the cherpumple — a monstrous, three-layer cake with pies baked into each layer. Known as the "Turducken of dessert," the treat also became known as a piecaken. It basically combines all the best flavors from your dessert table into one confection, so nobody has to choose.

Thanksgiving dishes begin to stray from the traditional, with creative twists like muffins made out of stuffing with mashed potatoes on top, or egg rolls filled with leftover stuffing and served with cranberry dipping sauce.

Starbucks solidified its corner on the holiday drink market by creating a limited-edition Thanksgiving Blend coffee. The flavors were designed to complement the entire meal, from roast turkey to pumpkin pie. Coffee doesn't just pair with dessert anymore.

The war in Iraq continued on, leading soldiers to put up festive decorations to bring a bit of home to their bases as they settled in for Thanksgiving dinner overseas.

Adding to the Black Friday fervor, marketing companies created the concept of Cyber Monday deals to encourage online shopping the Monday after Thanksgiving, and give dedicated deals-hunters the opportunity to chase down bargains in their pajamas.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons took a high-tech turn with the introduction of "balloonicles" — a combination balloon and vehicle that's self-powered. Playskool's Weebles (Tibbey, Tooey, and Bumpus) made the debut.

With the United States army deployed in Iraq, most troops couldn't make it home to be with their families for the holidays. President George W. Bush traveled to Baghdad to host a special Thanksgiving dinner for the soldiers serving instead.

Our favorite uncoordinated football player made his first appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2002. The Charlie Brown balloon came complete with his trademark yellow-striped shirt and elusive football. Lucky for Charlie Brown, Lucy wasn't there to pull it away mid-kick. Good grief!

To counteract the overindulgence that defines the holiday, Turkey Trots gained popularity, drawing crowds decked out in festive hats and athleisure. The Turkey Trot in Buffalo, NY, established in 1896, is the oldest continually running race that brings in folks hoping to burn some calories before digging into their favorite holiday foods.

Former late-night television host Jay Leno never shied away from celebrating Thanksgiving on his show, whether he invited on live turkeys, teens who had mastered the art of turkey calling, or kiddos dressed up in homemade costumes.