So Thanksgiving is just around the corner (along with the 5-10 pounds that comes with it). 

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection, family, and being thankful for the life you have and the people in it. That's all good and well, but the real reason we love Thanksgiving is that beautiful table of food right behind our loving family and friends.     

So in honor of our obsession with all things food: here are some of the top Thanksgiving delicacies that we eat WAY too much of every single year.   

1. Turkey.

Of course this was the first item on this list. Turkey is the only thing to eat on Thanksgiving aka “Turkey day.” Turkey is usually served one of two ways on Thanksgiving: deep fried or roasted. There are fierce debates over which one makes the better bird, but honestly I just like my turkey cooked all the way with a side of dressing.

2. Stuffing/Dressing

The second aforementioned food has to be stuffing or dressing depending on where you are from.  In the South, the bready dish with thyme, chicken stock and celery is called dressing and is usually served separate from the turkey. In contrast stuffing is literally stuffed into the turkey and cooked with it. Personally I like the first option that doesn't involve stuffing my food inside a bird. Ew. But either way this dish is a staple of Thanksgiving.   

3. Cranberry Sauce

This is like the best part of Thanksgiving. It can be served in several forms from fancy apple and cranberry salad to the fan favorite cranberry sauce in a can. This is a dish that is prized on its simplicity. Have a can opener? Check. A can of cranberry sauce? Check. Then you have Thanksgiving. 

4. Mashed Potatoes

The carbs, the starch, we love it. This dish is again simple in nature. It’s basically potatoes, milk and butter. We pile it on our plates and ignore that voice inside our head yelling about the empty calories. We ignore it and just eat more potatoes from the never-ending heap we have on our plate. We may regret it in January, but that is two months and two more plates away. 

5. Green Bean Casserole

This is another favorite here in the South (it does not get much more southern than vegetables in the form of a casserole). The ratio of green beans to cream of mushroom soup may make you feel uncomfortable, but that does not stop it from being delicious. Green Bean casserole is one of the obvious Thanksgiving dinner dishes that appears at least twice, if not three times in one table setting. The more family members that surround the table, the more green bean casseroles on the table. 

6. Creamed Corn

This is corn done the Thanksgiving way− with a lot of butter and cream. This is not the corn on the cob of the 4th of July. Creamed corn is a Thanksgiving favorite that introduces a hint of sweetness to the savory flavor of most Thanksgiving dishes.

7. Sweet Potato Casserole

As if we needed more potatoes or casserole. Sweet Potato Casserole is more aptly categorized as a dessert. The casserole is packed with cinnamon and sugar with the ultimate topping of toasted marshmallows. This dish is a common Thanksgiving favorite that allows the indulgence of dessert while you are eating your main meal. That way you can have actual dessert after you finish. 

8. Ham

The “other” meat served on Thanksgiving. This is for two sets of people on Thanksgiving: those who do not like Turkey and those who simply want to live large and eat turkey and ham. Ham is easy because it can be served warm or cold and there is a Honey Baked Ham store in every town in the entire southern region of the United States. Turkey is a high maintenance bird, but ham is simple and offers another choice for everyone on Turkey Day. 

9. Macaroni and Cheese

Nothing says home-style meal like a big dish of oven backed or crock-pot mac-and-cheese. This golden gift from above is the perfect amount of creaminess and cheesiness to hold Thanksgiving together. It may not be at every Thanksgiving (sadly), but it has become a staple of most family traditions. Macaroni and Cheese is comfort food at its best and has to be on this list of Thanksgiving classics.  

10. Pumpkin Pie

Nothing really says Thanksgiving like a big slice of pumpkin pie with whip cream on top. I know this is my favorite dessert on Thanksgiving, which is also the only time I ever eat it. Pumpkin pie may not have as many fans as apple pie, but it has a loyal following around Thanksgiving. The entire pie may not be eaten at the end of the day, but it it’s pretty much guaranteed that it will make an appearance at the dinner table.

Now go forth and enjoy the top ten things that you will definitely be thankful for this upcoming Thanksgiving.