We tested dishes in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner

It was my daugther who first got me thinking. As an avid YouTube fan (although before you ask, yes she enjoys a good poke around the beach as much as the next child) she has become increasingly aware of American customs due to, from what I can make out, around 90% of her YouTube content originating from the US.

One that seemed to make a particular impression a couple of years ago was the holiday of Thanksgiving.

While initially brushing it off as just "not something we do here" it got me thinking. Falling a month before Christmas, on the fourth Thursday of November, are there practices and dishes that we across the pond could be borrowing from our stateside cousins?

I decided to find out.

A carb-heavy plate of food

My quest for an authentic all-American Thanksgiving dinner began, much like most queries these days, with a Google search.

It did not get off to the best of starts. A roasted turkey centrepiece with stuffing is a given, but any thoughts of golden roast potatoes accompanying it were quickly replaced by...mashed potato? That midweek tea staple actually takes top ranking alongside the main act. Sobbing into my abandoned goose fat I continued down the list.

Gooey macaroni cheese was a warming side dish

Next up: macaroni cheese. As I simultaneously searched 'elasticated waistbands' in preparation for this carb-heavy meal, I began to understand why a game of American football often goes hand in hand with holiday, to burn off some of those calories!

Finally, a dish involving vegetables: green bean casserole. Reading through, the recipe of green beans (I used fresh, rather than the more common tinned version in the US), cream of mushroom soup and milk, with a sprinkling of pre-bought crispy fried onions at least sounded simple enough.

Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving classic

There was one more dish I knew I had to include, and this was the 'Thanksgiving yams' you hear so much about. Yams - or sweet potatoes as they're known this side of the pond - are, I discovered, simply sweet potatoes baked, then mashed with some brown sugar and baked once again, topped with (as if the sugar wasn't enough) marshmallows. The thought was almost too much even for my sweet tooth, but the desire to 'do it properly' won out, and the ingredients were purchased.

Late in the day I discovered that cornbread is also considered a non-negotiable - and thank goodness, as for me that was the star of the show. Crossed between a cake and scone, it was made by combining fine cornmeal (eventually tracked down in the world foods aisle in a giant bag - good job it was tasty) and plain flour with raising agents, melted butter, brown sugar, honey, buttermilk and eggs, then baked. Yum.

No Thanksgiving table is complete without sweet yams

Despite my reservations, the yams were more palatable and not such a bizarre addition to a savoury meal as I feared - albeit very sweet. I wouldn't rush for them again though.

Likewise, I'd personally prefer a helping of green beans au naturel, and keep the soup for lunch the next day!

Cornbread was the star of the show

All in all though it was a fun experiment and there is already talk of next year's feast with other dishes to try - but it will also include roasties.

Some things we just do well here.