Holiday Table Talk: Side Dishes Prevail as Most Desirable Food Item

51 Percent of Americans Look Forward to Enjoying Stuffing and Mashed Potatoes

AUSTIN, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Every year Holiday tables around the country are crowded with items aimed to please all palates – families fight over wishbones; uncles prefer lumpy mashed potatoes; sisters pine for plump turkey and cousins can’t wait for cranberries. This year Americans have spoken and they won’t let seasonal sides like cornbread stuffing and whipped sweet potatoes take a backseat to the traditional ham and turkey.

“Each variety can be prepared and served in under five minutes, allowing for all dishes to make it to the table hot and ready to please.”

A new study* by the makers of Hormel™ Country Crock® sides finds 51 percent of Americans prefer the sides to the main dish, with stuffing coming out on top as the favorite. Additionally, the number one most challenging part of preparing a holiday meal is getting all the dishes ready at the same time.**

To the relief of hosts and hostesses everywhere, Hormel™ Country Crock® side dishes are here to provide a variety of refrigerated side dishes made with quality ingredients, ensuring they can deliver everyone’s favorites to the table with less hassle for preparation and with plenty of time to spare.

“Hormel™ Country Crock® side dishes are a smart choice to ensure all guests can enjoy their favorite sides without the extra hassle of creating each item from scratch,” said Nate Kahnke, Product Manager for Hormel Foods. “Each variety can be prepared and served in under five minutes, allowing for all dishes to make it to the table hot and ready to please.”

Available in more than fifteen varieties, Hormel™ Country Crock® side dishes provide seasonal favorites such as homestyle stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, bacon ranch mashed potatoes and 4 Cheese Penne Pasta with Broccoli. To learn more about the convenience and varieties of Hormel™ Country Crock® sides, visit http://www.hormel.com.

About Hormel Foods
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded food and meat products, many of which are among the best known and trusted in the food industry. The company leverages its extensive expertise, innovation and high competencies in pork and turkey processing and marketing to bring branded, value-added products to the global marketplace. The company is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes, Global 1000 Sustainable Performance Leaders and was named one of "The 100 Most Trustworthy Companies" by Forbes in 2010. The company enjoys a strong reputation among consumers, retail grocers, foodservice and industrial customers for products highly regarded for quality, taste, nutrition, convenience and value. For more information, visit http://www.hormelfoods.com

© 2011 Hormel Foods, LLC
Country Crock is a registered trademark of the Unilever Group and used under license. All rights reserved. © 2011 Unilever Foods