Monday begins one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year. Between those last Christmas presents and stocking stuffers is all the holiday food that needs to be bought.

While most think of Thanksgiving as the “food” holiday, Christmas is hands down the baking, candy making and big-meal planning day of the year.

A nationwide survey done by Cherrydigital.com with Christmas.co.uk on what each state’s “it” food is for the holidays claims, either through scientific or non-scientific methods, that Utah’s green bean casserole comes in as the nation’s third-most iconic Christmas dish.

While not originally from Utah, it was developed by a Campbell’s employee in New Jersey in the 1950s, the dish has become a staple on plates in the Beehive State. A Del Monte survey shows Utah as the 15th highest consumer of the dish on Thanksgiving and Utah.com listed it among beloved holiday dishes.

For those who may not be familiar with the recipe, or at least the core recipe, it includes green beans, cream of mushroom soup, a bit of milk and Worcestershire sauce and French fried onions. Some will add other ingredients like additional seasonings, top it off with cheese or put boiled peanuts in the mix.

Most people would expect Utah’s favorite food being green — but more likely some kind of green Jell-o concoction

There may be many readers shaking their heads in disbelief that the casserole is a winner.

Talk to Tom Hogan at the Community Action Services Food Bank in Provo and he can tell you the most donated canned food item is green beans.

“If we ever run low on green beans (at the food bank) we are sure that someone will be bringing them in soon,” Hogan said.

The survey included 3,485 Americans, ranking the nation’s most iconic Christmas meals, dishes and desserts. And it was found that overall, the most iconic Christmas food was awarded to New Hampshire’s classic pumpkin pie.

Alabama’s Crescent recipes reigned as the second-most superior Christmas food across America. Golden brown and baked to a warm, crispy finish with visibly flaky layers, crescent dough can be transformed into a variety of dishes over the festive season.

While Utah’s third-place green bean casserole is a winner while Minnesota’s Lutefisk came in dead last. Lutefisk is a dried white fish soaked in water for days and then pickled with lye. It comes out with a gelatinous texture and is a Christmas delight in Scandinavian countries.

Some of the other top Christmas dishes include New York’s grape pie, Kansas Pfeffernusse (a popular spiced cookie in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands), Montana’s Bison Ribeye, Idaho Goose, California’s Dungeness Crab and New Mexico’s tamales.

“After being cooped up indoors for months, many Americans are looking forward to finally seeing family and friends again; as well as regaining the holiday spirit many anticipate towards the end of the working year,” said Daniel Brown of Christmas.co.uk in a press release. “Of course, many love the customs and traditions associated with Christmas, however, if you’re looking to experiment with new, different food this time round, now is the perfect time to begin recipe testing.”

One thing for certain, come Dec. 24, Santa Claus will be looking for cookies, candy and a glass of milk waiting for him as he delivers gifts. After all, that is the country’s most iconic Christmas plate.

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