Both the Greater Lafayette's mayors love nontraditional Thanksgiving fare

Margaret Christopherson, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·2 min read

LAFAYETTE, Ind. − The mayor of Lafayette prefers noodles. Made from scratch.

The mayor of West Lafayette prefers "tofurkey" to the traditional turkey.

If you want to follow the leaders of Greater Lafayette through a Thanksgiving menu, chances are they won't have you sample items deemed by Hoosiers to be their Top 5 choices, according to a recent survey.

According to a rankings list from Scholaroo, the top five Thanksgiving dishes in Indiana are:

  1. Mashed potatoes

  2. Corn casserole

  3. Green bean casserole

  4. Corn bread

  5. Baked sweet potato

Campbell's classic green bean casserole.
Campbell's classic green bean casserole.

The mayors of Lafayette and West Lafayette considered the list and offered their own favorites.

"Best question ever, and my answer comes with a bit of a revelation," said John Dennis, West Lafayette mayor. "I'm not a meat eater, so generally at the big roast beast feast, I sit on the sidelines with my veggies and stuffing and pies. But having said all that I have recently experienced a Thanksgiving meal with a non-meat based main dish, it was a turkey-free turkey.

West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis and his wife Mary recently visited her homeland, Ireland. The mayor, who doesn't eat meat, says he can be found enjoying the sides and sweets.
West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis and his wife Mary recently visited her homeland, Ireland. The mayor, who doesn't eat meat, says he can be found enjoying the sides and sweets.

"It was made with the main ingredient being tofu. I called it 'Tofurkey.' It actually tasted pretty OK, but I’m also a big fan of vegetable casseroles, with plenty of cheese and eggs, and of course pumpkin pie and chocolate. It makes saying 'please pass the Tofurkey' a little easier."

Perfect, fluffy mashed potatoes.
Perfect, fluffy mashed potatoes.

Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski's tastes also stray from Hoosiers' Top Five list.

"That was an interesting report (in reference to Scholaroo's article), I am afraid I may be out of the main stream a little," Roswarski said.

Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski and his extended family celebrate the recent marriage of his youngest daughter. On Thanksgiving, the family has menu favorite, noodles made from scratch.
Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski and his extended family celebrate the recent marriage of his youngest daughter. On Thanksgiving, the family has menu favorite, noodles made from scratch.

"My favorite Thanksgiving dish is homemade noodles, made from scratch and hand cut thin. This has been a tradition passed down in our family for decades and generations, I know several people in our family would say you can forget anything else, but don’t forget the noodles."

Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Greater Lafayette's leaders love nontraditional Thanksgiving fare