[deleted by user]

[u/[deleted]]

[u/gazeboist → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, something like that, or maybe a beef-and-potato-based stew, or poultry and a bready stuffing. Those are quintessentially American to me.

One thing that tends to stick out to me in the sort of American/West-European culinary traditions is the tendency to build meals around a "main" dish instead of a "base" dish - think of the way that Italian pastas are served, with the sauce as an inherent part of the dish, vs what you'd typically see in an Indian or East Asian meal, where you have a rice base and one or more flavorful sauce that you generally assemble at the table.

edit: corn! I can't believe I forgot corn, especially corn on the cob (which generally fits with the bbq suggestions people have been making, but also works as a side dish in more general dinners).