Heights Hotline | The Best Thanksgiving Side Dish, Dry Ass Turkey & Is Halloween the New Christmas?

Summary

Podcast Summary: New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Episode: Heights Hotline | The Best Thanksgiving Side Dish, Dry Ass Turkey & Is Halloween the New Christmas?
Date: November 21, 2025

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Episode Overview

This lively bonus episode of New Heights features Super Bowl champion brothers Jason and Travis Kelce debating hot holiday topics with their signature brotherly banter and humor. Through listener call-ins and their own memories, they take on polarizing holiday questions: Is Halloween better than Christmas? Why is turkey so universally dry? What’s the most overrated Thanksgiving dessert? And which side dish reigns supreme? Along the way, they share personal stories, irreverent food takes, and playful jabs at each other, all while keeping things candid, relatable, and entertaining.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Halloween vs. Christmas – Is Halloween the New Christmas?

[02:29–07:31]

• Listener Hot Take: Thaddeus from Kansas City calls in claiming, "Halloween is actually a better holiday than Christmas."

  • Jason immediately calls it a "hot take" and jokes, "You're an idiot."
    ([02:31], Jason)

• Jason’s Perspective:

  • Believes Christmas is unsurpassed in terms of overall joy, family togetherness, giving, and cultural significance.
  • “It moves the stock market. That’s how, like, influential it is.” ([04:52], Jason)
  • Suggests only people who’ve had "a shitty Christmas" would put Halloween above it.

• Travis Adds:

  • “There’s just nothing that gets people happy like Christmas does.” ([04:44], Travis)

• Candy Debate:

  • The brothers get sidetracked comparing Christmas and Halloween candies:
    • Jason prefers Christmas candies (ex: “Candy corn is—Yes, exactly. The candy that represents Halloween and the candy that represents Christmas is night and day better for Christmas.” [06:46], Jason)
    • Travis pushes back: “They don’t make a Christmas Reese’s.” ([06:57], Travis)
    • Jason responds: “Yes, they do. Reese’s Trees!” ([07:00], Jason)

• Brandon (Producer) Sides with Halloween:

  • “If I’m just gonna be honest, I’m kind of with Thaddeus on this one.” ([07:17], Brandon)
  • Jason chides him: “Apparently Brandon’s parents gave him a shitty Christmas as well.” ([07:21], Jason)

2. Thanksgiving Entrees – Is Turkey Overrated?

[12:02–13:58]

• Listener Hot Take: Thaddeus again claims, “Turkey is one of the worst dishes on Thanksgiving of all time.”

  • Jason agrees: “Hard agree.” ([12:10], Jason)

• Turkey Critique:

  • Jason: “It’s so dry and people who like it just so weird... It gets kind of muddled down for the most part the way most people make it—a dry-ass bird that you gotta slather gravy and cranberry sauce on to redeem anything.” ([12:15-12:50], Jason)
  • He notes they never had turkey growing up: “Mom would make pork chops or some other meat.”
  • Travis suggests, “You gotta fry it, or you gotta be in that thing nonstop injecting it... or you gotta spatchcock that sucker.” ([13:03], Travis | [13:09], Jason)

• Alternative Thanksgiving Meats:

  • Jason mentions wanting to try turducken.
  • Both agree the “dry turkey” stereotype is unfortunately true unless you deep-fry.

3. Pie, Dessert & Warm Fruit: Overrated Apple Pie?

[13:24–14:50]

• Jason’s Bold Take:

  • “Apple pie—it’s gotta be the most overrated dessert in the fucking history of top-shelf desserts.” ([13:43], Jason)
  • Prefers cake over pie and specifically dislikes warm fruit pies.

• Pie Preferences:

  • He appreciates unique pies if done well: “Steven cookies down the shore, they make a mean blueberry pie. It is fucking incredible.” ([13:58], Jason)
  • Key lime pie and cold pies are the exceptions for both.

• Fruit and Caramel:

  • Neither brother is big on caramel apples, particularly Jason due to his beard.
  • “For me, with a beard, to eat is just, like, sounds like the biggest disaster of all time.” ([15:41], Jason)

4. Thanksgiving Side Dishes – Sweet Potatoes, Carrots & the Best Side

[16:10–24:45]

• Sweet Potatoes Debate:

  • Caller: “Sweet potatoes have no place in a Thanksgiving menu... they’re just the least of the least.” ([16:11], Thaddeus)
  • Travis and Jason both disagree, praising both potatoes and sweet potatoes.
  • Jason: “You don’t need to have one or the other... If somebody made sweet potato fries, I’d be jazzed.” ([17:31], Jason)

• Carrots & Root Vegetables:

  • Caller proposes honey-glazed carrots as a replacement.
  • Travis likes honey-glazed carrots ("Some roasted honey carrots are good though, man." [18:01], Travis), Jason less so (“When they get roasted, they just get mushy. They get too mushy for me.” [18:09], Jason).

• Carrot Cake Love:

  • Unexpectedly, both go on a tangent celebrating carrot cake and cream cheese frosting.
  • Travis recommends carrot cupcakes in the city.

• Cranberry Sauce:

  • Jason: “Kylie only likes the canned cranberry sauce.” ([23:48], Jason)
  • Brandon: “I want to see the ridges. Brother, I want to see the ridges.” ([24:09], Brandon)
  • Jason: “I’m out on the ridges.” ([24:15], Jason)

• Best Thanksgiving Side Dish – Rapid Fire Picks:

  • [21:25] “What is the best Thanksgiving side dish? 1, 2, 3, go.”
    • Jason: “Green bean casserole.” ([21:25], Jason)
    • Travis: “Mac and cheese.” ([21:28], Travis)
    • Brandon seconds mac and cheese with an ode to the “day after, congealed version.”
  • Jason finds mac and cheese overrated: “I’ll go one step further: mac and cheese is the most overrated side item. Travis has always been a mac and cheese guy—I've never been a big mac.” ([22:17], Jason)

• How It's Made:

  • Jason describes Kylie’s green bean casserole: “It’s like this mushroom—oh my gosh, what’s it called?—a cream mushroom thing as the base... then it's got fried onions on top.” ([23:16], Jason)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Christmas vs. Halloween:

  • Jason: “Christmas has candy too! Candy canes.” ([06:36], Jason)
  • Travis: “What? You hate candy canes.” ([06:41], Travis)
  • Jason: “No, I love candy canes.”
    (A playful back-and-forth highlighting their sibling dynamic)

• On Turkey:

  • Jason: “The way most people make it—a dry-ass bird you gotta slather gravy and cranberry sauce on.” ([12:48], Jason)
  • Travis: “You gotta fry it, or you gotta be in that thing nonstop injecting it... or you gotta spatchcock that sucker.” ([13:03, 13:09], Travis & Jason)

• On Carrot Cake:

  • Travis: “Next time you're in the city, I got a place, dude—get these little carrot cupcakes. Make you feel like you’re not doing too much.”
    ([18:29], Travis)
  • Jason: “Damn, it’s good. It’s so good.” ([18:40], Jason)

• On Green Bean Casserole:

  • Jason: “Green bean casserole is like an exclusive thing to Thanksgiving.” ([21:48], Jason)
  • Travis (about trying it): “I tried it just because I was appreciative and thankful like my dad always taught me.” ([23:39], Travis)
  • Brandon: “This is the anti–Travis Kelsey dish.” ([23:43], Brandon)

• On Canned Cranberry Sauce:

  • Brandon: “I want to see the ridges. Let it be nasty.” ([24:15], Brandon)
  • Jason: “I’m out on the ridges.” ([24:15], Jason)

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Key Timestamps

• 02:29 – Halloween vs. Christmas debate kicks off
• 06:46 – Holiday candy debate heats up
• 12:02 – Turkey on Thanksgiving gets taken down
• 13:43 – Jason trashes apple pie
• 16:10 – Sweet potatoes: hero or zero?
• 18:23 – Carrot cake tangent
• 21:25 – Best Thanksgiving side dish rapid fire
• 23:16 – Inside the famous green bean casserole
• 24:09 – The great cranberry sauce divide

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Tone & Style

The episode is high-energy and irreverent, with deep brotherly teasing, strong opinions, and plenty of laughter. It moves fast, features passionate rants and playful debates, and delivers both NFL-family banter and universal holiday nostalgia. The brothers’ down-to-earth chemistry and willingness to poke fun at themselves make the discussions warm and highly relatable, especially for listeners prepping for family gatherings of their own.

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In summary:
This episode is a post-practice, post-game drive home for the holidays—full of takes, tangents, and sibling heat. Whether you’re planning your Thanksgiving menu, plotting your next costume, or just avoiding dry turkey, the Kelce brothers offer the kind of loud, loving camaraderie that makes you wish you were at their table.

Transcript

[Jason Kelsey]

Thank you to our sponsor kfc. Thanksgiving's coming up and KFC starting a little holiday debate. Turkey or chicken? Not much of a debate if you ask me.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah, let's be real. It's the unique gravy to survive at bird.

[Jason Kelsey]

Let's be honest. Is it really worth spending eight hours cooking a turkey when you could just get something better? Especially if it just causes you to go through a drive through and get a bucket of it?

[Travis Kelsey]

Maybe. How about KFC's Extra Crispy Chicken? Juicy crispy and always finger licking good baby.

[Jason Kelsey]

Extra Crispy does sound good.

[Travis Kelsey]

The under dog choice for all your holiday gatherings.

[Jason Kelsey]

KFC is saying cluck turkey this Thanksgiving. That's right. We're inviting all of you to give dry Turkey the bird.

[Travis Kelsey]

It's time to ditch the dry boring bird this holiday and order KFC instead. You can't go wrong with a bucket of chicken, a good game or movie, or just some good times with friends and family.

[Jason Kelsey]

This year, skip the turkey and celebrate with KFC's Extra Crispy Chicken.

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[Thaddeus]

A better holiday than Christmas.

[Jason Kelsey]

You're a idiot.

[Thaddeus]

Thaddeus Christmas is cool and all, but Halloween's the best.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'm trying to think in, like, what world somebody would think Halloween is better? And the only thing that makes sense is that their parents gave them a Christmas.

[Travis Kelsey]

Don't you put that on Thaddeus's parents.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'm definitely putting that on Thaddeus's parents. That's the only possible way Thaddeus thinks that is that his parents gave him a shitty Christmas.

[Brandon]

If I'm just gonna be honest, I'm.

[Jason Kelsey]

Kind of what that is in this one. Apparently Brandon's parents gave him a shitty Christmas as well.

[Travis Kelsey]

Welcome to this bonus episode of New Heights a wonder show. And we're your host. Travis Kelsey is my big brother, Jason kelsey. Subscribe on YouTube, onery + or wherever you get your podcast and follow the show on all social media at new heightsshow with 1s. And Jason is now going to tell you what exactly you get in this bonus episode.

[Jason Kelsey]

That's right. Welcome to today's bonus episode. That's right. Maybe you're here because you stumbled across us on your phone or Internet.

[Travis Kelsey]

All right, man.

[Jason Kelsey]

Or whatever your device is. Maybe you're here to see Travis Kelsey or listen to his voice. Just maybe you're here to listen to some holiday hot takes from some of the 92 percenters. Call INS and other shenanigans about holidays and hot takes. All right, here we go. All right, we got a few options. The bold ones seem to be the ones that they prefer us talking about.

[Travis Kelsey]

I say you just go ahead and.

[Jason Kelsey]

Hit the bold ones. All righty. Holiday Halloween. Better than Christmas. I can already know this is not accurate.

[Thaddeus]

Hey, this is Thaddeus from Kansas City.

[Jason Kelsey]

Thaddeus, great name.

[Thaddeus]

My holiday hot take is that Halloween is actually a better holiday than idiot Thaddeus.

[Travis Kelsey]

You had us with Thaddeus and then you lost us.

[Thaddeus]

Just better all around vibes. You get to spook kids and play pranks and Christmas is cool and all, but Halloween's the best. All right, take it easy.

[Jason Kelsey]

It's a hot take.

[Travis Kelsey]

I mean, he does share your love of scaring children.

[Jason Kelsey]

It's a very hot take. I listen, I love Halloween. It's great. I'm very on board with Halloween.

[Travis Kelsey]

You can spook kids in Christmas too. That's the thing about spooking is that you can spook kids whenever.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah, Christmas is the greatest holiday on the planet. There's not even. There's not even something that compares to it.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah, I'm just. There's just nothing that gets like people happy like Christmas does.

[Jason Kelsey]

It moves the stock market. That's how, like, influential it is. Like consumer products. This is so ingrained into our culture and so, like, unanimously. I knew Jewish people that celebrated Christmas.

[Travis Kelsey]

Don't. Don't say who they are, because then they will be fine. They'll be frowned upon.

[Jason Kelsey]

I think it's pretty commonplace at this point. I think. I bet if you. It's. It's, it's. It's gone beyond religion at this point. It's like, so ingrained into American culture. And it comes down to family giving, the holiday spirit, like, all of it. Like, it's just. It's a fantastic holiday and I love Halloween, but I mean, it couldn't sniff a fart of Christmas to be able.

[Travis Kelsey]

To give you two weeks off on Halloween.

[Jason Kelsey]

That's right. That alone, it's remarkable. It's a hot take. It's a very bad take. All right, next one.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah, it's tough. Thaddeus, though.

[Jason Kelsey]

Great name. Great name, horrible take on Christmas.

[Travis Kelsey]

This guy was getting cold for presents every year.

[Jason Kelsey]

I just. The joy that Christmas gives you. Just seeing the decorations, going to Christmas parties, the thanks. The joy of seeing another person open a present. You give them, what is this gonna be?

[Travis Kelsey]

It's underrated.

[Jason Kelsey]

Like, I just don't know that there's any. I. I'm trying to think in, like, what world somebody would think Halloween is better? And the only thing that makes sense is that their parents gave them a shitty Christmas.

[Travis Kelsey]

Like, I don't know what else's parents.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'm definitely putting that on Thaddeus's parents. That's the only possible way Thaddeus thinks that is that his parents gave him a shitty Christmas.

[Travis Kelsey]

He's just got to see it clear. He's got. He's got candy vision. He's got spooky vision. He's got to see it for what it is.

[Jason Kelsey]

But Halloween has. I mean, Christmas has candy too. Candy canes.

[Travis Kelsey]

You hate candy canes.

[Jason Kelsey]

I love candy canes.

[Travis Kelsey]

What? You don't need corn.

[Jason Kelsey]

Candy corn is. Yes, exactly. The. The candy that represents Halloween and the candy that represents Christmas is night and day better for Christmas.

[Travis Kelsey]

They don't. They don't make a Christmas Reese's.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yes, they do. It's a Christmas.

[Travis Kelsey]

Trees.

[Brandon]

Yeah, they make them.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah, that.

[Travis Kelsey]

That's not a stop. It's the same.

[Jason Kelsey]

You put candy in the stocking. It's basically the same thing, but you don't have to walk to other strangers houses. You just get them from your loved.

[Travis Kelsey]

Nice.

[Brandon]

Thaddeus. You're kind of right, though.

[Travis Kelsey]

Christmas candies now, now that we've done.

[Brandon]

I'm kind of with that is if I'm just gonna be honest. I'm kind of with that. Isn't this one.

[Jason Kelsey]

Apparently Brandon's parents gave him a shitty Christmas as well. Oh, God, this is a failure. Anybody who thinks Halloween is better than Christmas, their parents have failed them.

[Brandon]

I had a great Christmas. I just, I've turned into a Halloween guy in my. In my old age. I don't know how that happens.

[Jason Kelsey]

Halloween's fine, but it's. No, it doesn't hold a candle to Christmas.

[Travis Kelsey]

What were you. What were you this year, Brandon?

[Brandon]

Me? Oh, we did one battle after another. I was Benicio Del Toro. I was Sensei.

[Travis Kelsey]

That's right.

[Brandon]

I saw that Lauren was in DiCaprio.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

Great costume. The dog was Sean Penn from that movie. Great costume. If you ever try to put a wig on a dog on Christmas. See, that's a Halloween thing.

[Jason Kelsey]

Thank you to our partner, Gillette.

[Travis Kelsey]

All right now, Jason, you've been retired for a full year. Let's talk pregame rituals. Do you miss them? Still have them?

[Jason Kelsey]

I kind of have one, I guess for Monday night countdown. Like I kind of. I go do the production meeting, then I kind of iron out what's happening in the rundown, then I go to the makeup lady, then I go to the hair, and then I go on set.

[Travis Kelsey]

Just curious to see if you were putting that same game day energy into your new broadcasting routine. That's all.

[Jason Kelsey]

Well, first and foremost, it includes making sure that this beard is looking real nice, which is finally starting to show some of my grays again. After dying it, I'm getting those natural colors back. Thank you. Thanks so much. But yeah, I have a, some, some grooming individuals that make sure it's looking nice and tidy.

[Travis Kelsey]

If you were looking for a tool to help wrangle it in a little bit, look no further than Gillette Labs NFL license razor Special edition razors have.

[Jason Kelsey]

Those long lasting Gillette Labs blades and the precision trimmer on the back. It's perfect for cleaning up this guy.

[Travis Kelsey]

Nice. I hear it's a must have for NFL fans this season. And clearly you too.

[Jason Kelsey]

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[Travis Kelsey]

Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Reese's Oreo Cups. Ooh, Reese Oreo.

[Jason Kelsey]

Nice.

[Travis Kelsey]

Reese's cups with Oreo cookie crumbs included. You asked for it. We definitely asked for it. And it is finally happening for those.

[Jason Kelsey]

Of you that don't know we just said Reese's Oreo cups. That's right. They also have regular Oreos with peanut butter in the middle. Two fan favorites coming together to make everyone's day a million times better.

[Travis Kelsey]

Wait a minute. Could Reese's Oreo cups be like the Kelsey Brothers of candy? Which one of us is Reese's and which one of us is Oreo?

[Jason Kelsey]

Which one of us is Reese's and which one of us is Oreo?

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Jason Kelsey]

Are we talking about Oreo with peanut butter in the middle or Oreo with white in the middle?

[Travis Kelsey]

Just regular Oreo.

[Jason Kelsey]

I mean, I'm clearly Oreo. I'm a little bit darker.

[Travis Kelsey]

You gotta love it. So grab these Reese's Oreo cups today, wherever candy is sold. Better yet, grab them right now or we're going to grab them first because they are seriously that good.

[Jason Kelsey]

They are. And we wouldn't lie to you, they're. They're very good. Thank you to our sponsor, kfc. Are you a dark meat or a breast kind of guy?

[Travis Kelsey]

When you get kfc, you can get it all. Just put it in that bus.

[Jason Kelsey]

It's true.

[Travis Kelsey]

Thanks.

[Jason Kelsey]

CNN's coming up and KFC starting a little holiday debate. Turkey or chicken? Not much of debate if you ask me.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah, let's be real. It's the uni gravy to survive at bird. It's beige of all.

[Jason Kelsey]

Let's be honest. Is it really worth spending eight hours cooking a turkey when you could just get something better? Especially if it just causes you to go through a drive thru and get a bucket of it? Maybe.

[Travis Kelsey]

How about KFC's Extra Crispy Chicken? Juicy crispy and always finger licking good, baby.

[Jason Kelsey]

Extra crispy does sound good.

[Travis Kelsey]

It's the underdog choice for all your holiday gatherings.

[Jason Kelsey]

KFC is saying cluck turkey this Thanksgiving. That's right. We're inviting all of you to give dry turkey the bird.

[Travis Kelsey]

It's time to ditch the dry boring bird this holiday and order KFC instead. You can't go wrong with a bucket of chicken. A good game or movie or just some good times with friends and family.

[Jason Kelsey]

Everybody's going to love it. If you show up to a Thanksgiving meal with extra crispy chicken from kfc, people are going to love you.

[Travis Kelsey]

Especially a bucket of it.

[Jason Kelsey]

If you come with a bucket of of extra crispy fried chicken from kfc, you're going to get some thank yous this year. Skip the turkey and celebrate with KFC's Extra Crispy Chicken.

[Thaddeus]

Hi Jason. Travis. I would like to Give an extreme hot take since it's to the damn season. And that is Turkey is one of the worst dishes on Thanksgiving of all time.

[Jason Kelsey]

Hard agree.

[Thaddeus]

It's so dry and people who like it just so weird. Thank you.

[Jason Kelsey]

Listen, I'm fully. This is why I fry turkey. It's hard to eat turkey unless it's deep fried and wish you man like you know, boiled in fat grease. We never had turkey. We agree. We purposely never had turkey. Mom would make pork chops or some other meat. I love everything else about. Well, I take that back. I love most other things about Thanksgiving. Fair. Right. I'm a big mashed potatoes guy. I'm a big corn guy. Kylie makes a badass green bean casserole. Fucking love that dish, mama. Kelsey dinner rolls. Like everything else about Thanksgiving is so fantastic. And then it gets kind of muddled down with for the most part the way most people make it a dry ass bird that you gotta slather gravy and cranberry sauce on to redeem anything about it. I mean it's just the honest. You gotta fry it.

[Travis Kelsey]

You gotta fry it or you gotta be in that thing non stop injecting it with like you gotta fry it.

[Jason Kelsey]

Or you gotta spatchcock that sucker.

[Travis Kelsey]

There you go.

[Jason Kelsey]

Spatchcock it. Yeah.

[Travis Kelsey]

Or what you haven't tried yet is turducken. You got to stuff that thing with the duck.

[Jason Kelsey]

Right. I have not tried the turducken, but I'm very in on it. The premise of it sounds incredible.

[Travis Kelsey]

What I'm out.

[Jason Kelsey]

What else was. Oh, the other thing that I don't. Pumpkin pie is okay. But I think it's also commonplace for a lot of people. Maybe I'm wrong on this apple pie around Thanksgiving. I'll go on this apple pie. It's got to be the most overrated dessert on the fucking history of top shelf desserts.

[Travis Kelsey]

It's got to be. There's got to be a ton of cinnamon in that thing. It's got to be a ton of cinnamon and butter. And I got a. That's got to overpower the apple.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'm just not. Apple pie just doesn't. I like ice cream. So like when you put it with ice cream, I'll do it.

[Travis Kelsey]

That's the thing.

[Jason Kelsey]

That's another thing. I am definitely more of a cake guy than a pie guy. Although Steven cookies down the shore, they make a mean blueberry pie. It is fucking incredible.

[Travis Kelsey]

See blueberry pie, different type of pie.

[Jason Kelsey]

And this is. They do it weird to it. Like is it as Like, I guess, like, jello y. You know what I mean? Like, a lot of the pie is, like, a texture thing that I just don't really. Warm fruit doesn't make me excited. I like cold fruit.

[Travis Kelsey]

Noted.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'm trying to think. There are pies that I like, though. Pumpkin pie is not bad.

[Travis Kelsey]

Pumpkin pie. Lime's the only key lime.

[Jason Kelsey]

Cold fruit. Key lime's a cold pie. Cold pie.

[Travis Kelsey]

Key lime pie is the closest thing to, like, cheesecake that I'll ever have.

[Jason Kelsey]

I feel like raspberries would be good in a pie. It's got to have a little bit more, like, tartness for it to be good. Apples just don't bring that, like, note that really makes me enjoy it that much.

[Travis Kelsey]

I need something in the inside that doesn't just, like, give me, like, a comp. You know what I mean? Like a. Like a. Like a comp, you know, I'm talking about com.

[Jason Kelsey]

I think it's C O M P T E is what you're thinking about there.

[Travis Kelsey]

It is.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah, but it's. Is it compote? It's compote. C O M, P O T. Right.

[Travis Kelsey]

There you go.

[Jason Kelsey]

I think I know either way. I don't like that.

[Travis Kelsey]

That stuff I'm out on.

[Jason Kelsey]

I don't mind if it's cold. I just. There's something about the warmness of pie that I'm just out desserts. I don't like warm desserts.

[Travis Kelsey]

Were you ever apple, caramel apple, guys.

[Jason Kelsey]

That's not true. I'll take that back.

[Travis Kelsey]

What were you a caramel apple guy?

[Jason Kelsey]

No, I don't like it. I like apples. I will eat an apple by itself.

[Travis Kelsey]

Apple, caramel.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'm not a big, like, dressing. I like apple and peanut butter. I'll throw some peanut butter on that apple.

[Travis Kelsey]

So you don't like caramel is what you're saying?

[Jason Kelsey]

I like caramel in certain things. I just don't really. The other thing is, like, a caramel apple for me with a beard to eat is just like. Sounds like the biggest disaster of all time. Like, it's going to be fucking everywhere. I'm not. Yeah, yeah. You could cut it up, I suppose. I just like. I like caramel in certain. I like caramel mixed with chocolate. I don't like caramel with apple. No.

[Travis Kelsey]

All right, nice. Noted.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah. Anyways, I don't know what we just.

[Travis Kelsey]

I don't know where that even. Yeah.

[Jason Kelsey]

So. Yes, we agree. Turkey sucks. All right, sweet potatoes, let's go.

[Travis Kelsey]

Let's hear it.

[Thaddeus]

Okay, so my Thanksgiving holiday Hot take is that sweet potatoes have no place in a Thanksgiving menu. Whipped, matte, roasted. They are just the least of the least. They're the worst thing on the table. As marshmallows on.

[Travis Kelsey]

Idiot.

[Thaddeus]

Maple syrup. It just. It's a dessert.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah, you're.

[Jason Kelsey]

You're right.

[Travis Kelsey]

Trying to watch your calories.

[Thaddeus]

Put a marshmallow on top, put a meringue, both. But you don't need sweet potatoes on your menu. You've got. You could do roasted root vegetables. You can do your mashed roasted root vegetables. Other things. Carrots, honey glazed carrots.

[Travis Kelsey]

I'm in on honey glazed carrots.

[Jason Kelsey]

Now you're just getting carrots to dessert. Carrots.

[Thaddeus]

Fish basically in a whole bunch of savory stuff. You're not going to put your gravy over your sweet potatoes. You're not going to, you know, take a Brussels sprout and dip it in your sweet potatoes. Weird. You can't. Over the bacon or anything. It's got marshmallows, maple syrup, and that's it. It's wrong. It should not be on a Thanksgiving table. That's. That's my best hot take.

[Jason Kelsey]

Well, you're wrong. Sweet potatoes and marshmallows and freakin.

[Travis Kelsey]

I think potatoes and sweet potatoes both.

[Jason Kelsey]

You don't need to have one or the other. And sweet potato fries. If somebody made sweet potato fries, I'd be jazzed. Personally, I don't understand the roasted root vegetable. Like, this guy walks.

[Travis Kelsey]

Did he go where the. He's the odd.

[Jason Kelsey]

That is.

[Travis Kelsey]

You want to talk about a hot.

[Jason Kelsey]

You want beets in here? Like, what are we talking about? And then he said, like, you can't. You can't candy up the sweet potato, but you can have candied carrots with honey glaze on them. Listen, if you gave me the choice of honey glazed carrots or sweet potatoes and marshmallow on them, I'm taking the sweet potatoes of marshmallow all day.

[Travis Kelsey]

Some roasted honey. Carrots are good though, man.

[Jason Kelsey]

I don't. I'm not on the honey carrots, dude.

[Travis Kelsey]

I got you. Yeah, no carrots.

[Jason Kelsey]

When they get roasted, they just get mushy. They get too mushy for me.

[Travis Kelsey]

No, you still got to have that crunch a little bit.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah, but it's hard. Yeah. If it has. If it's cooked perfectly, I could do it.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Jason Kelsey]

But I just. I prefer carrot cake. That's how I prefer.

[Travis Kelsey]

See, now we're talking cream cheese frosting. I didn't know you were a carrot cake guy. Next time you're in the city. I got a place, dude, get these little carrot cupcakes and make you feel like you're not doing too much.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'm not a big frosting guy. The only reason I think I like carrot cake is because of the cream cheese frosting.

[Travis Kelsey]

Dude, I got the place for you.

[Jason Kelsey]

Damn, it's good. It's so good.

[Travis Kelsey]

The place for you.

[Jason Kelsey]

Like, what are we making apple pie for? Just put the carrots in there.

[Travis Kelsey]

Jack Stack has one of the best carrot carrot cakes ever. Dude, it's so good that people, like, just, like, go in and get the carrot cake, like, cupcakes, just so that they don't feel too bad about getting the entire mammoth of a cake that. That you could get there.

[Jason Kelsey]

We have a couple spots around here that we'll go and specifically just get the carrot cake and then we'll eat it like, two fatties all day. The best.

[Travis Kelsey]

The best. And they do they just slab that cheesecake icing on there. It's so good.

[Jason Kelsey]

No doubt. We're big stocks people as well in Philadelphia. That's a big dessert one for us. I don't know how we keep getting back to desserts. We keep getting back to desserts.

[Travis Kelsey]

All right.

[Jason Kelsey]

We're talking about sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are fine.

[Travis Kelsey]

They're good. They're awesome.

[Jason Kelsey]

I mean, you can have sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes. I don't think you have to differentiate between these two. And I disagree. Like, you can do sweet potatoes with marshmallows and the maple glaze, and then at the end of the day, you can have your dessert, too. Like, what do we. We're not calorie counting on Thanksgiving.

[Travis Kelsey]

No, that's not what we're doing here.

[Jason Kelsey]

We're making the most delicious thing possible. If that means throwing marshmallows on top of it. Bring it on, brother. Bring it up. Throw that on top. Throwing roasted root vegetables. Like, that's gonna get it done.

[Travis Kelsey]

Throwing marshmallows on those guys coming with beets. I don't even know if I'd like that. Yeah, I don't even know.

[Jason Kelsey]

I mean, I like beets, but that's. If you, like, put it with goat cheese and smother a bunch of salad dressing on it. I just had a beet beer in Las Vegas. It was like a beet sour. It actually wasn't bad.

[Travis Kelsey]

Curiosity to know what tastes like.

[Jason Kelsey]

It wasn't bad.

[Travis Kelsey]

Blows my mind, the fact that you actually had. I'm in on beat. You'll dry. You'll try any kind of beer, and it's Absolutely disgusting. You had.

[Jason Kelsey]

You're right.

[Travis Kelsey]

You gave me a blueberry.

[Jason Kelsey]

It wasn't this time.

[Travis Kelsey]

And I wanted.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Travis Kelsey]

Myself, probably great. It was disgusting.

[Jason Kelsey]

I like experimenting.

[Travis Kelsey]

I like a little citrus lime or something. Or like a little garage beer line.

[Jason Kelsey]

I got you.

[Travis Kelsey]

I like it. I like a cider. I'll drink a cider.

[Jason Kelsey]

Ciders. I'm. I'm not a big cider guy. It's too much. It's too sweet.

[Travis Kelsey]

But beet beer was good.

[Jason Kelsey]

It was okay. I wouldn't want to drink a bunch of it, but for one glass. It was a unique flavor profile. It had like a borscht soury kind of thing happening. It was not bad.

[Travis Kelsey]

All right. That's all I got for his sweet potato take.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah, the sweet potatoes.

[Travis Kelsey]

I mean, that was a rough take.

[Brandon]

That was a rough take. This is my last question coming from me, just based on that conversation.

[Jason Kelsey]

Oh, gosh.

[Brandon]

Really quick. No, no, this is good. This is good. Last question real quick. What is the best Thanksgiving side dish? 1, 2, 3, go. Ready?

[Jason Kelsey]

Green bean casserole.

[Brandon]

Ooh, Travis.

[Travis Kelsey]

Mac and cheese.

[Brandon]

Mac and cheese. Yeah.

[Travis Kelsey]

Okay.

[Brandon]

I knew. I knew. It's more of a Travis on this one. I knew we were locked in.

[Jason Kelsey]

The problem with Mac and cheese is it's not.

[Brandon]

No, that's where you're wrong. The problem. There is no problem. The end.

[Jason Kelsey]

Well, here's the problem. Here's the problem.

[Travis Kelsey]

If anything.

[Brandon]

Not the way you make it on Thanksgiving.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yes, it is.

[Brandon]

You guys make it all the time. You guys are like. You guys are not just doing out of the box.

[Jason Kelsey]

You do it. I've had a baked a thousand times, too. Yes. Like, I don't. It's not always out of the box. I'm not. Green bean casserole is like an exclusive thing to Thanksgiving.

[Brandon]

Really?

[Travis Kelsey]

Maybe.

[Jason Kelsey]

I mean, pretty much.

[Travis Kelsey]

Not mine.

[Jason Kelsey]

The sweet potatoes.

[Brandon]

Travis is having it every goddamn day.

[Travis Kelsey]

I'm having it. Never.

[Jason Kelsey]

Travis is not having green beanie casserole.

[Brandon]

That's true. I mean, it's Mac and cheese. I'll go one step further. Mac and cheese. The day after, get that congealed.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'll go one step further into Mac and cheese is the most overrated dessert or a side item. It's not. I'm not a big Mac and cheese guy. Travis has always been a Mac and cheese guy. I've never been a big Mac.

[Brandon]

So now we have Canada mad at us. We have the Mac and cheese fans mad at us. We're just going down.

[Jason Kelsey]

It's okay. I just think it's overrated. It's not. There's a thousand other things you can have cheesy and I would prefer it.

[Brandon]

I think when you get it just right and it's got like that baked crust. That is.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah, I hear you get the.

[Jason Kelsey]

If you get the crunchies to it.

[Brandon]

Get the crunchies.

[Jason Kelsey]

It's good. It's good.

[Brandon]

You also can it up real good too. I've seen some people deliver some wet ass noodles. It is not good.

[Travis Kelsey]

I don't like too cheesy.

[Jason Kelsey]

That green bean casserole. God damn. I can't wait.

[Brandon]

Wait, is Kylie make that.

[Travis Kelsey]

What's in this green bean?

[Brandon]

What do you make on Thanksgiving, Jason? What do you help with?

[Jason Kelsey]

I fry the turkey and Kylie doesn't even eat that. So I pretty much make a turkey for myself.

[Travis Kelsey]

This guy's so funny. We're all good out here.

[Jason Kelsey]

She doesn't trust me. Cooking this. Cooking it right.

[Travis Kelsey]

What's in this casserole?

[Jason Kelsey]

I believe I could be wrong because I've never made it. Green beans are a component. I believe it's like this mushroom. Oh my gosh. What's it called? It's like a cream mushroom thing that is like the base of it. Yeah, it's like a creamy texture.

[Travis Kelsey]

I never with green beans.

[Jason Kelsey]

And then it's got fried onions on top of it. Basically, like it's across the board. I think Travis is not a big fan of great big casserole.

[Travis Kelsey]

I think when I was there, I tried it just because I was appreciative and thankful like my dad always taught me.

[Brandon]

But I'm looking at pictures of it. I know Travis is Adam on this. This is the anti Travis Kelsey dish.

[Jason Kelsey]

One thing we never had growing up that I'm a big fan of is cranberry sauce. But Kylie only likes the like canned cranberry sauce.

[Brandon]

She's correct.

[Jason Kelsey]

I don't like the canned cranberry sauce as much as I like like an actually made cranberry sauce.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah, because canned isn't actually made.

[Jason Kelsey]

Well, it's. It's like more. I like a fresh cranberry sauce made rather than a cranberry sauce. That's.

[Brandon]

I want to see the ridges. I want to see the out. I want to see the ridges. I want to see the ridges, brother.

[Jason Kelsey]

I'm out on the ridges.

[Brandon]

Want that thing to come plopp. And don't even touch it. Just let it sit as a cylinder.

[Jason Kelsey]

Yeah, that's what it looks like.

[Brandon]

Let it be nasty.

[Travis Kelsey]

All right. So you like jello.

[Jason Kelsey]

Exactly. That's what it is.

[Brandon]

Jello is technically cold fruit.

[Travis Kelsey]

I always steered clear Jell O because it was always like hospital food.

[Brandon]

That is a little weird.

[Jason Kelsey]

Feel like pudding is more of a hospital food in my mind.

[Travis Kelsey]

I would, like, eat the jello packs like they were fun. Dip. I wouldn't. I wouldn't fucking. I wouldn't. I wasn't very, very in on.

[Jason Kelsey]

That's very funny.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Jason Kelsey]

Just dipping your little finger in there like that's like a Kool Aid play. That's odd you would do that with jello packages.

[Travis Kelsey]

You know what? You know what that might be? No, I think it was Jello. I think it was jello.

[Brandon]

I think you could technically do it. It's yellow too. It's just sugar and fruit powder.

[Travis Kelsey]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

Little Travis Kelsey with just green ass fingers.

[Jason Kelsey]

I wonder what he's been doing.

[Sponsor Announcer]

All right.

[Jason Kelsey]

And that wraps up another edition of Heights Hotline. That's right. We'll have some more bonus content for you all in December, so stay tuned for what that might be.

[Travis Kelsey]

And now, once again, New Heights, a wondry show. Please follow the show on all social media. New heightshow with 1s. And we give a big shout out and a thank you to our production crew for always making this so much easier and so much more fun than it could ever be. And thank you to the 92 percenters for listening to us talk about absolutely, absolutely nothing but kind of something all at the same time. We love you guys. Happy Thanksgiving.

[James Austin Johnson]

Mom and dad. Mom and mom, dad and dad. Whatever. Parents. Are you about to spend five hours in the car with your beloved kids this holiday season driving old granny's house? I'm set.

[Sponsor Announcer]

Scene.

[James Austin Johnson]

I'm picturing screaming, fighting back to back hours of the K Pop Demon Hunter soundtrack on repeat. Well, when your ears start to bleed, I have the perfect thing to keep you from rolling out of that moving vehicle. Something for the whole family. He's filled with laughs. He's filled with rage. The OG Green Grunk. Give it up for me, James Austin Johnson as the Grinch. And like any insufferable influencer these days, I'm bringing Michael crew of lesser talented friends along for the ride. With a list guests like Gronk, Mark Hamill and the Jonas Brothers, whoever they are, there's a little bit of something for everyone. Listen to Tis the Grinch Holiday podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.