The Great Debate: Stuffing or Dressing
Everything begins with the turkey, which is probably why the debate remains in high gear regarding stuffing 
versus
dressing. Before we start, however, the general rules are:
If it goes
inside the turkey, it's stuffing. When it is baked in a separate dish,
it is known as dressing. Depending on family traditions, the terms are
often interchangeable, regardless of where the mixture bakes.
Food
safety experts continue to warn us about the dangers of filling the
turkey cavity. There are many cooks, however, who say a bird would be
bland and character-less without a rich concoction inside.
Beyond
the serious issues of where the stuffing or dressing is actually
cooked, the second line of heated discussions continues with
ingredients. Cornbread
(in the South) and white bread crumbs (in the North and possibly
everywhere else, including the Midwest). Other ingredients receive the
same attention – oysters (in Boston) and sausage (in Atlanta); no celery (in Kansas).
When you are entertaining Thanksgiving guests from both sides of the Mason-Dixon, we would suggest alternatives:
- Serve a blend of stuffing/dressing by mixing equal amounts of cornbread and white bread.
- Prepare two separate dressing dishes, one with cornbread and one featuring white cubes.
- Cook two smaller birds; one stuffed and the second un-dressed with a casserole on the side.
As
you can see from the many recipes listed below, there is no end to
great ideas for stuffing or surrounding the turkey with a great
"dressing."
The "Yeas" have it for cornbread:
Grandmom's Corn Bread Stuffing
Turkey/ Chicken Stuffing
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
Andouille Cornbread Stuffing
Crawfish-Cornbread Stuffing
Sausage Stuffing
My Favorite Turkey Dressing
Turkey Stuffing Bread
Albuquerque Corn-Bread Stuffing
And the "Ayes" hoist a wave of cheer for bread:
Turkey Dressing
Herbed Turkey And Dressing - Part 1/Herbed Turkey And Dressing - Part 2
Turkey Dressing
Dutch Potato Poultry Stuffing
All Purpose Stuffing
Almond-Sausage Stuffing
Apple Almond Wheat Bread Stuffing
Apple Onion Turkey Stuffing
As
you can see, it would be easy to have an entire meal of just –
stuffing. Remember, too, that you can use many of these delicious
recipes all year long. For instance, try stuffing a chicken, a squash, an eggplant, or a bell pepper. The list is endless for great stuffing – or is it dressing?