At Thanksgiving, do you call it “stuffing” or “dressing”? This question has been sparking friendly debates across dinner tables for years. The distinction is often influenced by regional differences and even historical quirks.
Stuffing
Traditionally, “stuffing” refers to a bread mixture cooked inside the turkey, where it soaks up the bird’s juices, creating a rich, savory dish.
This method has ancient roots, with the earliest recorded stuffing recipes dating back to the Roman Empire. Cooks would fill meats with ingredients like vegetables and grains.
Cooking stuffing inside the bird, however, requires extra caution to ensure it reaches a safe temperature, as per USDA guidelines.
Dressing
On the other hand, “dressing” is typically prepared in a casserole dish outside the turkey. This term gained popularity in the 19th century. It became more and more common in the American South, where Victorians replaced “stuffing” with the more refined word “dressing.” Apparently, Victorians considered the word “stuffing” to be distastefully crude.
Southern dressing often incorporates cornbread, reflecting local culinary traditions. According to a Butterball survey, “dressing” is more common in Southern and Midwestern states, while “stuffing” dominates in the Northeast and West Coast.
Add-ins
Both dishes usually contain similar ingredients, like seasoned bread cubes, onion, celery, and herbs. Regional variations may add extras like sausage, oysters, or dried fruits to the dish.
Your turn
So, what’s your family tradition? Vote in our poll and let us know: At Thanksgiving, is it stuffing or dressing on your table?
Depends… If it is cooked in the bird, it’s stuffing. If it’s cooked in a pan in the oven, it’s dressing.
In the Pennsylvania Dutch areas it is called filling.
Funny fact, the “Dutch” were actually Deutsch.
I call it stuffing because I stuff the turkey with it
Great point! 😂
As you mentioned, I call it dressing or stuffing depending on where it is cooked, in the bird or outside of the bird.
We call it stuffing whether we bake it in the bird, by the bird, without the bird or on the stovetop. In my upbringing, dressing was considered the garnish, not so much the meal. Kinda like asking for the leafy garnish that the bird is sitting on.
DW makes blue corn bread and makes “dressing” with it. It’s delicious.
If we make more than the bird can hold we have both! Always add a bit of chicken broth (unless we have enough turkey broth from cooking the giblets) to give the dressing flavor similar to the stuffing. My mom always added chopped hard boiled eggs, some chopped giblets, as well as the onion & sides, to the bread & cornbread base.
Growing up, my father hated turkey but loved all the wonderful side dishes. My mother would prepare homemade stuffing in the bird that was moist and juicy but would also make a large pan of the same mix that was baked separately. It came out crispy and a little drier. Both equally yummy,same ingredients but cooked differently.
I smoke turkeys on a Pit Boss …stuffing doesn’t do very good that way…so in the oven it goes.
The first year my son-in-law joined us for Thanksgiving, he didn’t know what dressing was. His family always called it stuffing. It wasn’t until then that I realized other people didn’t use the term interchangeable. He is from western Oregon. My family is from North Idaho and Montana. I also believe the term has changed due to homemade vs box, as my family would roll over in their graves if we used Stouffer’s Stuffing (now known as Kraft’s Stove Top Stuffing Mix)
I think this is an age determining issue. RVers are generally an older bunch who grew up when this was cooked inside the bird, hence, stuffing. Younger RVers grew up with the FDA caution that encouraged preparation outside the bird, hence, dressing. This is why stuffing beat dressing by 2 to 1.
Call it what ever you want, just make sure it’s part of the meal!
Call it whatever you want. I love it and I’m eating it…lol
Technically, we have both. While we mix a large bowl full of bread (homemade), celery, onion, and a few “family secret” ingredients, what doesn’t fit inside the bird is put in a casserole dish to cook. What is Inside the bird is called stuffing, the other is called dressing. The dressing need to be covered with gravy for me.
If it’s cooked inside the turkey it’s stuffing. If it is cooked in a separate pan, it’s dressing. At least in my humble opinion…..
Anymore, I call it StoveTop!
It’s just stuff that gets in the way of getting to the ham.
We stopped “stuffing” the turkey when one year the bird was woefully undercooked. Dug out the stuffing and finished cooking. The “dressing” is a side dish, best served with a little butter and gravy!
i call it inedible…pass on the stuffing at Thanksgiving.
Inside the bird. Yes, stuffing. Outside the turkey with oysters, dressing. Cant wait.
Don’t “stuff” it so it can’t be called stuffing. Heard about too many people getting sick from stuffing so my mom would NEVER do that.
It does not matter, I do not eat it.
We call it dressing in Tennessee, whether it’s inside the turkey or in a casserole dish.
I guess Mom called it dressing, but I don’t care because I don’t like it and don’t eat it.
At our house they are not the same thing. If it’s been baked inside the bird, it’s ‘stuffing.’ If it’s baked in a dish, it’s ‘dressing.’
Reminds me of my favorite Thanksgiving joke:
After a bountiful Thanksgiving meal a dad asked his small daughter what her favorite part of the meal was, “I liked the bread the turkey ate!” she replied.
Cute! Thanks, Chris. Have a great Thanksgiving! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thank you, Gail! Dressing, but it hasn’t anything to do with turkey. I use my maternal grandmother’s recipe, which includes chicken broth and, yes, cornbread along with biscuits and spices. It gets baked and served as a side dish, usually through the winter. We don’t stuff turkeys when we bake them. Happy new year!