Stuffing baked in a casserole dish may also be called dressing – the term used in the South, though many may argue that dressing must use cornbread as opposed to cubed white or French bread. Mar 13, 2016 - Traditional moist old-fashioned bread and celery dressing or stuffing, baked outside of the bird- or you can put it in if you like. Cooking Thanksgiving stuffing inside your turkey is problematic at best and dangerous at worst. Stuffing is the preferred term in 36 states and dressing in 14. And they answer the question of dressing or stuffing without faltering. For the most part, both of these terms can be used interchangeably and pretty much everyone will know what you mean. So we can safely say that in the South, it's called dressing and made with corn bread. There are endless variations on the theme of what to put inside a bird, or serve alongside it. It is one of those topics with lots of opinions surrounding it! Today’s 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Tonya. ” though in the South, by default, it’s dubbed “dressing.” Where have these Southerners been my whole stuffing eating life? In the south cornbread dressing takes on a life of it’s on. If you're like me – Southern born and (corn)bred – there really is no debate: It's dressing. Namely, what the heck is the difference between stuffing and dressing? Laughs. All rights reserved. If you have a favorite stuffing recipe that you want to convert to dressing, simply heap it into a buttered baking dish or cast iron skillet and slide it in the oven along with everything else. Almost any oven temperature will suffice as you simply need to warm it through, so set it where you need it for other side dishes and plan on 30 to 45 minutes or so in the oven. The dressing states are mainly in the south, although it’s also the go-to term in places like Indiana and Missouri as well. Unless you have never called it that and think I’m some kind of sellout Yankee for using that term. The moniker stuck in the South, where the dish made use of a staple of traditional tables: cornbread. But in the South, you’ll be hard pressed to find a Southerner who will agree. Nomenclature aside, which approach makes for more satisfying results on the Thanksgiving table is tricky business that’s burdened with family tradition, food safety, and personal preference. We're curious to hear which recipes appeal most to you, so don't be shy. The short answer is that dressing is baked in a dish and stuffing is stuffed in a turkey to bake. Stuffing is the preferred term in 36 states and dressing in 14. I’ve heard that dressing is a more popular term in the South, while stuffing – both the term and the actual act of stuffing a turkey – are more popular in Northern states. The dressing states are mainly in the south, although it’s also the go-to term in places like Indiana and Missouri as well. But most Americans call it one or another depending on where they grew up. © 2020 LC Editors. I guess we all learn something new every day, Bkhuna! You'll find more of our personalities in the recipes on the site. Stuffing is “stuffed” into the turkey, while dressing is baked in a pan and served on the side. People who love stuffing think that cornbread dressing is much drier in comparison. Hate tons of emails? Over the years, Leite's Culinaria has been incredibly fortunate to have many different editors contributing to the site, with each person bringing a different approach to home cooking and the recipes they select. . Attach it below. Cornbread dressing is South Carolina’s clear favorite in the battle of dressing vs. stuffing. If you're like me – Southern born and (corn)bred – there really is no debate: It's dressing. “This is the rare food fight the South loses. In the south, it is usually called dressing. In the Northeast, it's called stuffing. "Stuffing recipe" is most searched for in Montana, followed closely by Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The five states where people say they love stuffing the most are:  Maine . https://www.theanthonykitchen.com/southern-cornbread-dressing-recipe The word "stuffing" came to be regarded as uncouth by mannered society in … Dressing or stuffing … I’ll do my stuffing in a casserole and let the edges get crispy, brown, and golden and crunchy.”. No matter what you call it, it's most likely on your table every Thanksgiving. The dressing states are mainly in the south, although it’s also the go-to term in places like Indiana and Missouri as well. There can be a tendency for dressing to dry out in the oven, although you can always cover it with foil for part or all of the time it’s in the oven. Historically, there’s a notable difference between stuffing and dressing. Stuffing is the older word, dating back from the middle of the 16th-century, when it replaced the term forcemeat, which came from the French verb farcir (to stuff). International Travel Find must-see attractions and long-distance travel resources, including visa information, regional overviews and tour operator credentials. In the South, this mixture of bread cubes, aromatics, and herbs is most often called "dressing" while up North "stuffing" is the favored term. . The moral of the Thanksgiving story is stuffing or dressing. So the names tend to be used interchangeably, whether out of habit or reverence for regional tradition. Whether it’s the small, spiced bread cubes of New England, or the meaty corn bread dressing of the South, there’s little doubt about whether stuffing will make an appearance at a modern holiday meal. 165°F | 75°C) before being safe to consume. . A uniformly mushy–some may say moist–consistency. And the five states where people say they love dressing the most are:  Mississippi . . Period. A new study looked into the stuffing versus dressing debate to figure out which term is more popular in different states. Dressing is more commonly baked in a casserole dish. MS : But I think you have to divide the country into thirds, because you're forgetting about filling, which is what they have in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, where the stuffing is supplemented by mashed potatoes. Though both dishes contain the same staple ingredients (dried bread cubes, diced vegetables, broth, butter, herbs and spices), stuffing is what goes inside a turkey or chicken while dressing is baked in … As the turkey roasts, it infuses the stuffing with its poultry-ness. In the American West, cooks developed their own stuffing recipes, blending traditions from the South and North to create new delicious dishes. When the surface of dressing is exposed to the blast of heat from the oven, you get a lovely textural contrast. So, dressing a turkey means to prepare and season it for cooking generally, with or without stuffing, right? Whenever I think about Thanksgiving the one dish that epitomizes the South is Southern cornbread dressing (or cornbread stuffing). However, the terms "stuffing" and "dressing" are used interchangeably throughout the country, no matter how it is cooked. Google Trends shows that the top 5 states searching for "corn bread dressing" were Louisiana, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. Google returns about 23 million results for "corn bread stuffing," and over 65 million for "corn bread dressing." “I love dressing but the stuffing my midwestern in-laws make tastes better,” Reckon’s John Hammontree boasted on Facebook this week. Those turkey juices that drip into your stuffing are, essentially, raw poultry that need to be heated until the innermost part of the stuffing reaches the same internal temperature as the turkey meat before you take it out of the oven to be safe to consume. We’re not inclined to throw ourselves into any of the arguments that take place at your Thanksgiving table. Well, everybody’s stuffing/dressing is different! Their answer is ... No reason to close down the borders between the North and the South. Part of it has to do with tradition and regional variations: baking the stuffing outside the bird is more common in the South, where it's often called "dressing" rather than stuffing. There’s a catch though: food safety experts say that this method of cooking raises the risk of food-borne illness (you are, after all, cooking the stuffing instead a raw bird). A uniformly moist—some may say mushy—consistency. Fortunately, there's a much easier and simpler way to get lots of turkey flavor into your Thanksgiving stuffing. The way most folks throughout the country refer to bread and herbs in any proximity to a hen is “stuffing,” though in the South, by default, it’s dubbed “dressing.” Historians say the latter, a somewhat more refined reference, dates back several centuries to when a cut of meat was “dressed” … Whichever you choose, be kind to those at the table with differing opinions. Enter your email address and get all of our updates sent to your inbox the moment they're posted. This is something that makes me a little bit crazy too Here’s her email. South of the Mason-Dixon Line, stuffing is generally called “dressing.” This shift in word choice occurred because holiday dining in the South was historically centered around the great rural plantations and elegant townhouses of Charleston, Atlanta and New Orleans. You’ll absolutely need to ensure that it remains in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the stuffing reaches the same internal temperature as the thickest part of the turkey thigh (namely, 165°F | 75°C) before being safe to consume. Have a picture you'd like to add to your comment? International Travel Find must-see attractions and long-distance travel resources, including visa information, regional overviews and tour operator credentials. Well, much like the whole pop vs. soda controversy, the answer to that question depends on where you live. Use your judgment. ). I never really knew that any other kind of stuffing existed….except that stuff in the box that no one I knew had ever purchased. If you prefer a moist dressing through and through without a crunchy surface, cover the dressing with foil throughout baking. https://www.southyourmouth.com/2012/10/mamas-cornbread-dressing.html It really doesn't matter and enjoy the day. As a black woman from the South, dressing is the only name I’ve ever known for the hallowed Thanksgiving side dish. This roughly matches the consensus that residents of the Northeast and West Coast states say "stuffing," while "dressing" is preferred in the South … As a result, our recipes are a marvelously varied bunch, comprising quick weeknight fixes we call WEEKNIGHT WINNERS that are as easy as they are enticing, more leisurely recipes that are essentially WEEKEND PROJECTS, those must-master dishes you'll find in THE ARSENAL, and easy and impressive recipes worthy of company we refer to as HONEST ENTERTAINING. Pork was often added, either in bacon form or, more commonly, as … Some claim the distinction is whether the dish in question is stuffed inside the bird or baked in a casserole dish, but some Southeners do indeed stuff their birds with cornbread "dressing" and Northerners bake white bread stuffing in a dish. Most stuffings and dressings begin with a rice or bread base (whether that bread is Southern cornbread or Northern sourdough). There are endless variations on the theme of what to put inside a bird, or serve alongside it. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, often in a casserol… (Although that’s sorta why gravy was created.). Rest assured, we first make each and every recipe that eventually ends up on this site in our own home kitchens before deciding if it's sufficiently stunning to share with you. Connecticut . I can't be sure, but definitely in the south. Despite cooking techniques, the name game usually splits along regional lines, with cooks from the Northeast and Pacific Northwest sticking to stuffing, while the South and Midwest prefer the more proper dressing (and, of course, our Pennsylvania friends use the term “filling”—not to be confused with the stuff that goes in pies! Be the first on your block to be in the know. Then tell us. My grandma grew up in the South and has always, always, always stood by calling this dish dressing and not stuffing. Well, in 19th-century America, a dressed turkey often had dressing in it. It's called dressing. In Southern states, it’s most often (but not always) called dressing and made with cornbread, a culinary staple in the region.In New England and the Pacific Northwest, it’s stuffing, and it sometimes contains seafood like oysters, clams or mussels. Dressing Is For Southerners. That's a little about us. I look forward to it even more than green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, or cranberry sauce. Alabama . Dressing is most popular in the south, with some western states knowing what’s up In the Northeast, the only dressing they know is what they do when they get up in the morning Connecticut and Maine are the biggest stuffing loving states But most Americans call it one or another depending on where they grew up. . To get fully cooked stuffing (the center of the stuffing needs to reach 165˚F) there is a chance that the turkey could become over cooked. In the rest of the country, it’s mostly referred to as stuffing, but not always. Every year there's an argument, albeit a good natured one. You with us so far? Sorta simple. . Broadly defined, dressing is a sauce or other mixture used to flavor salads and meats. So, the question is whether dressing and stuffing really are the same thing, and why we use these two interchangeable terms. “I love dressing but the stuffing my midwestern in-laws make tastes better,” Reckon’s John Hammontree boasted on Facebook this week. Over time, Americans lost their prudishness and went back to referring to dressing as stuffing… In the United States, "stuffing" was in popular use until the Victorian era, when some people took offense to the vulgar term, and so the term "dressing" was … If you are interested in more details and some amazing stuffing & dressing recipes make sure you check out my Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving Stuffing & Dressing. Stuffing, filling, or dressing is an edible mixture, often composed of herbs and a starch such as bread, used to fill a cavity in the preparation of another food item.Many foods may be stuffed, including poultry, seafood, and vegetables.As a cooking technique stuffing helps retain moisture, while the mixture itself serves to augment and absorb flavors during its preparation. Or use that as fodder for your family argument this Thanksgiving. Some believe that if it's cooked inside a roast, it should be dubbed stuffing; if it's prepared outside the bird, then the proper name for it is dressing. Usage changed to "dressing" in polite English society and that is the term brought by later colonists, hence its prevalence in the South and Mid-West along the routes of migration. . and Georgia. In Alabama, for example, stuffing ranks as the #40 most searched term and dressing is #25. Additionally, the term dressing apparently hails back to the Victorians who deemed “stuffing… . Stuffing takes up less space in the oven on Thanksgiving day since there’s no need for a separate baking dish. Plus, your dressing and their stuffing are different recipes. No dish, not even barbecue, reveals regional differences and hometown loyalties in the South as clearly and divisively as dressing. Southern Living suggests that going to the map illustrates this point succinctly. . Then, just to make sure the dressing got some of that delicious turkey moistness with it, we’d mix the stuffing and the dressing together. In Pennsylvania Dutch Country, it’s actually called filling and is mixed with mashed potatoes. You with us so far? If you have a favorite dressing recipe that you want to convert to stuffing, go ahead and stuff the bird and roast it according to your turkey recipe. In my eyes, there is a difference, when I think about cornbread stuffing, I think about people adding apples and pears to stuffing. 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