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Stuffing or dressing; what is the difference? 

Stuffing is a mixture of dried bread, herbs, and other flavorful mix-ins that’s literally stuffed in your holiday bird. This helps maintain moisture and soaks up turkey flavor while cooking. Thanksgiving dressing is made of similar ingredients but is often baked in a casserole dish instead of inside the turkey. The topping might be a little crunchy.

Linda: I’ve been reading some history of Thanksgiving stuffing and dressing. It wasn’t served at the first Thanksgiving. The pilgrims probably added herbs, onions, and nuts to their turkeys. The term “dressing” wasn’t used until the 1850s. It was considered a less vulgar word than “stuffing.”

Lucy: I recently read that mashed potatoes always won “favorite side dish,” but this year, stuffing took over. I like Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing. I think they’ve added some choices like cornbread or cubed style. Let’s explore some new recipes and ways to make this popular dish. 

Linda: I would have guessed Green Bean Casserole as the favorite, but I agree. Stuffing is my favorite. I used to stuff my turkey, but in recent years, I have made it more like a dressing. There are always warnings about leaving it in the turkey too long and risking food poisoning from bacteria. 

Lucy: Our mother always stuffed the turkey, and we never had this problem. Of course, she always removed it from the oven as soon as it came out. But younger, inexperienced cooks might not know to do this.

Linda: This was before bread cubes were available, already seasoned and boxed on your grocery shelf. I remember her using bread that was a few days old. She would break it up into cubes for the base of the recipe and add her own herbs and vegetables for flavor. We grew up in cold country on the Canadian border. I can remember times when she didn’t have room in the refrigerator for the turkey and all the leftovers. It was cold enough to keep the turkey outside until we could make more space. 

Lucy: Let’s explore some new recipes. I know people like cornbread stuffing, but what about using sourdough bread? That could add a good flavor. I checked a recipe with sourdough. It uses seasonings like leeks and celery plus two eggs. Lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together, plus add moisture.

Linda: I found a recipe called “Crock Pot Stuffing.” This would alleviate stress during the day and be one less dish to fit in the oven. It would cook during the day and be ready and warm when the turkey is ready for carving. This recipe adds mild sausage for flavor, along with the usual celery and onions.

Lucy: Let’s offer our “Make Ahead Thanksgiving” stuffing recipe. It’s a way to make it ahead of time and freeze it until just before Thanksgiving. About three weeks ahead, I make my favorite dressing or stuffing recipe and freeze the unbaked mixture in zip-top bags. Press out all the excess air. Thaw in the refrigerator four days before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving day, place in a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes or until done and the top is light brown.

Linda: And let’s not forget our “Make Ahead Gravy.” We include it every year. Gravy can be the most difficult part of the dinner to make, especially if you’re a new cook and this is your first time serving Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve had many gravy failures about the time it’s ready to go on the table. Our recipe has been foolproof, and I sometimes add juices from the turkey when it’s removed from the pan. It adds some extra flavor.

Lucy: Thanksgiving is fast approaching. Let’s get our recipes for this favorite side dish together so our readers can decide which one to choose. They sound delicious, and it will be fun to try something new for this very traditional dinner.

 

Sourdough Stuffing

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 small loaf (1 pound) day-old crusty sourdough bread, not sandwich bread

½ cup salted butter, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter for topping

2 leeks, halved, thinly sliced, and rinsed well (2 cups)

4 celery stalks, diced (1¾ cups)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

¾ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh sage

Heaping ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1½ to 2 cups vegetable broth

2 large eggs, beaten

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×11 or 9×13-inch baking dish. Tear the bread into 1-inch pieces and place in a very large bowl. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes, turning the heat to low halfway through. Pour the leek mixture over the bread and sprinkle with the sage, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. Use your hands to toss until coated. Pour 1½ cups of the broth evenly over the stuffing and toss to coat. Add the eggs and toss again. The bread should feel pretty wet. If it’s still a bit dry, mix in the remaining ½ cup of broth. The amount you use will depend on how dense and dry your bread was. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. If making ahead, stop here, cover the dish with foil, and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, drizzle the 1 tablespoon melted butter on top and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. If the stuffing is still pretty wet, uncover the dish and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes to crisp the top a bit.

Notes: If your bread is not stale, spread the torn pieces in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in a 350°F oven to dry them out a bit before proceeding with the recipe.

 

Country Cook Crock Pot Stuffing

Servings 12

4-5 quart slow cooker

 

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter

1 ½ cups finely chopped celery

1 medium onion, finely diced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound ground mild Italian Sausage

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

2 large eggs, beaten

1 (32 ounce) container chicken stock

2 (12 ounce) packages dried cubed bread stuffing

Instructions

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add in celery and onion. Season with salt & pepper and stir. Once celery and onion have begun to soften, add in ground sausage. Then stir in poultry seasoning, sage and marjoram. Cook meat until no longer pink (breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks.) In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken stock. Once sausage is fully cooked, take off heat. Then stir in chicken stock mixture. Pour bags of stuffing into your 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Then pour all of the sausage mixture into your crock pot with the bread stuffing.

Gently stir mixture until combined. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

 

Southern Living’s Make Ahead Gravy Recipe 

One Month Or a Few Weeks Ahead:

Ingredients

½ cup butter

½ cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup all purpose flour

4 to 5 cups chicken stock (home made or store bought)

Instructions

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. While stirring, sprinkle flour over onions. Cook stirring constantly, two minutes or until flour is golden brown. Gradually whisk in four cups stock. Cook, stirring often, five minutes or just until mixture comes to a boil and is smooth and thick. If too thick add up to one more cup of stock.

To freeze: Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Pour cooled gravy into quart size ziptop freezer bags. Seal and lay bags flat on a baking sheet. Place in freezer. Once frozen, bags can be stacked. Thaw in the refrigerator three to four days before the dinner. Reheat on stovetop.