# Dressing or stuffing?



## Ronni (Nov 7, 2018)

In our family, one of our Thanksgiving traditions is the years' long "feud" over the _dressing/stuffing_ debate.  :lol:

It didn't really start until we moved to Tennessee from California back in '95.  Before that, _stuffing_ was always served with the turkey for Thanksgiving.   Then we moved to the South, and I started hearing it called _dressing_.  As the kids and their friends, (some of whom became my "adopted" kids) grew, and I started having pot luck Thanksgiving get togethers, the debate began.  It's not _stuffing_ it's _dressing_.  No, it's not, it's _stuffing._  Every year there's an argument, albeit a good natured one.   

I typically send out a group email to all the family and spouses/significant others and friends who attend Thanksgiving. This year, the _stuffing/dressing_ argument began early!  Part of the email is to ask what each person is going to bring...and here we go!

*TERRY:  I'll do dressing on one condition.  Everyone agrees not to call it stuffing.  

**GRAYSON:  I for one can’t wait. Terry, it’s stuffing and it will forever be stuffing. *

*Mom put me down for broccoli casserole; I’d say that torch has been effectively passed. (NOTE:  I used to make the broccoli casserole till I taught my son how) 

RONNI:  Terry, no promises.  It's been stuffing for 60+ years, so it's pretty ingrained with this old bird.  (hahaha...see what I did there?)   Grayson, YES!!!!  

TERRY:  There is a difference.... now stop being stupid!

GRAYSON:  You’re right, I’ll stop being stupid. Just make sure you bring that stuffing for thanksgiving.

PAIGE:  Y'all hush.  It eats the same, no matter what you call it!


*And so it goes.  This will go on till the day we eat.  And the argument will continue through dinner, "pass the_ stuffing_, here's the _dressing_, what is this called again"...and so on and so on.  Just one of the many goofball things that is woven into our family lore.  

So...what do YOU call it????


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 7, 2018)

At my house, it's stuffing if it's in the bird and dressing if it's in a casserole dish.


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## Gary O' (Nov 7, 2018)

This may help

Turkey dressing goes on the outside







Stuffing goes on the inside, somewhere near the pooper


any more questions?

lines are open


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## IKE (Nov 7, 2018)

Aunt Bea said:


> At my house, it's stuffing if it's in the bird and dressing if it's in a casserole dish.



Yep.


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## MaggieM (Nov 7, 2018)

It used to be stuffing but I have not put it inside the bird for years .. when that happened it became dressing.


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2018)

They call it "stuffing" because it's stuffed into the bird.

 Couldn't be more clear than that.


Call it "dressing" or anything else you want if it has not been stuffed into the bird. I guess you can call stuffing dressing, whether it's been stuffed or not.... does that make sense?


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## Furryanimal (Nov 7, 2018)

Turkey has to be stuffed and despite dire warnings down the years have never had any problems eating stuffing that was cooked inside the turkey or chicken.


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2018)

Has anyone made or eaten oyster dressing? How do you like it?

Although I am coastal, I've never even seen it, let alone eaten it. It could be since our ancestors almost depleted all the oysters on the New England coast, it became rare. I would love to taste it!

History of Oyster Dressing:

This dressing must be served as a side dish and not as a turkey stuffing in the turkey.

Oyster dressing is a favorite of New Englanders that dates back to the 18th century in America as oysters were predominantly found along the eastern coast of North America.  Oysters had been used with or without bread crumbs for stuffing poultry or fish over 335 years. 

 The tradition of oyster dressing was brought over from British colonists that settled in America.  In Britain, oysters were added to stuffing that was more traditionally used in fowl (chicken), fish, calves head, leg of mutton, hares (rabbit) and pigs.

https://whatscookingamerica.net/Seafood/OysterDressing.htm


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## Lara (Nov 7, 2018)

^^^(Radish Rose, I would taste it but I'm a bit squeamish about oysters. Must be very fresh and very fried with lemon. Like eggs must be well done. I'm not a slippery food fan) 

In the spirit of trying to find the most used expression, I googled "turkey stuffing" and "turkey dressing". 
I was surprised with the results because my family all says "stuffing".

 The results may ruin some people's day if you're stubborn :awman:

Turkey Stuffing.... 58,700,000 search results

Turkey Dressing... 183,000,000 search results


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2018)

I guess everyone used to call it stuffing at one time because I think long ago, that's what everyone did-stuff the bird.


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## Lara (Nov 7, 2018)

You sure they didn't dress the bird with dressing? LOL :bowknot:


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2018)

Lara said:


> You sure they didn't dress the bird with dressing? LOL :bowknot:



I as hinting at that when I said-

"I guess you can call stuffing dressing, whether it's been stuffed or not.... does that make sense? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




"


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 7, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> Has anyone made or eaten oyster dressing? How do you like it?
> 
> Although I am coastal, I've never even seen it, let alone eaten it. It could be since our ancestors almost depleted all the oysters on the New England coast, it became rare. I would love to taste it!
> 
> ...



We always had a basic bread stuffing seasoned with plenty of Bell's poultry seasoning.

We did always have a casserole of scalloped oysters on Thanksgiving.

Chef John's recipe is similar to the one that we made.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/222401/chef-johns-scalloped-oysters/


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## jujube (Nov 7, 2018)

We always had oyster dressing (never stuffed) made with my grandmother's recipe.  Then, everybody got the bug to do all kinds of fancy things with the dressing, really odd ingredients.  I still make oyster dressing because that's what I like, dammit!  

I CAN be an adventurous cook, but I really like the traditional Thanksgiving foods.  One year my sister made some kind of really strange cranberry sauce with cream cheese and horseradish.  Blech.  I still like the green bean casserole once a year with the Campbell's cream of mushroom soup and onion rings on top, but apparently that's too much trailer-park cooking these days and nobody does it.  

Devilled eggs are a must, too.  Lots of them.  I say the hell with cholesterol and salt and empty calories and carbs on one day of the year.  Damn the calories and full steam ahead!  You can eat carrot sticks the rest of the year to make up for it.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 7, 2018)

Always been stuffing for us and my family as a kid.  Even if I make a box of Stove Top in a pot to eat with a store bought rotisserie chicken, it's still stuffing to us.


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2018)

I'm so interested to see that Aunt Bea and Jujube are doing oysters. Maybe next year I will. I just don't feel up to Thanksgiving this year.

Yes, Bell's seasoning, with it's predominately sage herb is what we always use. Now and then I'd put extra sage in. That and dried bread, lottsa onions & celery, butter, broth and often, minced giblets.  No cornbread stuffing in Yankeeland! Hah, well maybe for some transplants from Dixieland.

My Lebanese friends stuffed turkey with rice cooked in broth, onions, pine nuts, cinnamon and ground lamb. Very nice!

My Italian friends often put cubed cheese, Italian sausage meat, raisins, onion in the bread cubes. Delicious.

I've heard of chestnut stuffing, what does anyone know about that?

My French Canadian aunt  and ex mother-in-law made the same as ours, but also a side of baked ground meat and mashed potatoes they said was typically Canadian.  What is that called?


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## Pappy (Nov 7, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> Has anyone made or eaten oyster dressing? How do you like it?
> 
> Although I am coastal, I've never even seen it, let alone eaten it. It could be since our ancestors almost depleted all the oysters on the New England coast, it became rare. I would love to taste it!
> 
> ...


 
My SIL, who has passed, made the most delicious oyster stuffing I’ve ever had. Always looked forward to that each year. It went fast....


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2018)

Pappy, hope you got a recipe or a general idea.


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## Pappy (Nov 7, 2018)

No I didn’t Rose. To many years have gone by and so many of my wife’s family have passed.


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## Keesha (Nov 7, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> They call it "stuffing" because it's stuffed into the bird.
> 
> Couldn't be more clear than that.
> 
> ...


Thats what I thought too but I didn’t really think much about it.
When I was younger , I used to think a dressed turkey was when those fancy paper things were added to the legs.


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## terry123 (Nov 8, 2018)

Been dressing in my family forever.  You have to make your own cornbread, fresh trinity mix, make your own stock, fresh seasonings. Its a process and takes a couple of days that includes prep work.  My daughter's say that when I had my stroke and was in ICU, they realized neither one knew how to make dressing or the peanut butter candy.  When I recovered, they made it a point to be at my house the next holiday to observe and take notes and I have to say theirs is pretty good.  My sister makes the best, mine is second and my oldest daughter's is the next one.  It is a matter of pride to make good dressing in this family.  No room for oyster or white bread dressing in this family.


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## IKE (Nov 8, 2018)

Speaking of oysters.

It would take 1/2 dozen great big ol' boys to hold me down and make me eat a raw oyster but my mom every once in awhile would make what she called oyster stew which was basically cubed boiled potatoes, oysters, milk and she'd even buy a bag of those little oyster crackers every time she fixed it......haven't had it in many, many moons but I recall it being good.

She'd also make, again every once in awhile, what she called oyster casserole which is pretty much oysters, crunched up saltines and milk baked for 'X' period in a glass baking dish.....I hadn't had any in years but awhile back mama drug me kicking and screaming to the grocery store with her (I hate grocery shopping) and I spied the little jars of raw oysters sitting upright in crushed ice back in the deli dept. and I mentioned to her that I wouldn't mind having a oyster casserole if she wouldn't mind fixing it.

She picked up two of the little jars of oysters then came home and dug out my mom's old recipe and made me one for supper that evening and darn it was good......thinking about it now has my mouth craving oyster casserole, maybe if I ask mama real nice she'll make me another one this week.


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 8, 2018)

Raw oyster stew!


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## gennie (Nov 8, 2018)

I like my bird unstuffed except for 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 an onion.  Dressing in casserole with onion and celery, no carrots or potatoes as I've sometimes seen.


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## RadishRose (Nov 8, 2018)

Aunt Bea said:


> Raw oyster stew!



I never thought the Stooges were especially funny- until I saw this!


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## Linda (Nov 8, 2018)

We always called it dressing because that's what my mom called it.  It's all her fault. layful:

I have been craving canned smoked oysters lately and since my husband won't eat them I have to eat the whole can myself.  I do share them with our 3 dogs and 6 or 7 outdoor cats though.

Now I'm contemplating putting a can of the smoked little tiny oysters in my turkey dressing.  I wonder how that would be.  Easier than googling a oyster dressing/stuffing recipe I bet.


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## RadishRose (Nov 9, 2018)

Linda said:


> We always called it dressing because that's what my mom called it.  It's all her fault. layful:
> 
> I have been craving canned smoked oysters lately and since my husband won't eat them I have to eat the whole can myself.  I do share them with our 3 dogs and 6 or 7 outdoor cats though.
> 
> Now I'm contemplating putting a can of the smoked little tiny oysters in my turkey dressing.  I wonder how that would be.  Easier than googling a oyster dressing/stuffing recipe I bet.



If you try it Linda, please tell us how it is.  I've never had smoked oysters, only the smoked mussels.


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## tortiecat (Nov 9, 2018)

Both - sausage dressing in the front breast cavity and stuffing in the main cavity.
Some do the sausage dressing  separately in a pan.


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## C'est Moi (Nov 9, 2018)

Linda said:


> We always called it dressing because that's what my mom called it.  It's all her fault. layful:
> 
> I have been craving canned smoked oysters lately and since my husband won't eat them I have to eat the whole can myself.  I do share them with our 3 dogs and 6 or 7 outdoor cats though.
> 
> Now I'm contemplating putting a can of the smoked little tiny oysters in my turkey dressing.  I wonder how that would be.  Easier than googling a oyster dressing/stuffing recipe I bet.



I love smoked oysters (with a nice cold beer) and can easily eat a can of them.   (Those flat cans are small!!)   I'm not sure how they would work in oyster stuffing, though... kind of a strong taste to them.


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## Pinky (Nov 9, 2018)

Called it stuffing when we were kids. Call it both now. Mom made the best stuffing. I also love my late mother-
in-law's Scottish oatmeal dressing. It's a simple recipe, but I haven't been able to get the ratio right .. it's just
oatmeal, butter and onion. Mine always turns out too wet. She stuffed the turkey with it, and made extra.


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## Marie5656 (Nov 9, 2018)

*Stuffing here. But whatever we call it, it's always everyone's favorite part of the dinner. Except for the drumsticks, of course.  I am considering buying extra legs, so I can have more.  *


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## jujube (Nov 9, 2018)

Speaking of "stuffing", has anyone had a Turducken?  That's a chicken stuffed into a duck which is then stuffed into a turkey.  The one I ate also had sausage stuffed into the chicken, because apparently it wasn't stuffed "enough"....    

I didn't buy the thing, but I understand it cost a obscene amount of money.  It was good, but not THAT good.

One year, we decided to have an Olde English Christmas and of course, that involved a goose.  Never did that again.  The goose cost a fortune and produced what seemed like several gallons of goose geese and very little meat.  Back to just plain old turkey after that.


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## StarSong (Nov 10, 2018)

Our family used both terms about equally.


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