The Great Thanksgiving Debate about one of America’s favorite holiday side dishes.
My aunt Gwen(middle), me(right), and my little sister(left) in May 2021
The time for thankfulness has come. But most importantly the time to stuff our faces with savory and delicious foods.
According to Delish, Pennsylvania’s favorite thanksgiving food is Turkey. However, that is not true for every resident of Pennsylvania.
Personally, my favorite Thanksgiving food is dressing.
Yes, I said dressing.
A dish made with love, consideration, blood, sweat, and tears. Locally, a more popular name for it is stuffing, however, in my family we call it dressing.
A dish that no one can make better than my Aunt Gwen with arecipe passed down from generation to generation.
We traditionally eat it once a year for Thanksgiving, but sometimes my aunt will make it and save some for my sister and I.
In Pennsylvania, some people even call it filling.
What people may not understand is that there is a difference between all three.
Dressing is a Southern term for stuffing however it is not used to stuff a turkey.
Unlike stuffing, dressing is made with cornbread and baked in a casserole dish.
Stuffing is usually made with white bread or a baguette.
Although there are differences both stuffing and dressing are made with the majority of the same ingredients: spices, an assortment of vegetables, a type of starch,and herbs.
When stuffing is cooked the idea is it will gain more flavor from the juices of the turkey.
This poll has ended.
What Do You Call This Side Dish?
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But when dressing is cooked it needs an extra component in order for it to taste just as good or even better than stuffing.
Although most people in America debate on whether the dish should be called stuffing or dressing the people of Pennsylvania call it filling.
Essentially filling is the same as stuffing or dressing.
The name suggests that it will fill something like stuffing does.
Dallastown science teacher Lori Riddle says otherwise.
“It is definitely filling in my house. We do not “stuff” it into the turkey, so it is filling”.
The Dallastown staff had many varying opinions on what it should be called.
To me dressing is the correct way to say it when it is not being used to stuff or fill something.
A big reason my family calls it dressing is because contrary to many American families we do not eat a big turkey
We prefer to eat turkey wings, often bought separately.
There’s nothing like soft, tasty, hot and just a little salty dressing drizzled in gravy.
Whether you call Dressing, Stuffing, or Filling everyone should enjoy the delicious baked dish this Thanksgiving!
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FAQs
In Pennsylvania, some people even call it filling. What people may not understand is that there is a difference between all three. Dressing is a Southern term for stuffing however it is not used to stuff a turkey. Unlike stuffing, dressing is made with cornbread and baked in a casserole dish.
What is the difference between stuffing filling and dressing? ›
"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.
Why do people call it dressing instead of stuffing? ›
The term dressing, per the History Channel, originated around the 1850s, when the Victorians deemed stuffing too crude for the dish to be named. This happened around the same time that the term “dark meat” began to refer to chicken legs and thighs.
Do southerners call it stuffing or dressing? ›
Some people insist that it should be called dressing when it hasn't actually been stuffed inside a bird. But many people insist on one term or the other regardless of how it's prepared or what's in it. The term dressing is most commonly used in the South, but it's popular in pockets throughout the US.
Do black people call it stuffing or dressing? ›
The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish, in which case it may still be called 'stuffing', or in some regions, such as the Southern US, 'dressing'. This is from Wiki. Basically, everyone except a tiny percentage of Black people with family in Alabama calls it stuffing.
Is stove top stuffing or dressing? ›
Dressing is made with cornbread, and is baked in a pan instead of inside the bird. I view Stove Top stuffing as a totally distinct entity from this most beloved of holiday dishes. It is not the stuff of celebrations, but it is a perfectly suitable side dish the rest of the year.
Is it better to make stuffing with fresh or dry bread? ›
Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing. Either dry out your bread starting a few days before you plan to make the stuffing by letting it sit out or, if you don't have the extra time, cut the bread into cubes, and then toast over a low heat in the oven until dry.
When did stuffing become dressing? ›
Names for stuffing include "farce" (~1390), "stuffing" (1538), "forcemeat" (1688), and relatively more recently in the United States; "dressing" (1850).
Do Texans call it dressing or stuffing? ›
One funny thing about “stuffing” is that, in Texas, some people say “stuffing” and some people say “dressing.” Traditionally, it was called stuffing, because you stuffed the turkey with it. Other families don't like to stuff the turkey at all – and prepare it in a pan, calling it dressing.
What is the biggest technical difference between stuffing and dressing? ›
The primary difference between stuffing and dressing is that stuffing is cooked inside a bird and dressing is made on the side. As with many food traditions in the U.S., regional loyalties to stuffing vs dressing abound.
Both dressing and stuffing are side dishes served at most Thanksgiving tables. It depends on the part of the country you are from as to what you call it. Those in the south use the term dressing interchangeably; whereas those in the northern states generally refer to the dish as stuffing.
Is cornbread dressing the same as stuffing? ›
But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.
Who says dressing and who says stuffing? ›
This is down to a science: A 2015 survey conducted on behalf of the poultry company Butterball revealed that, regardless of how the dish was cooked, most of the country—including 100 percent of New Englanders—refers to the side as stuffing, while Southerners are devoted dressing fans.
Do people call stuffing filling? ›
Although most people in America debate on whether the dish should be called stuffing or dressing the people of Pennsylvania call it filling. Essentially filling is the same as stuffing or dressing. The name suggests that it will fill something like stuffing does.
Why is stuffing not stuffed? ›
Why do Americans call a dish 'stuffing' if it is not stuffed? Stuffing was originally made, and often still is, by stuffing it into the cavity of the turkey, and letting it cook inside the turkey, absorbing its flavors while adding some of its own to the turkey.
What is the culinary term for stuffing? ›
Although the French word "farce" can be translated to the verb "stuff", the English term farce can be traced back to 14th century England. Interchangeable with the term forcemeat, the description refers to food that people would consider a stuffing.
Who calls stuffing filling? ›
In the South, it's called dressing. In the Northeast, it's called stuffing. 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.
Is stuffing and dressing the same thing on Reddit? ›
It's stuffing when cooked in the bird and dressing when cooked separately. Technically, anyway. The fact is that the terms are used interchangeably. Growing up, we always had both because there was never enough room in the turkey to have enough for everyone.
What is dressing made of? ›
Dressing: Dressing typically includes ingredients like cornbread, white bread, or biscuits, mixed with vegetables, herbs, spices, and sometimes sausage or other meats. It is often moistened with broth or stock and baked in a casserole dish until it forms a crust on top.
