Stuffing Wars !!!!
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Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,089
From: Peoria Arizona
Stuffing Wars !!!!
First off Happy Thanksgiving,
When I was a kid my sisters and I had one job at Thanksgiving and that was to break bread for the stuffing/dressing which brings me to the first point of contention do you call it stuffing or dressing ? I guess that would depend on if you stuff the bird with it or make it out side the bird in a large casserole dish, some may call that dressing. Anyway mom would get the big blue oval roasting pan out and we would sit at the table and break up the bread in to pieces for whatever reason mom didn't want it cubed she wanted it broken or torn (we didn't question Edna on her stuffing procedure) I guess it kept us busy for a while and breaking was safer than cutting. Then the bread would sit out for a day to get stale.
Now to point of contention # two. over the years there has been some question over whether stuffing the cavity of the bird is healthy, does it keep the bird from fully cooking ? if you leave some of the left over stuffing in the bird when you put it away is there a bacteria problem ? All I know is mom always left some stuffing in the bird when she put it away and no one ever, ever got sick.
Now to point of contention # three the grand daddy of them all !!! and this one has started wars in our family DRY OR MOIST ( my wife calls it mushy) my moms was always moist stuffed in the bird where it could absorb all those great juices and flavors !! My wife prefers it made out side the bird on the dry side she says if you want it moist just add the turkey gravy to it when you serve it !! (acceptable but not the same)
We usually have thanksgiving at my nieces and she uses my moms recipe and stuffs the bird with a moist stuffing .and my wife brings the casserole dressing style, we have been doing that for years and it keeps everyone happy !
We have experimented over the years and finally hit on our favorite. we use 4 different kinds of bread , sour dough, marble rye ,classic white and whole wheat we let the cubed bread sit overnight to get stale and found we like to add dried cranberry's and water chestnuts and the traditional ingredient's pork sausage, seasonings sage etc...
I did pass down the tradition when my girls were all 3 at home it was their job to break the bread.
Now is it stuffing or dressing ? made inside the bird or outside the bird ? do you leave some stuffing in the cavity when you put it away ? you tell me .
Who knew cubed bread, spices and pork sausage could be so controversial !!
Happy Thanksgiving !!
Solly
When I was a kid my sisters and I had one job at Thanksgiving and that was to break bread for the stuffing/dressing which brings me to the first point of contention do you call it stuffing or dressing ? I guess that would depend on if you stuff the bird with it or make it out side the bird in a large casserole dish, some may call that dressing. Anyway mom would get the big blue oval roasting pan out and we would sit at the table and break up the bread in to pieces for whatever reason mom didn't want it cubed she wanted it broken or torn (we didn't question Edna on her stuffing procedure) I guess it kept us busy for a while and breaking was safer than cutting. Then the bread would sit out for a day to get stale.
Now to point of contention # two. over the years there has been some question over whether stuffing the cavity of the bird is healthy, does it keep the bird from fully cooking ? if you leave some of the left over stuffing in the bird when you put it away is there a bacteria problem ? All I know is mom always left some stuffing in the bird when she put it away and no one ever, ever got sick.
Now to point of contention # three the grand daddy of them all !!! and this one has started wars in our family DRY OR MOIST ( my wife calls it mushy) my moms was always moist stuffed in the bird where it could absorb all those great juices and flavors !! My wife prefers it made out side the bird on the dry side she says if you want it moist just add the turkey gravy to it when you serve it !! (acceptable but not the same)
We usually have thanksgiving at my nieces and she uses my moms recipe and stuffs the bird with a moist stuffing .and my wife brings the casserole dressing style, we have been doing that for years and it keeps everyone happy !
We have experimented over the years and finally hit on our favorite. we use 4 different kinds of bread , sour dough, marble rye ,classic white and whole wheat we let the cubed bread sit overnight to get stale and found we like to add dried cranberry's and water chestnuts and the traditional ingredient's pork sausage, seasonings sage etc...
I did pass down the tradition when my girls were all 3 at home it was their job to break the bread.
Now is it stuffing or dressing ? made inside the bird or outside the bird ? do you leave some stuffing in the cavity when you put it away ? you tell me .
Who knew cubed bread, spices and pork sausage could be so controversial !!
Happy Thanksgiving !!
Solly
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 696
From: Orland Park, IL
Yep, Stuffing while inside the bird, Dressing made outside the bird.
Our family has always done both so you can get a mix or solely dry or moist.
My cousin has been making 'Dressing' lately using White Castle hamburgers as part of the mix and damn if that is not delicious!
Our family has always done both so you can get a mix or solely dry or moist.
My cousin has been making 'Dressing' lately using White Castle hamburgers as part of the mix and damn if that is not delicious!
Proud Viet Nam Veteran
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,796
From: Rowlett, TX
Solly I think part of the dressing/stuffing is a regional thing. Being raised in Louisiana and living the last 45 years in Texas, it has always been dressing and it is cornbread dressing. My wife makes a pan of it every year. I have seen it baked in a pan with the bird in the middle of it. As we have gotten older, I try to make it easier on my wife. Cracker Barrel has a great deal on complete Thanksgiving Diner including a pumpkin pie and a pecan (pronounced pee conn) pie. Being based in Tennessee, it comes with dressing. We picked ours up today. I don't know if you can make dressing with white bread but I doubt it.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving
Have a Happy Thanksgiving
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,089
From: Peoria Arizona
Yup.
I agree very regional thing. Were are empty nesters now and two of my 3 daughters live here locally and the oldest is 120 miles north in Flagstaff (about 2 hours ) they have taken over most of the cooking duties, main dishes and sides, handed down from mom and grandma's they contribute with sides as do we but they demand their mothers cheese cake and lemon pie so my wife is in charge there. I think this year I will make a appetizer so I can say I contributed, although I don't think we will need
it because of course there will be to much food !!!
I agree very regional thing. Were are empty nesters now and two of my 3 daughters live here locally and the oldest is 120 miles north in Flagstaff (about 2 hours ) they have taken over most of the cooking duties, main dishes and sides, handed down from mom and grandma's they contribute with sides as do we but they demand their mothers cheese cake and lemon pie so my wife is in charge there. I think this year I will make a appetizer so I can say I contributed, although I don't think we will need
it because of course there will be to much food !!!
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