The main reason being that they are too hard to keep clean (the fronts) – and the cost.
I loved all of the comments. It really did make me
rethink the whole stainless love affair.
So…this week, in honor of Thanksgiving – I thought I would tackle the age old question.
NOOOO. Not how much bourbon goes into Aunt Charlotte’s Bourbon Pecan Pie. (note: our family do not say Pecan-Bourbon pie) The ingredient listed first always has the most content. 😀
So, Yay or Nay?
Stuff the Bird…or don’t stuff the bird?
First of all, let me state that here in the South.
It’s not even “stuffing.”
It’s Dressing.
As in Cornbread and Sage Dressing.
As in baked in a pan, preferably cast iron which has been perfectly seasoned and passed down from your Granny.
And the dressing never, ever gets anywhere near the inner cavity of the bird.
Now I will say, for photography reasons there is nothing any more “purdy” than a stuffed turkey. That yummy cornbread goodness aimlessly tumbling out of the perfectly browned and crispy-skinned nugget of poultry.
It’s the epitome of roasted turkeyness.
One year, in an effort to showcase my food styling skills, I went so far as to spoon the oven-baked cornbread dressing around the bird. I added mini bouquets of fresh sage and kumquats. It was Martha Stewart worthy, if I do say so myself.
I thought my Southern family would mutiny that year. Aunt Charlotte went straight to her pie. (for medicinal reasons, I’m sure) Mama gave me her best “tsk, tsk.” (oh, the pain of that tsk, tsk) Cousins snickered and Uncles declared it a natural disaster.
Hence, the dressing has stayed in the pan since then.
So. Now it’s your turn.
Yay or Nay.
Stuffed Turkey. Yay.
Not Stuffed. Nay.
Carry on my soon-to-be tryptophan-induced friends.
xxoo
The Comfort of a Safe Place says
Nay – I’m from the Midwest and I do NOT stuff my turkey. I have NEVER stuffed my turkey…and never will! I remember my mom’s soggy stuffing from inside the bird…and YUCK!! LOL!!! Great question though.
View CommentLaura from Top This Top That says
Yay because of tradition but we also do “dressing” outside of the bird! you crack me up!
View CommentBarbara F. says
My bird remains unstuffed. My “dressing” goes into a nice big pan and baked. I love a bread and sausage “dressing” and sometimes mix in some cornbread. It is my favorite part of the meal, next to the sweet potatoes. xo
View CommentSherry says
When I was young my Grandma, and then later my Mom, stuffed the bird. Somewhere along the line someone heard that stuffing the bird was not wise and possibly even an unsafe practice. Ever since we have made our “dressing” as a side dish and never looked back. You get a Nay from me. 🙂
View CommentSuzan says
We never stuff but I think that is our family “tradition” because someone read somewhere that if you didn’t get the internal temp high enough in the turkey because of the stuffing you would get sick. It has been a side dish ever since!
View CommentPaula@SweetPea says
Nay – Stuffing the birds looks pretty but I can only imagine that the dressing would turn out mushy and greasy. I can’t wait to eat dressing on T’ving. I like it better than the turkey!
View Comment♥ Sonny ♥ says
Nay.. never have,never will.. I agree with Suzan, thats a bacteria attack waiting to happen:)
View CommentTina says
Nay! The only time the dressing ever comes near old tom turkey is when there is no more room on the plate:-)
View CommentCynthia says
Nay! We stopped stuffing the turkey for years now.
Cynthia
View CommentBliss says
Yay.
Dressing in Southern California too. Stuffing up here in Minnesota. But my mom was from Minnesota, so I don’t understand why she was a dressing gal.
Bliss
View CommentBrenda says
Nay to the stuffing of the bird. I remember my grandmother doing this when I was a LOT younger and it was GROSS! I seem to recall every time she attempted this, she would end up scooping it back out of the bird and baking it to get it done, because it never got done in the bird. BTW – I’m from PA and we call it stuffing, but we never “stuff” it… so we should start calling it “dressing”. For the last 10 yrs or so, my Mom and I have been making the stuffing/dressing in a crock pot. Moist and yummy with just the right amount of crispy! I’ll probably never make it any other way!
View CommentAtta Girl Amy says
Nay. We never stuff the bird. But I do like me a big ol’ slice of dressing. Or several slices. And some more the next day. And the day after. Are you sensing a trend?
Atta Gir Amy
View Commenthttp://www.attagirlsays.com
Lynn says
This fellow Southerner says “nay” to bird stuffing. The DRESSING is baked in a casserole. 🙂
View CommentSalmagundi says
My mother always stuffed the bird — I always dress the pan! I live in southern Colorado — I guess that explains the confusion here. Sally
View CommentJeannette says
Hi Barb! Yay and Nay for us. My husband and I are both northerners but his mom from Upstate NY stuffed the bird always and my family from Massachusetts always had a French or Portuguese dressing? (there is some confusion about exactly where it’s from) . Never did I have stuffed turkey until I had my first thanksgiving with his family. I now make both for us.
(Really enjoyed your videos BTW – great job and fun!)
Sincerely, Jeannette
View CommentNanaDiana says
Well- You are gonna die laughing! THAT is what my post is about today! Stuffing or Dressing….my recipe…..and how to handle if it you DON’T stuff the Bad Boy. I say YAY for us…xo Dana
View CommentKathysue says
NAY!! I put my stuffing/dressing in a couple of pans, always make a double batch because everyone loves the stuffing, in fact that is my favorite part of Tday!!! Stuffing recipes are like Spaghetti and potato salad, every family has their favorites!!I know anything that you make would become a favorite of mine! xo Kathysue
View Commentfixitfaerie says
Yay! My grandma and my mom taught me how to cook a turkey, well, it was really my Grandma. We don’t like cornbread stuffing either. I came up with my own special recipe and every one on my side and my husband side of the family love it. And of course I ALWAYS make my own gravy, with giblet no less. Love it. Blessings Paula
View CommentDeborah says
Nay! I heard the other day that northerns stuff the bird and southerns cook outside in another pan and call it dressing. Guess that fits me cause I’m from the south! LOL!!! Always have had it cooked outside in a different pan and called dressing not stuffing.
View CommentSandra Lee says
We even shorten the word it’s, “dressin” and it’s always baked on the side. The cornbread must be baked in a black iron skillet. OK, now I’m hungry.
View CommentPat says
Nay! Never had it in the bird before. My mama always told me it always made the whole turkey taste like sage, so no one has ever tried it. We used to always have white bread dressing, kinda gooey. Uck, Since I have been the cook, it is always cornbread dressing in the pan. We are in Kansas, but many of our foods lean southern.
View CommentLeslie Bruce says
Nay, I’m a good southern girl and we also have cornbread dressing but absolutely NO SAGE. I do however “stuff the bird with onion, garlic and apple. Try it, gives awesome flavor
View CommentCumby Hammock-Cobb says
I’m a Southerner and a NAY on the stuffing! I am in charge of the dressing at our Thanksgiving Feast, that my sister and I prepare every year! My dressing is more of an egg bread dressing – smells and tastes very very yummy! THANKS for this post and beautiful pictures!
View CommentShirley@Housepitality Designs says
Thanksgiving has been traditionally at my mom’s and now my sisters…and my mom used to “stuff” the turkey…until the “health experts” say not to….so now my sister makes two types of dressing..she is a gourmet cook and she makes a “traditional/plain” dressing for the kids and another “gourmet delight” for the adults….
View CommentCarol says
I grew up in the South with cornbread dressing, but married a man from the Northwest who grew up on bread stuffing filling the turkeys insides. I’ve made the bread stuffing ever since and have done both inside & baked separately. I’ve come to realize that the turkey cooks a whole lot better (less likely to be dry) and the dressing has a golden & crispy top. Good luck on whatever you do & have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
View Comment