These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (2024)

FAQs

Why stuffing is the best Thanksgiving food? ›

By bringing so much together into one dish, stuffing offers a preview of the leftovers, the best part of the Thanksgiving meal, when you Frankenstein's-monster up a plate of whatever happens to have made it into the fridge the next day.

The primary difference between stuffing and dressing is that stuffing is cooked inside a bird and dressing is made on the side.

There's no specific date for when stuffing was first invented, but there is evidence of stuffing made from spelt, herbs, and vegetables in an ancient Roman document, according to Tasting Table. And while it's not clear whether or not stuffing was on the first Thanksgiving menu, it did become more popular in the 1800s.

The earliest documentary evidence is the Roman cookbook, Apicius De Re Coquinaria, which contains recipes for stuffed chicken, dormouse, hare, and pig. Most of the stuffings described consist of vegetables, herbs and spices, nuts, and spelt (a cereal), and frequently contain chopped liver, brains, and other organ meat.

Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165 degrees that could then cause food poisoning. After removing the bird from the oven, wait for 20 minutes before taking the stuffing out of the turkey's cavity; it will cook a little more this way. Learn more about our editorial process.

One popular dish is turkey. Turkey is usually the main dish of Thanksgiving. It is roasted and served with stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce.

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. Still, not everyone in the South uses it, and usage varies from place to place, often based on family tradition.

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.

To protect you and your guests from foodborne illness, avoid stuffing the turkey. Instead, cook the stuffing and turkey separately, which offers myriad benefits beyond food safety.

Stuffing consists of a mixture of savoury ingredients such as breadcrumbs, herbs, fruit, nuts, sausagemeat and onion which are bound together with egg or liquid to form a semi-solid mixture. It is usually cooked with roast meat such as chicken, pork or lamb and is served as an accompaniment to the sliced, cooked meat.

What are some facts about Thanksgiving stuffing? ›

Thanksgiving stuffing often consists of breadcrumbs, onions, celery, spices, and herbs such as sage. Additionally, it combines with giblets (heart, liver, etc.) to get the full chicken taste. Some people might think that sounds distasteful, but if you choose to eat meat it's a great way to use all of the animal.

Juices from the turkey soaked into the stuffing, infusing it with fat and flavor. "You've got those juices, and those juices taste great,” Smith said.

Dressing Is For Midwesterners

Lacey Muszynski, a food and drink writer based in Milwaukee, said she's always called the Thanksgiving side dish stuffing, as do other Midwesterners. Generally, in the Midwestern states, it's called stuffing regardless of the ingredients or whether it's cooked inside a turkey.

Americans can't even agree on a name or preparation: Some call it stuffing and bake it inside the turkey (except when they don't). Others call it dressing and bake it in a casserole (except when they don't).

While you can use almost any bread — cornbread, bagels, or even frozen waffles — to make stuffing, it needs to be dried or “staled” first. Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.

Something magical happens when stale bread meets butter, celery and tons of sage. Flavors meld and the bread turns soft and gooey and outshines everything else on the Thanksgiving plate.

As the turkey cooks, its juices drip onto the stuffing, infusing the bread and vegetables with extra flavor. Some people also think the practice yields a moister stuffing, while others "do it to save space in the oven," says Baker.

Stuffing: If bread crusts are included in your family's stuffing recipe, get ready to consume a whole lot of antioxidants! Healthy grains can give you fiber, vitamins, minerals and plant-based protein.

Here's an important Thanksgiving food safety tip that will surprise many: USDA doesn't recommend stuffing a whole turkey. The practice increases the risk of cross-contamination and takes the turkey longer to cook. Cook stuffing separately instead.