Stuffing vs. Dressing: The Great Thanksgiving Debate Continues

It happens every year on Thanksgiving. Friends and family gather around holiday tables to feast on turkey and a multitude of side dishes. When it comes to a particular dish, there is always a debate over what it should be called.

Even married couples disagree about whether to call this dish "stuffing" or "dressing." That's because they might have grown up in one region and migrated to another region. They hold fast to what they grew up with, and it might be hard to change what they believe this dish should be called.

Southern vs. Northern Origins

The two terms are used interchangeably, depending on where you live. People in the South insist that it is a side dish if it is cooked outside the turkey, and it should be called "dressing." Therefore, they fight with their northern friends, who want to call the dish made with the same ingredients "stuffing."

Most northern states call the side stuffing, regardless of its preparation. Those who live in the South feel comfortable calling it dressing. If you have friends and relatives from both regions eating at the same table, expect the age-old debate about stuffing vs. dressing.

• Most people in the North call the dish "stuffing" because it is stuffed and cooked inside the turkey.
• Most people in the South call the dish "dressing" because it is a dish prepared outside the turkey.

Have you noticed that even Kraft, the manufacturer of Stove Top Stuffing, might have named its product incorrectly? If it is cooked on top of the stove, how can it be called stuffing?

Is It Stuffed Inside the Turkey?

If you stuff something inside a turkey or other poultry, it is logical to call the dish stuffing because it was stuffed in the cavity of the turkey and cooked.

How the dish is cooked should affect what it is called. The dictionary defines stuffing as a mixture used to stuff another food before it is cooked. When the same ingredients are cooked outside the cavity of poultry, it is not stuffing because nothing has been stuffed.

It should make sense that stuffing is stuffed inside the cavity of any poultry before it is cooked, and dressing is a separate dish cooked in a pan outside the bird.

Which Came First: Stuffing or Dressing?

The term "stuffing" was the first to appear. The Oxford Dictionary traces the word back to 1538 and defines it as "a mixture used to stuff poultry or meat before cooking."

On the other hand, the word “dressing” didn't appear until the 1850s. It was the Victorians who settled on the word "dressing" instead of “stuffing" because they considered the word offensive. The South embraced the Victorian view, but the North refused to accept it.

Does this settle the debate?

Either Way, It's Delicious!

People might debate what to call it, but one thing is for certain. The taste of stuffing and dressing is the same because the ingredients are the same.

The disagreements are never about the taste. It is a favorite, and no Thanksgiving meal should be without it. The problem is that some people will be concerned about what to call it when they ask for it to be passed around the table with mixed company.

What the Expert Cooks Say

While some people at the Thanksgiving meal will continue to call it stuffing and others will call it dressing, what do the cooking experts say about the matter?

The Food Lover's Companion and the National Turkey Federation say stuffing and dressing can be used interchangeably. However, The Joy of Cooking says the dish is stuffing when cooked inside the bird and dressing when it's cooked outside. Therefore, that should settle the matter.