Stuffing is one of those unique linguistic treats that is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it refers to the physical stuff that is in a teddy bear or served as a Thanksgiving side. As a verb, it is the physical act of shoving the “stuff” into that bear’s or bird’s hole—or into your own face hole. Today we are going to focus on stuffing, the food.
What is stuffing?
The concept of stuffing has been around since ancient Roman times. But, in the context of Thanksgiving, stuffing is the bread-based, herb-laced mixture that is usually stuffed into the turkey and/or served as a side.
Stuffing has a symbiotic relationship with turkey. As it cooks, the herbs in the stuffing infuse into the bird, giving it a lot more flavor. The turkey, in turn, drips all its delicious juices into the stuffing as it cooks, moistening it and making it taste great.
There are some people (aka cowards) who say you shouldn’t cook your stuffing inside the bird, claiming it’s a salmonella risk. Sure, if you don’t do it right! Just make sure your stuffing reaches a temperature of 165 degrees and you should be fine. Stuffing cooked outside the bird is another thing altogether (more on that later).
What is stuffing made out of?
Stuffing is one of the most regionally variable Thanksgiving dishes, to the point where the recipe can be entirely different in every house on the block. There are, however, a few essentials that pop up in most stuffings.
The first and most obvious ingredient is the bread—any bread, really, but usually white bread. It helps if the bread is stale by a day or two. That allows it to stand up better to the added moisture.
Best Boxed Stuffing
Don’t want to make stuffing from scratch? We’ve got you covered with the best boxed stuffing for a super-easy side dish.
The bread is typically mixed with finely chopped onion and celery, salt and pepper, and herbs. The whole thing is given the Garfunkel treatment: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Then a small amount of moisture is added, either chicken stock or melted butter, and it’s all shoved in the bird.
After those basic ingredients, feel free to riff. In the Field family, the secret ingredient is capers. Trust me, you’ll love it. But I’ve seen stuffing recipes that include things like, marjoram, sausage, bacon, walnuts, pineapple, pear, cheese, fennel, mushrooms, and even canned smoked oysters. No matter what is in there, stuffing must be served with a liberal amount of gravy. In fact, gravy should be poured on everything. Your Thanksgiving plate should look like the La Brea Tar Pits.
What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?
Some people, generally those who live in the Southern states east of the Mississippi, call it dressing instead of stuffing. When I was growing up, my mom would make two dishes: stuffing, which came from the bird and all my normal family members ate, and dressing, which was cooked in its own dish for the few mutants in my family who preferred it that way.
If you ask me, dressing shouldn’t exist. It is categorically worse than stuffing in every single way, even though it is essentially the same thing. Dressing is the thing that goes on salads. Sorry for coming in so hot on this issue, but it burns me up!
This Thanksgiving, if you are from a dressing home, just start calling it stuffing to really stir the pot. At least you’ll get an argument going that isn’t based in politics.
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.
Stuffing, filling, or dressing is an edible mixture, often composed of herbs and a starch such as bread, used to fill a cavity in the preparation of another food item.
/ˈstʌfɪŋ/ Stuffing is the soft material inside pillows, mattresses, or sofa cushions. Without stuffing, your comfy chair wouldn't be very comfy. Stuffing is meant either to make things more comfortable, or more delicious.
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.
The BEST traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe is easy to make dried bread cubes, sausage, diced vegetables, and chicken broth. It's a great side dish to make ahead of time and it definitely tastes best homemade! Pair this easy homemade stuffing with our popular turkey recipe, homemade rolls, and Thanksgiving pie.
material that is used to fill something: The stuffing was coming out of the mattress. Stuffing is also food, usually a mixture of bread, onions, and herbs, which is used as a filling for turkey or other meats or vegetables.
The term stuffing comes from the practice of filling the cavity of a bird with a mixture of ingredients before cooking. Stuffing is "a mixture used as a filling for an ingredient," according to the Larousse Gastronomique Culinary Encyclopedia. "Stuffing may be made from bread, rice or other grains, vegetables or fruit.
a mixture of food, such as bread, onions, and herbs, that is used to fill something that is going to be eaten, such as a chicken or a vegetable, before being cooked: a stuffing for the turkey.
It's wildly flavorful and buttery and filled with herbs and most importantly, a delicious neutral flavor that truly goes with any meal. Stuffing is by FAR my favorite side dish. In fact, Thanksgiving is alllll about the side dishes for me.
Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F, possibly resulting in foodborne illness. Even if the meat itself has reached this temperature, the stuffing may not have reached a temperature in all areas sufficient to destroy foodborne bacteria.
"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.
Some dressing is basic: a combination of dried bread, aromatics, and dried herbs. Other loaded versions can contain oysters, mushrooms, and even dried fruit and nuts.
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.
When Stove Top was introduced in 1972 it was the first stuffing mix containing all the ingredients needed to typical dressing in one box. The mixture of vegetables, seasonings, herbs, spices, and baked stuffing crumbs came together in 15 minutes.
Dressing is more commonly used to refer to the dish in the South, while stuffing is the more frequently used term in the North, Southern Living reported.
According to The Pioneer Woman, "Some people stuff their roasted turkey with dressing, in which case the dressing is called stuffing. Others are dead set against stuffing the bird and opt for baking their stuffing in a baking dish, which means it's called dressing."
Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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