Creative Cooking for Kids
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The Great Stuffing Debate: Where Everyone Is A Winner!

Tue, Nov 22, 2011
Do you use cornbread or white bread? Is it called stuffing or dressing? Ah yes, it's that time of year again! This delicious debate is making waves in kitchens all across the country and we just love hearing what you folks have to say!

The gals in the Kitchen Crew recently mixed things up a bit with a poll on the Just A Pinch Facebook page. We asked you about your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, and the results were overwhelming... You love STUFFING! In fact, much to our amusement we received more than twice the number of votes for 'stuffing/dressing" than for "time spent with family."

So what does this tell us? Stuffing is serious business and everyone has THE best secret recipe! And let me tell you, we sure are grateful that you fine cooks have been sharing your secrets to stuffing success with us here on the Club.

In fact, longtime Club member Judy Sprague won one of her first Blue Ribbons for her family’s recipe for Cornbread Dressing. "This is a tradition at our Thanksgiving Dinner each year," says the Florence, KY cook. "Nothing like old traditional Southern cornbread dressing to complete the meal!"

Indeed, Judy's family recipe has become quite a hit with folks far and wide! Karen Etchison of Hohenwald, TN had this to say about Judy's dressing: "I have never been able to make cornbread dressing like my Mom. I tried this recipe on Christmas Eve [last] year and it is a keeper! Finally something that I could say was a close second to Mom's." Around here, that's about as high of praise as anyone could hope for!

Now, while some of our roots are firmly planted in traditions of cornbread dressing, an equal number are definitely on Team White Bread! My own mother made her magical Thanksgiving stuffing by using bread cubes, and she is clearly not alone. Home cook Robyn Bruce of Middletown, PA grew up looking forward to her mother's bread stuffing. "My mom is 91 years old now, but through the years - when I was a kid - the best thing about Thanksgiving was the stuffing. Hers was the best I ever ate. When I got married and started my own family, I made sure I had this recipe in my recipe box. I've used it all my life."

And what makes this stuffing recipe so good? Well, aside from the tender loving care goes into each batch, this stuffing recipe boasts classic flavors and a few unexpected surprises. Oregano, poultry seasoning, onion and celery mingle with green onion and garlic to create big bursts of flavor. Robyn recommends using a combination of homemade bread cubes and prepackaged stuffing mix for the perfect finished product, one that she describes as "loaded with flavor and completely delicious."

Now, for those who feel like taking a slight turn from the traditional, Karen Figgatt of Cross Lanes, WV is serving up her yummy Zucchini Dressing! Bound together by eggs and baking mix (instead of bread), Karen describes this fantastic dressing recipe as tasting "like the best stuffing ever!" Like Judy Sprague’s recipe, this dish is prepared completely outside of the bird. As a result, it is classified as “dressing” rather than “stuffing”. In every other respect, though, this terrific recipe really does have that same wonderful richness of classic stuffing. Oh, and it has the added bonus of a gooey topping of cheese! "[It's] just like regular bread stuffing," says Karen, "but is so moist and flavorful. It's a great way to use excess zucchini from the garden, or just freeze the grated zucchini and use for future enjoyment in this dish." Indeed, this recipe has been a big hit in the Test Kitchen and we look forward to making it a new tradition of our own.

So many of our fondest memories are linked back to the food we’ve shared with family and friends. Isn't it amazing how easily a well-made recipe can transport you back to those simpler days? We’re grateful for these special moments, and for each of you who have shared a part of your kitchen with us.
Comments

1-12 of 63 comments on "Janet's Notebook: The Great Stuffing Debate: Where Everyone Is A Winner!"

ang12
angela stevens ang12
Nov 22, 2011
Its the bread stuffing in our family. My sister-in-law, jackie makes the best. Right behind that is the home make dumplings. Can't wait.
MichMT
Lee Niemiec MichMT
Nov 22, 2011
It's dressing in our family... white bread, bacon, sage, celery... mmmm... my mouth is watering already for it!
CynNTexas
Cynthia... CynNTexas
Nov 22, 2011
I didn't know there was any kind of dressing than cornbread until I left East Texas at 16. I had a variety over the years but around here it's cornbread, period. I do, sometimes, a couple of cans of coursley chopped water chestnuts, the crunch is awesome and their mildness doesn't affect the flavor. Yummm
lsholland
Linda Holland lsholland
Nov 22, 2011
We call it Cornbread Dressing! I love it too! I make it every year and everyone loves it!
Hollylovesnewrecipes
Holly Deshane Hollylovesnewrecipes
Nov 22, 2011
I must confess--I love Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Stuffing in the bag. It just has all the right flavors for me.
1sweetcook
Kande Johnson 1sweetcook
Nov 22, 2011
It is the white bread dressing for our family. I was always taught that it's called stuffing when prepared/served in the bird and it's called dressing when prepared/served outside the bird.

I agree with Holly Deshane - the Peppridge Farm seasoned Stuffing is delicious, quick and easy!
jacookie1951
Marion Rogers-... jacookie1951
Nov 22, 2011
Only cornbread dressing for us! Cornbreads crumbled, mixed with toasted crumbled hamburger buns, onion, celery, sage, black pepper,salt and rich broth from my hen:)
gammyintexas
Tamara C gammyintexas
Nov 22, 2011
It's stuffing in my family (Texas). Cornbread, a couple of biscuits (don't ask me why... I just do it 'cause my grandmother did it), boiled eggs, celery, onion, sage, salt, pepper and broth... mmmm good!

NOW why I'm posting to this thread. My oven went out yesterday and can't be repaired. (stove top is still working) It's going to take weeks it looks like to get a replacement. Any ideas for Thanksgiving meal? We already weren't going to roast the turkey so that's not a problem... my concern is deserts (guess we will have banana pudding) and things like dressing, sweet potatoes (I don't think I will have to put them in the oven), green bean casserole, etc. I would appreciate any ideas.
gammyintexas
Tamara C gammyintexas
Nov 22, 2011
Oh yea, I left out onion in my comment above... how can you have dressing without onion... so funny... I see I put stuffing and I've NEVER called it stuffing... don't know where that came from. We call it dressing. I guess my oven dilemma has gotten my head messed up. LOL Have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone!
karmacq
Karen Macquoid karmacq
Nov 22, 2011
This year I'm doing a cornbread stuffing (I call it stuffing if it is in the bird and dressing if I'm doing a casserole) with Jimmy Dean Sage sausage, onion, celery and some dried cranberries. I love stuffing and usually make too much to fit in the bird, so I usually end up with a casserole, too. I add more turkey stock to the casserole because it doesn't have the turkey juices to soak up.
sweetnez
Annette Nelson sweetnez
Nov 22, 2011
It is called stuffing in our family. I make an old recipe with the gizzard, heart, liver, mushrooms, onions and assorted seasoning. Some times I throw an apple in to mix it up. Everybody loves it.
Jan1956
Jan Johnson Jan1956
Nov 22, 2011
Tamara, I'm sorry to hear about your oven. I would say you could cook your dressing on the stove in an iron skillet. Once it is browned on the under side flip it carefully with a large spatula so that the top can brown as well. Green Bean Casserole can be done in a microwave. Just wait to add the french fried onions til the last few minutes--watch so they don't burn. your sweet potatoes may not be a problem using a microwave again, just don't add your topping til the end. Sweets burn easily so cook them at a lower power...I hope this was a help!
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