Thanksgiving Throwdown: Stuffing vs Dressing
Michelle Lane
"I only bring up the war of words on food terminology to prepare you for one of the biggest and oldest food fights of them all and it's coming soon to a dinner table near you!" - Michelle Darrisaw; myrecipes.com; February 15, 2017
Now of course I consulted with my own cooking bible which is "The Food Lover's Companion" (aptly named - just look at my pant size!) and unfortunately, it still doesn't offer any distinction. It actually lumps them together.
"A mixture used to stuff poultry, fish, or meat. It can be cooked separately or in the food in which it is stuffed. Dressings (also called STUFFINGS) are usually well seasoned and based on bread crumbs or cubes - though rice, potatoes, and other foods are also used."
Well, that cleared things up, didn't it? About the only difference I can find after digging through a plethora of cookbooks and internet articles is simply that dressing is cooked in a pan whereas stuffing is literally stuffed into the bird... That - and it seems to matter which side of the Mason Dixon line you're on!
So, thoughts? What is dressing? What is stuffing? What's the difference? Inquiring minds want to know!