Dressing Vs Stuffing, Decided (2024)

I wasn't even aware that people referred to stuffing as "dressing" until…sh*t, I don't know when. Maybe I was 13 or 21 or something. Either way, I'd been on Earth for a while before I ever heard that sh*t.

Apparently, as I learned on VSB yesterday, there are people who had the exact opposite experience. Stuffing has always been "dressing" to them, and when they think of "stuffing" they think of the type of food Brooks fed his bird in The Shawshank Redemption.

Stuffing (the right answer) or Dressing (the wrong one)

Dressing (65%, 744 Votes)
Stuffing (35%, 406 Votes)

—-Damon Young

From my personal experience stuffing is served inside the bird, and dressing is served outside. That's the obvious. But getting into the composition, stuffing is typically white bread based (crackers, baguette, etc.) and has more vegetable composition. Whereas dressing is typically cornbread based, veggies and then maybe toasted seasoned breads.

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Also worth noting, stuffing has also been known to be made of other things like mashed potatoes or pureed cauliflower. You know the type of people who would do that.

Me, being unabashedly southern, dressing over everything.

—-Ryan Sides

Stuffing is in the bird. Dressing is out, the perfect brown and crisp, and overall just better.

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—-Christina Eichelberger

Stuffing was, in my cousins' and auntie's words: "White people sh*t." I always thought of stuffing as either LOAF bread-based or Stove Top. Round my parts, we stuffed the bird with dressing AND it "dressed" the outside of the bird. So I differentiate based on what it's made with. Dressing is cornbread.

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Woo, chile the smell of dressing. Yums. Wise men love sage. Puns.

—-Tonja Stidhum

Ryan, you touched a nerve. Risk of being greeted with f*cksh*t like cauliflower, green bean casserole, or something involving bacon-wrapped carrots, unseasoned possum kabobs or some other Marmite-coated terribleness is why holiday meals with Beth-Ann and Brixton are not covered under Obamacare. And I'm no daredevil n-word.

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But anyhow, I grew up hearing both, but eating the same damn sh*t. Different strokes or whatever.

But, when I hear "stuffing," I just imagine kitchen terrorist Sandra Lee finding a way to use beer, orange rinds, walnuts and lunchbox crumbs in a fun new take on a down-home American classic: Stovetop Stuffing. She must be decommissioned and disassembled at once. No one [woman] should have all that [terribleness.] sh*t. Wait, what point was I making?

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—-Alex Hardy

It's called dressing. Stuffing sounds like something immature people say.

—-Huny Young

As an ardent and avid southerner, its dressing. Though I've been at folks houses and they were talking about stuffing and I was like WTF when dressing was brought out. But given that us southerners really run this soul food sh*t, I'm going to say that it is dressing. Stuffing is that inside the bird non-sense usually composed of that sh*t I don't like. Or at least that's my inexperienced take on it. In my house, we eat dressing. Anything less is uncivilized.

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—-Panama Jackson

Hey Team Dressing. Just in case you didn't know, dressing goes on salads. It's like Italians who call sauce gravy. I mean, I guess but I'm gonna call it sauce. Stuffing goes in turkey. You all can talk about Southern roots blah blah all you want, but the fact is it is stuffing. If you ask me where the dressing is at, I'm passing you a bottle of ranch.

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—-Jozen Cummings

Why do you colored people love Ranch so much?

Also: It's stuffing.

—-Maya Francis

Hey Jozen,

No.

Signed,
The People

—-Panama

We won't be slandering Ranch, Maya. And I promise, one day when we get this VSB potluck popping, whoever labels their stuffing "dressing" is going to be in for a surprise when I cross that sh*t out and call it by its proper name. Stuffing.

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—-Jozen

Jozen you took the words right out my mouth. Dressing is for salad.

I know I'm betraying my southern roots when I say it's called stuffing. But it makes the most sense, y'all.

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—-Mylon Medley

Not for nothing, we've had this argument on VSB before. If I remember, it got heated. It's amazing the things that Black folks do indeed get really political about. This sh*t is tantamount to the Hatfields and McCoys. With that being said, should you try to cross out my "dressing" and replace it with words that reek of Lucifer's trumpets, I will indubitably challenge you to a duel. And by duel, I mean I will put you out, remake Rae Sremmurd's song into "No Stuffing Zone" and hit my nae-nae and transition into a Shmoney Dance for all the dead homeys and those who refuse to acknowledge its proper name.

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—-Panama

How can such smart people be so wrong about something so simple? It is dressing. Let's just stop this misguided stuffing nonsense.

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-—Shanae Brown

Honestly? You know what? I love all of you and I don't want to be divided about something that brings us such joy (because I'm silently judging you.) Just pass me a plate — but make sure there's no swine on it.

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—-Maya

This went left quickly. How is it stuffing if it's not stuffi…you know what, nevermind. Words mean things.

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—-Ryan

No bones on the dressing vs stuffing debate, but I really need us Blacks to start loving ourselves, our taste buds, and our spirits, and saying no to the ranch dressing. Hidden Valley is a conspiracy keeping us from the promised land. Stay woke.

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—-Shamira Ibrahim

You're right, Ryan. Words do mean things. Stuffing means stuffing. Dressing can mean something other than stuffing. Ergo stuffing is more appropriate here.

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—-Jozen

The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish, in which case it may still be called 'stuffing', or in some regions, such as the Southern US, 'dressing'.

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This is from Wiki. Basically, everyone except a tiny percentage of Black people with family in Alabama calls it stuffing. "Dressing" is some off-brand regional sh*t, like White Castle or Lil Boosie. And we know Wiki is always right and never, ever wrong. So, it's decided.

—-Damon

Ok…ranch, White Castle, and Boosie slander followed by a Wikipedia definition of dressing vs stuffing?? This battle is no longer mine, it's the Lord's.

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—-Ryan

"White Castle"?

That's my time folks. You guys just don't respect yourselves.

-—Maya

FAQs

Dressing Vs Stuffing, Decided? ›

"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.

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Why do people say dressing instead of stuffing? ›

The term dressing, per the History Channel, originated around the 1850s, when the Victorians deemed stuffing too crude for the dish to be named. This happened around the same time that the term “dark meat” began to refer to chicken legs and thighs.

Read On ›

When did stuffing become dressing? ›

Names for stuffing include "farce" (~1390), "stuffing" (1538), "forcemeat" (1688), and relatively more recently in the United States; "dressing" (1850).

Why do southerners call it dressing? ›

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

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Who says dressing and who says stuffing? ›

This is down to a science: A 2015 survey conducted on behalf of the poultry company Butterball revealed that, regardless of how the dish was cooked, most of the country—including 100 percent of New Englanders—refers to the side as stuffing, while Southerners are devoted dressing fans.

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Do Texans call it dressing or stuffing? ›

One funny thing about “stuffing” is that, in Texas, some people say “stuffing” and some people say “dressing.” Traditionally, it was called stuffing, because you stuffed the turkey with it. Other families don't like to stuff the turkey at all – and prepare it in a pan, calling it dressing.

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Do Americans call stuffing dressing? ›

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.

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What is the difference between stuffing filling and dressing? ›

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Why do we only eat stuffing on Thanksgiving? ›

For one, modern stovetops weren't widely available until the 18th century — birds were roasted on a spit over an open fire — which made it difficult to cook side dishes at the same time. The solution? Simply cook the sides in the bird. Moreover, preparing stuffing this way meant more bang for one's caloric buck.

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Who invented stuffing for Thanksgiving? ›

The late Ruth Siems, a 1953 home economics graduate, is credited with the invention of Stove Top stuffing. The product hit shelves in 1971 as a dish appropriate for Thanksgiving but also for everyday meals. The secret behind the dish is the dimensions of the bread crumbs, which General Foods patented in 1975.

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Is dressing northern or southern? ›

Both dressing and stuffing are side dishes served at most Thanksgiving tables. It depends on the part of the country you are from as to what you call it. Those in the south use the term dressing interchangeably; whereas those in the northern states generally refer to the dish as stuffing.

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Why do Southerners have a drawl? ›

The Southern Drawl, like any accent, developed over the course of hundreds of years. There were many factors that contributed to its evolution including: plantation and farm life, Western expansion, immigration, and an increasing number and size of American cities.

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Is it safe to cook stuffing inside of the turkey? ›

But stuffing is soft and porous by nature. That's the main reason to cook stuffing inside a turkey: The bread cubes soak up roasting turkey juices and transform into incredible-tasting flavor bombs. That means the stuffing needs to reach a safe temperature (165°) so it won't make you sick.

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Is stuffing the same as dressing for black people? ›

The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish, in which case it may still be called 'stuffing', or in some regions, such as the Southern US, 'dressing'. This is from Wiki. Basically, everyone except a tiny percentage of Black people with family in Alabama calls it stuffing.

Learn More Now ›

Why is stuffing not stuffed? ›

Why do Americans call a dish 'stuffing' if it is not stuffed? Stuffing was originally made, and often still is, by stuffing it into the cavity of the turkey, and letting it cook inside the turkey, absorbing its flavors while adding some of its own to the turkey.

What is the origin of cornbread dressing? ›

The origin of cornbread dressing can be traced to enslaved people in the South who transformed leftover cornbread into a delicious dish. The history of this recipe can actually be traced back to a West African dish known as Kusha.

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Why is salad dressing called dressing? ›

The term salad dressing comes from a definition of dressing that dates from about 1500: "sauce used in preparing a dish for the table." When you want to serve a well-prepared and delicious salad, you need add salad dressing.

Is dressing stuffing or filling? ›

Both stuffing and filling have the same results, as the bird cooks, juices impart a deep, rich flavor to the bread mixture inside. On the other hand, dressing is the same bread mixture, but it's cooked in a separate vessel outside of the bird.

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What part of the country calls stuffing dressing? ›

Go south of the Mason-Dixon Line and in the Midwest and many call it dressing, regardless of if it is prepared in the bird or alongside in a casserole dish. Likewise, northern or northeastern states and the west coast typically lean toward stuffing.

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What is the culinary term for stuffing? ›

Although the French word "farce" can be translated to the verb "stuff", the English term farce can be traced back to 14th century England. Interchangeable with the term forcemeat, the description refers to food that people would consider a stuffing.

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