Community Corner

The Great Thanksgiving Debate: Stuffing vs. Dressing [SPONSORED]

What's the best side dish for a Thanksgiving turkey—stuffing or dressing? No matter which side you're on, plan ahead for the holiday season with these delicious recipes the whole family will love. Sponsored by Sony.

Written by Beth Geraci

There are hundreds of ways to make Thanksgiving stuffing, or “dressing,” as some call it.  

What’s the difference? Stuffing goes inside the turkey, while dressing is served on the side.

Cleveland Realtor Suzanne Deering has cooked up the same herb stuffing every year since discovering it six years ago. “It’s a hit,” she said. “We look forward to it every year.” 

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To make her holiday a little less stressful, Deering shops for her signature stuffing ingredients with her Sony Xperia® Tablet Z. “It’s so lightweight, and being able to reference it makes my shopping so much more efficient,” Deering said. “That means I have more time to do the most important thing—cook Thanksgiving dinner.”

You know your stuffing is something special when your entire family clamors for the recipe. That’s what happened when Kate O’Neil, a film producer, brought her onion, cornbread and sage dressing to last year’s feast—and was flooded with requests for the recipe.  

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What's the secret? “It’s fresh sage,” she said. “The whole thing is just so delicious and savory.”

On Thanksgiving, O’Neil props up her Xperia® Tablet Z and refers to it while she’s cooking. “I use it in the kitchen,” she says. “I don’t worry about getting anything on it, because it’s water resistant. Not only that, the charge lasts for 9 hours—a long time!” (Now, if only it could clean up afterward…)

No matter what you call the side dish, we rounded up the best stuffing and dressing recipes below.   

Farmhouse Herbed Stuffing

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 medium onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)

6 stalks celery with leaves, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 (14-ounce) package seasoned bread stuffing cubes

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups canned turkey stock, plus 1/2 cup more if baking all of stuffing outside of turkey 

Directions:

  • In 12-inch, heavy skillet over medium heat, heat butter until hot but not smoking.
  • Stir in onion and celery. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. (Vegetables can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before continuing: In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderately high heat, sauté, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes.)
  • Transfer to large bowl and add bread cubes, parsley, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1 1/4 cups hot stock.
  •  If using to stuff turkey: Fill turkey cavity and spread remainder in baking dish as directed in recipe .
  • If baking entire recipe as side dish: Heat oven to 350°F and butter 3-quart casserole or 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to dish and drizzle with 1/2 cup hot stock. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Onion, Cornbread and Sage Dressing

Ingredients:

White and wheat bread cubes, about 10 cups.

Corn bread, crumbled, about 5 cups.

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup chiffonade fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup chiffonade fresh sage, plus more for garnish

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups low-fat/low-sodium chicken stock

Directions:

  • Heat oven to 350°F.
  • Spread bread cubes and corn bread on baking sheets and bake until dry and toasted, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Cool in pan; transfer to a large mixing bowl.  
  • Meanwhile, melt butter and oil over low heat in a large sauté pan. Sauté onions for 5 minutes and then add celery. Continue to sauté until soft, then add parsley and sage. Cook for a few more minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Add onion, celery and herbs to bread crumbs and toss.
  • Add stock to sauté pan, reduce to low heat for a few minutes. Scrape up any bits of onion and herbs. Allow to cool in pan; mix in beaten eggs.
  • Transfer stock to a pitcher and slowly pour a small amount over crumbs; toss crumbs, and repeat.  
  • Transfer to baking dish, cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
  • As it bakes, take a sample from the center and sides of the dish to make sure it’s not too dry. Add more liquid if necessary.
  • Remove foil, add more sage and parsley and bake again for 30 minutes longer.  
TELL US: Do you prefer stuffing or dressing with your Thanksgiving turkey? What's your go-to recipe that everyone craves? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.


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