{"id":287,"date":"2011-10-24T16:57:27","date_gmt":"2011-10-24T20:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chefjudigallagher.com\/scrumptious\/?p=287"},"modified":"2020-08-13T04:50:09","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T08:50:09","slug":"the-great-stuffing-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chefjudigallagher.com\/scrumptious\/the-great-stuffing-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Stuffing Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Friends, I can\u2019t believe it: Thanksgiving is almost here. (Wasn\u2019t it just the Fourth of July? I swear it was yesterday that I was freezing homemade popsicles and making batches of potato salad for summer picnics.)<\/p>\n

But now November is creeping up on us, and I\u2019m about to navigate one of foodies\u2019 favorite\u2014and most contentious\u2014holiday foods: stuffing. I\u2019m not sure there\u2019s another American food that inspires such passion\u2014whether you call it stuffing or dressing, whether it\u2019s served inside the bird or out, whether you make it with white bread or cornbread. It\u2019s all incredibly personal, and everyone has an opinion about it.<\/p>\n

The word \u201cstuffing\u201d first came to be in the 16th<\/sup> century, although in the 19th<\/sup> century the stuffy Victorians decided they preferred the word \u201cdressing,\u201d so that term increased in popularity. Now the two are used interchangeably, and regional variations of the food itself have emerged: oyster stuffing is popular throughout the country, but many Southerners enjoy pecan, rice or cornbread stuffing. Italians often enjoy sausage in their stuffing, and dried fruit, potatoes and apples are prevalent in German variations. Some people actually stuff their dressing into the bird; some make it outside and serve it on the side.<\/p>\n

The good news is that there\u2019s a variety of stuffing options out there\u2014both for the cook looking for to stay close to tradition and<\/em> the cook who wants to branch out and try something different. Truly, the possibilities are endless. Why not try a Southwestern stuffing that\u2019s filled with jalape\u00f1os and tamales and corn? (You can serve it with corn ships, salsa and sour cream and have it do double-duty as a side dish.) Or\u2014yum\u2014sourdough stuffing with balsamic-roasted red onions, sweet Italian sausage and sage? For another Southern twist, you could do bread stuffing with crawfish, bacon and collard greens. Or, if you want to stay traditional, how about a classic farmhouse herbed stuffing flavored with sage, rosemary and thyme?<\/p>\n

You can find one of my favorite stuffing recipes below\u2014while I\u2019m still plotting my meal, I find that this one is always a classic. And be sure to share your favorite ways to dress your turkey with me in the comments! Happy Thanksgiving and happy eating!<\/p>\n