I stuff the bird...there is no doubt in my mind that the stuff in the bird is a lot better than anything baked on the side.
I suppose that if you are not a smart cook and don't pay attentition to contamination and keeping cold things cold and hot things hot and cooking to the proper internal temperature, that it might be safer to cook thes tuffing in a casserole dish.
Sure you can assemble the stuffing ahead and bake it....but I wouldn't put frozen stuffing into the bird...too much chance of it not getting hot enough before the turkey is over cooked.
All these bread stuffings evolved as a way of absorbing and saving the meat juices....and the herbs and fruit added to stuffings/dressings flavor the meat.
In the bird is best...I know because I always cook some in a casserole to be sure to have enough....and that which was in the bird is by far better.
Linda C

I'll second that!

I do still make a casserole dish for the extra, but also because one daughter is vegetarian and I can leave out the giblets. She's not real strict, so will eat the broth used in the stuffing, just no "identifiable chunks" of meat.

Recipes and methods seem to be highly steeped in tradition.
I don't dare change anything....

Deanna

I stuff the bird here too, and make the rest in casserole dishes. Eveyone likes the stuffing from the bird so much that we have to divvy it out to make sure that everyone gets some before we start on the extra :)

Cindy

We've always called it stuffing inside the bird and dressing if cooked on the side, but that might be regional.

I've had stuffing (inside the bird) several times and made by different cooks; I've never liked it that way. It always seems heavy, wet and oily to me. This could be because I grew up with it baked on the side (and we fought over the crispy bits.)

Yes, you can make dressing ahead of time and freeze it, but you need to make it a little wetter than the the recipe calls for. I've never tried to cook it straight from the freezer, so don't know if that will work. If I freeze it, then I thaw before baking. Usually though, I make it on Tuesday and refrigerate it, then bake it Wednesday night or early Thursday AM.

Don't microwave to reheat it, though. It tends to get rubbery (like nearly all nuked bread.)

Ditto Linda. I like the stuffing from inside the bird best and make extra in a casserole. Proper handling is key. I make the stuffing and place it in the bird just before sliding it into the oven.

Well I've done it both ways. And there is no doubt in my mind that a turkey is just as good and so is the stuffing when each is baked/roasted separately. It just depends on how well you have seasoned them both. Also, i like to use the carcass to make broth and it is very difficult to get every little bit of stuffing out of the bird, which makes for a cloudy broth.

Ann

PS Beanthere dunthat, welcome back. You've been missed.

It's called stuffing here and it's in the bird! Mine is never oily or overly wet. Guess it all depends on how you prepare it. Neither is mine loose and dry it's, well what can I say...it's stuffing! LOL

I do make some extra alongside the bird and it's "OK" as long as I mix it up with some of the real "stuff" .

I also make a dressing that is wrapped in cheese cloth and simmered in broth , Ann T makes a similar one too. I usually make this as a side dish to serve with pork or chicken breasts when "stuffing" isn't an option or isn't really worth it.

When I have a bird big enough to stuff...stuff I do!

But dry stuff cooked in a dish outside the bird.....I'll pass. I would never make it and freeze it but then again I don't make it as a casserole.

No comparison, IMO . . . IN the bird is much tastier :)

Thanks for the replies :-)
I will continue to cook it in the turkey - and I, too, usually mix it with the remaining stuffing that is baked separately.
I've always made it the day before and then stuffed the turkey just prior to cooking. But I read that it freezes beautifully - that some make a double batch, one for Thanksgiving and the other for the Christmas holidays. I am tempted to make it this week in order to save time next week.

I cook mine outside the bird with turkey drippings poured in it.

I've never cooked it inside the bird because too many chefs say that the breast will be overcooked by the time the dressing is up to temperature.

I use AnnT's method ... sometimes I put the dressing around the bird, with just a small amount of dripping left in the roaster .. usually I bake it in a separate dish.

:)

I prefer stuffed. I heard or read somewhere that if the turkey is under 16 lbs its fine to stuff. DH is very much opposed to a stuffed bird. So we don't stuff. I cook it in a casserole dish and baste with turkey drippings. Inside the bird or not, we still call it stuffing.

I stuff the bird! But, ever the rebel, I dont truss (tie up the opening) but over stuff it so there's some stuffing plumping out, kind of like a turkey cornucopia I guess... That's the crispy bits my guys fight over when they're done fighting over the 'tush'(the part that went over the fence last).

The most fun though is the tradition of building a great sandwich the day after. It has to hold a bit of every dish that was served and sometimes my daughter hides a little bowl of stuffing in the fridge so there'll be some for her sandwich the next day.

This thread reminds me of the year my grandmother decided to try "farming out" preparation of the Thanksgiving meal to others in the family. My mother said she would cook the meal. Well, mother was the worst cook in the history of the solar system (and she thought she was one of the best), so NO ONE wanted her to cook. But? No one had the nerve to tell her so. We hatched a plan to convince her that it was really too much work to take on short notice, so we should have everyone bring a dish. My eldest sister offered to have the chef where she worked cook the turkey, and everyone picked a side dish. Mother's damage...er...contribution...was reduced to providing the "hardware", beverages, and a couple of side dishes...or so we thought. She cooked several other things, including a side of dressing because "your sister has no idea how to make dressing." (Not true. Said sister is a perfectly adequate cook, she simply hates to cook.)

Turns out that sister #1, who had been assigned the dressing, wanted to try one with oysters in it. Sister #2 got wind of this and, hating oysters, decided to bring one with with pecans and wild rice in it that she'd seen made on TV. Siblings #3 and 4 were appalled that anyone would "mess" with tradition and brough their versions of "real" dressing -- with their own little "tweaks". And my grandmother, convinced that no one would remember the dressing, also made some.

Then everyone had the nerve to get competitive about it and bullied about "So, who's do you like best?" to everyone else.

WE were the stuffed turkeys that year.

Oh, yes, and the chef? he was from up north and couldn't fathom that my sister wanted a turkey without stuffing. So I suspect the preference is highly regional. :)

I think much of the emphasis on dressing in the last few years (in food mags and cooking shows) has to do with the higher risk of food-bourne illness (from either cross-contaimnation or improper temps). And that's probably true when someone who's idea of "cooking" is microwacing a Lean Cuisine the rest of the year and suddenly decides to become a one-day Kitchen Diva. With 99.9% of the CF regulars? It wouldn't even cross my mind to be concerned.

I love it stuffed and had to laugh at beanthere's family stuffing competition. Everyone here likes a different kind of stuffing so we usually just put aromatics in the bird, lemon, onion, celery, carrot, s&p, garlic, rosemary, sage leaves, and then have stuffings on the side.

One person's favorite "stuffing" is turkey stove top with a jar of mushrooms - nasty stuff IMO. The other likes to experiment with different types, so far he's done an oyster "stuffing" and an apple, sage & nut "stuffing". No idea what he wants to try this year. The one I usually make is Mrs. Cubbison's that's been doctored with lots of herbs, celery, some onion and broth.

I'm used to calling it stuffing if it is cooked in the bird and dressing if it isn't. Here's another question is it still stuffing/dressing if there's no bread? I'm thinking of a wild rice "stuffing" this year, maybe with cranberries and nuts.

I have always made it on the side. DH is paranoid about cooking it in the bird. And doesn't that increase the amount of time it takes to cook the bird? I think it comes out prefectly fine cooked outside the bird, if you make a good stuffing/dressing. I never had any complaints in 30 years! Except once when I changed it to something new. DH likes the traditional.
Clare

Hmm...I assume it would still be called stuffing or dressing...after all, you're still either stuffing the bird with it or "dressing" the bird by it's presence. :)

I prefer dressing outside the bird and haven't had any problems with dryness. I do buy some separate turkey parts (wings and drums) and make a seasoned turkey broth in advance so that I have plenty of the "real thing" to moisten the dressing.

This works well for us as DH likes to brine the turkey and cook it outside on the grill. Since he does an excellent job, why should I complain, LOL.

As far as preparing the dressing ahead, I can make the broth ahead and freeze it. I also prepare the seasoned meat mixture (sausage, apples, onion, celery, herbs, etc.) ahead and freeze it. I oven-dry cubes of Italian and whole wheat bread and vacuum seal them in a canister. The day of the meal everything comes together for baking.

Carol

I have to prepare something gluten-free for one nephew this year. I know I did it last year too, but don't remember what I did, probably wild rice.

I have several dietary restrictions I need to consider, first of all, I have a Kosher home, then there are some food allergies, a diabetic cousin, general food preferences and the ever-present dieters in any crowd. I am especially sensitvie to those family members and friends who have medical dietary restrictions. Its important to me that all my guests feel welcomed and even a bit pampered when they eat at my table so I make sure there are interesting, tasty dishes that everyone will like and that are safe for the person with the restriction. I actually find I enjoy the challenge of coming up with dishes to fit the need. I also try to be discreet about letting said guest know what's safe and what's not, rather than calling a lot of attention to anyone. Does anyone have a great recipe for gluten-free stuffing/dressing?

We definately stuff the bird....Grandma always did and thats how we were taught

Yes, I stuff the bird. It does taste better.

But, I also have started a new way of dealing with any possible issues of the stuffing harboring bacteria.

The bird is brined to keep it nice and moist.

The bird is stuffed, but about 20-30 minutes before it comes out of the oven to rest (using an electronic thermometer is an integral step to determining when it should come out), or about when the temperature of the thigh hits 150 deg. F, I pull the bird and unstuff it into an ovensafe baking dish.

Then the bird AND the stuffing (covered with foil) go back into the oven. The bird finishes cooking, and the stuffing gets more than hot enough to kill any nasties.

I do not stuff the bird as my father has celiac disease and can't have stuffing. This means that he can't eat turkey that has been cooked with stuffing inside.

mimsic-take note for your nephew!

My mother makes the stuffing as hers is the best. I guess that's cruel of me as my father can't eat the one dish she cooks. I have asked her to make it this year with his gluten free bread but I'm not sure she'll listen.

I don't stuff the bird because I use the high heat method to cook. I usually add a little more broth to the stuffing and baste with the turkey drippings to keep it moist.

I do both, I think the turkey tastes better if it's stuffed. I do give the stuffing an extra boost in the MW or oven separately just to make sure it's well cooked and not to gooey. I also make two different dishes - stuffing with sausage or some other meat, dressing for the vegetarians.

Brilliant idea Kframe!

I would like to make different kinds of stuffing/dressing to see how I might like them. My family will not tolerate anything different at Thanksgiving. It has to be cornbread dressing. There has to be green beans and there must be mashed potatoes and deviled eggs. All of these things must be cooked the same way every year.Some of them want a green bean casserole, but I will NEVER make one of those nasty things. And I'm not adverse to a can of Cream of..... in something else sometimes either.

When I'm "allowed" to cook for Thanksgiving I stuff, then make an extra pan, with turkey drippings added as it bakes. The "stuffed" stuffing always go first. But I think that Kframe's idea is fantastic and I'm going to definitely try that (maybe next year, since I've been told that I'm not cooking this year...again).

Beenthere's excellent stuffing story reminded me of one of my husband's stories of the first Thanksgiving after his father remarried. His new stepmother wanted to make a completely different T'giving menu so that no one would feel like they weren't getting their favorites (7 kids total in the 2 families, all in their late teens- early 20's). Plus it would symbolize a new beginning & bring the two families together.

She made a turkey with a cornbread and pine nut dressing. It was her daughter that noticed how the toasted, dark brown pine nuts resembled beetles and started referring to it as "beetle stuffing", a refrain that was taken up by the rest of the assorted siblings from both families. His stepmother still gets disgruntled whenever that first T'giving dinner is brought up but it did serve to bring both families closer together. United over the beetle stuffing.

Nina

Stuffed only. My Mom always bought a 25 pounder.And stuffed it so it mounded out a bit. She was such a good cook! She always cooked so there would be ample leftovers. I do the same dinner she did- No variations in our turkey day dinner- unless a new inlaw joined the family then their favs were included. Every other holiday is fair game to change tho. You never know what you may find at Christmas dinner! LOL. Sue

Beverly, you scared me there for a minute. I was scanning the post fast and saw the words "green bean casarole" and had an involuntary "ACK!" reflex. Then I read more carefully. :D

Different strokes for different folks, I guess, but I'm with you on the aversion to that concoction. And it's not the cream of ____ with me, either. I just can't deal with that combination in the same dish.

I got brave one year. Made dinner for 22 using all untried recipes, including a Southwestern red chile and honey glazed turkey with ancho gravy and dark chocolate flan. Not sure what got into me. Turned out well, though. The only thing I wasn't too impressed with was a Jamaiican black cake my SIL convinced me to try. But she's a rum lover and I'm not.

Growing up in the South, we never stuffed the turkey but made a cornbread dressing on the side. XH, who is from NYC, would have it no other way but stuffed, and he had to have the Pepperidge Farm stuffing recipe off the back of the bag.....AND the green bean casserole which I had never heard of until I met him. One year I made a black bean/cormbread stuffing and he had a coniption. I don't care for turkey except for the crunchy skin so I won't be making it anymore. But I am going to stuff a whole pork loin for Thanksgiving.

Last year I followed a link off this board to a personal website for recipes and there was a grits based stuffing. That was very intriguing but I have lost it. Does anyone remember?

Jan

Inside the bird, always. I don't like stuffing or dressing, no matter what it's called or how it's cooked, it's just greasy bread to me, but my family just goes crazy for it.

Like Beverly, I'm not allowed to have anything different at Thanksgiving. Turkey, stuffed with the white bread/onion/sage stuffing, really moist so it's almost "gloppy". Yeah, I know. Ick. Candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade dinner rolls using Grandma's recipe. Pumpkin dessert in some form, I have been allowed to make pumpkin cheesecake instead of pie a couple of times. Woodie's 7 layer salad was a recent addition and now has become a necessity. And, of course, the much maligned green bean casserole. My girls love it, green beans with C of M soup and those onion things. I won't touch it and I keep green beans aside for Makayla and I. Last year I broke with tradition and did green beans with bacon and almonds and I heard about it. I might do it again this year anyway, LOL. Or use Elery's recipe which takes green beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, I really liked it. We'll have a difference of opinion over the green beans, no matter what. (grin) Or I could make both kinds, I suppose.....

Oh, and everyone wants lots of gravy because they always put gravy on the potatoes, the turkey AND the stuffing. Maybe it hides the taste of the stuffing? Ahem.

Annie

My mother always stuffed her turkey. The large cavity was stuffed with her mother's version of Greek stuffing (rice, hamburg, raisins, pine nuts, spices) and the smaller cavity was stuffed with 'American' stuffing - basically, a bread stuffing. After I set up housekeeping for myself, I decided that baking the 'stuffing' (both Greek and American) outside of the bird was best for me. I found that the stuffing draws too much moisture from the breast and I hate dry breast meat. I now use Alton Brown's turkey recipe, which IMHO, makes a very tasty, very moist bird. A turkey broth made ahead of time is used for basting the dressings as they bake....My guests are always happy!

Oh it wouldn't be Thanksgiving if we didn't have the Green Bean Cassarole discussion would it? I don't think we've missed a single year since I joined the CF years and years ago.

Beverly