# Stuffing - What's up with eggs?



## Andy M. (Nov 22, 2011)

I think egg is supposed to act as a binder.  I've never used egg in stuffing.


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## Effington (Nov 22, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> I think egg is supposed to act as a binder.  I've never used egg in stuffing.



I feel like it would make it too much like a quiche, or, I don't know, french toast. Seems gross to me. I also think I want big chunks of bread, like 3/4" cubes. Not those little croutons everyone uses.


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## Andy M. (Nov 22, 2011)

Effington said:


> I feel like it would make it too much like a quiche, or, I don't know, french toast. Seems gross to me. I also think I want big chunks of bread, like 3/4" cubes. Not those little croutons everyone uses.



It's your stuffing.  You get to choose.  I don't think the chunk size will make a huge difference.  They get all wet and mushy regardless.


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## snickerdoodle (Nov 22, 2011)

My grocer's bakery sells "stuffing bread" that looks like it would be awesome for making stuffing.  It's not the tiny croutons like Stove Top or Pepperidge Farm uses.  These "croutons" are about 3 or 4 times the size.  So anyway, you might check your grocer's bakery dept to see what they have.  I've never made stuffing before as my sister in law has that area locked down on Thanksgiving.  I agree that eggs just don't seem like they have a place in stuffing, I like stuffing to be moist but crumbly.


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## Effington (Nov 22, 2011)

snickerdoodle said:


> My grocer's bakery sells "stuffing bread" that looks like it would be awesome for making stuffing.  It's not the tiny croutons like Stove Top or Pepperidge Farm uses.  These "croutons" are about 3 or 4 times the size.  So anyway, you might check your grocer's bakery dept to see what they have.  I've never made stuffing before as my sister in law has that area locked down on Thanksgiving.  I agree that eggs just don't seem like they have a place in stuffing, I like stuffing to be moist but crumbly.



Sweet, I'll check that out. Otherwise, I might just get a loaf of sourdough or crusty Italian and bake some cubes myself. 

Moist but crumbly. Oh yeah...


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## Andy M. (Nov 22, 2011)

We get stuffing bread in whole loaves.

I check the in-store bakery for day old and clearance bread - perfect for stuffing.


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## Al Pine (Nov 22, 2011)

Effington said:


> I've never really made was *stuffing (or dressing*, if that's what you call it, but I don't call it that, so we'll go with stuffing).



Stuffing and Dressing are the same thing. It's called _"Stuffing"_ if
it is put in (stuffed) the Turkey to cook it. It's called _"Dressing"_ if
it is cooked in a pan.

As far as Eggs are concerned....I think they would only be used as
as "Binder" ..one or two Eggs should be enough. If you want to
make a Quiche; you would probably need at least a dozen eggs.

As far as what kind of bread to use; I like to mix it up and use
several types; including.....Rye, Wheat, White, and Sourdough.

As always.....whatever you are cooking; Make it your own!
Don't get bogged down on things being Traditional or Authentic.
Make it the way YOU like it.....and try something different, 
Life's too short to be "Stuck if a food Rut".  So try something
different; you might like it...you might not....either way you will
learn something.


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## msmofet (Nov 22, 2011)

I never use eggs in stuffing/dressing. To me all they add are gas emissions later!


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## Effington (Nov 22, 2011)

I have to say, I call it stuffing whether it's cooked in the bird or not. "Dressing," to me, is balsamic vinaigrette (and more of a southern US term for stuffing). But the difference definitely makes sense.

I agree completely about making it my own, and I'm almost never stuck in a food rut, as you say. But I do like to hear about what other people like to do, get suggestions and recipes, then take the elements I like and put my own twist into it. Because I'm also a bit of a perfectionist and I'm all about doing things the most awesome way possible... while still keeping it my own. 

This community is great place for that. How about additional stuffing ingredients - onions and celery seems like they're mandatory, but anyone ever try something different? I think a little chopped red bell pepper might be fun in there for crunch and color, especially with a sausage stuffing. Mushrooms would be good too. As for herbs, I grow most of the classics... thyme, parsley, and sage will definitely make their way in there.


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## snickerdoodle (Nov 22, 2011)

Some stuffings can be sweet AND savory.  Some have apples, cranberries and/or raisins in it.  I think stuffings leave a lot of room for creativity.  I've eaten so many different kinds but oddly enough have never made any myself.


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## Dawgluver (Nov 22, 2011)

No eggs here either.  Stuffing is my absolute favorite Thanksgiving dish, I like mine the traditional recipe.  We have a couple of recent threads with some great tips and recipes.  Good luck with your first stuffing/dressing/filling!


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## Claire (Nov 22, 2011)

Stuffing/dressing is so traditional for most of us.  My mom always used an egg or two to "bind it".  But some only believe in corn bread, some have to have sausage, or oysters or .... it can go into eternity.  We all have our individual style and our family style, and none of it is wrong.  I think I've mentioned this many times.  Being different isn't being wrong!


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## jennyema (Nov 22, 2011)

Eggs in stuffing make it too much like bread pudding to me. 

 I dont care for that.


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## msmofet (Nov 22, 2011)

Claire said:


> Stuffing/dressing is so traditional for most of us. My mom always used an egg or two to "bind it". But some only believe in corn bread, some have to have sausage, or oysters or .... it can go into eternity. We all have our individual style and our family style, and none of it is wrong. I think I've mentioned this many times. Being different isn't being wrong!


 You are so right about that. If you like it then it is right.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Nov 22, 2011)

I put two eggs in my stuffing, and it never comes out like bread pudding.  It is light, and savory.  The texture depends on how much broth I've added to the stuffing before it's cooked.  More broth makes it more gooey.  Less broth makes it more dry.  The egg is not noticeable, except to help it hold together just a bit.

Have you ever made egg-bread?, or brushed egg-wash onto, or into a pie crust?  The egg serves to hold more of the moisture, without being noticeable.

Add an egg to a lb. of ground beef.  You won't be able to notice it in your hamburger patty, except that the patty will be more juicy, and won't shrink hardly at all.

The only thing you have to watch for when adding egg to stuffing is that you have to season and taste the stuffing to get the seasonings right before you fold in the raw egg.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## bakechef (Nov 22, 2011)

The stuffing that I grew up with in New England was more fluffy, since moving south I have found that stuffing (aka "dressing") is a more moist affair.  Many stuffings I see here are more like a savory bread pudding, moist and containing eggs.

I never understood where the term "dressing" came from.


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## Zhizara (Nov 23, 2011)

I've never used eggs in my stuffing either.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Nov 23, 2011)

I use one egg, just because Mom always did, I may leave it out this year...also thinking of putting it in the crockpot, would keep it moist.


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## pacanis (Nov 23, 2011)

I couldn't tell you how my mother made her most excellent dressing, which she stuffed, but we called it dressing. If there was an egg or two in it it went unnoticed. As with anything, moderation is the key unless you want to totally change the makeup of whatever you are making. No need to be turning your stuffing into quiche or a frittata, lol.


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 23, 2011)

I always use a couple of eggs to bind the stuffing, like PF says, because my mom did.  I think it tends to be more of a farm thing.  The old girls used what was available and to them free.  My Italian "city" friends always used day old Italian bread and a little milk to soak the bread.  That was strange for me at first.  Ya eat what yer Mama fed ya!


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## Effington (Nov 23, 2011)

This is all great stuff, and the egg debate is clearly falling in two camps - to egg or not to egg. The consensus seems to be "do what you want." Or, what your mom did at least. Since I don't have a family traditional recipe to draw from, I'm looking to start my own tradition. 

Recipes I've researched call for between 1 and 3 eggs, if it calls for them at all. I'm personally going to leave it out this year, see what kind of reaction I get and go from there. I think using freshly toasted bread and herbs from the garden will be more than enough to put it over the top.


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 23, 2011)

Effington said:


> This is all great stuff, and the egg debate is clearly falling in two camps - to egg or not to egg. The consensus seems to be "do what you want." Or, what your mom did at least. Since I don't have a family traditional recipe to draw from, I'm looking to start my own tradition.
> 
> Recipes I've researched call for between 1 and 3 eggs, if it calls for them at all. I'm personally going to leave it out this year, see what kind of reaction I get and go from there. I think using freshly toasted bread and herbs from the garden will be more than enough to put it over the top.



Make two small casseroles and let your panel of experts decide!


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## msmofet (Nov 23, 2011)

My family (mom and aunts) ALWAYS added eggs. BUT it seemed that all you had to do was SMELL the stuffing and the gassy emissions started. I was the black sheep and decided that when I started making the stuffing I would try no eggs and hub and girls like it that way. 

I don't understand the binding thing. I like it to be a pile of stuffing. Unless you want to slice it like a loaf why bother. And if you stuff the turkey it comes out in clumps anyway.

To each his own. I have had egg stuffing and it tastes very good. Taste was never my issue. This is just my opinion. Also without eggs you don't have to worry about being so careful with the cooking and storing issues that arise from eggs.


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## Effington (Nov 23, 2011)

msmofet said:


> My family (mom and aunts) ALWAYS added eggs. BUT it seemed that all you had to do was SMELL the stuffing and the gassy emissions started. I was the black sheep and decided that when I started making the stuffing I would try no eggs and hub and girls like it that way.



Hmm, I'm starting to think those gassy emissions might induce my in-laws to leave a little earlier than normal... starting to rethink the eggs


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## snickerdoodle (Nov 23, 2011)

Effington said:


> Hmm, I'm starting to think those gassy emissions might induce my in-laws to leave a little earlier than normal... starting to rethink the eggs


 
Then again it could totally backfire if they decide to stick around!!


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## Zhizara (Nov 23, 2011)

snickerdoodle said:


> Then again it could totally backfire if they decide to stick around!!


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## msmofet (Nov 23, 2011)

snickerdoodle said:


> Then again it could totally backfire if they decide to stick around!!


 Backfires ARE the problem!!


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## taxlady (Nov 23, 2011)

My mother was Danish and thought bread stuffing was something North Americans came up with during the Great Depression as a way to save money. She stuffed holiday birds by making meatloaf in the cavity.

I hated bread stuffing as a kid, when I got it at someone's house or in a restaurant. Thought it was nasty stuff.

I started to enjoy stuffing when I followed a recipe in _Joy of Cooking_. It has soft bread crumbs, celery, onion, apples, raisins, melted butter, seasonings and I can't remember anything else. I make the soft bread crumbs in the food processor from saved up heels of whole grain bread.


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## PattY1 (Nov 23, 2011)

I have never put eggs in stuffing. I found out after years of making it that my mother, who I learned from put eggs in hers. I must have missed that step. I never missed the eggs thought.


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## Silversage (Nov 23, 2011)

Interesting.  I had never heard of eggs in stuffing before I read this thread.  

My grandmother just used pounds of butter!  I cut that back and use stock instead.  It's always nice and moist and holds together just fine.


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## Effington (Nov 23, 2011)

Just in case anyone is interested, I have put together a recipe that I will be using. I came up with this thanks to a lot of inspiration from some great food bloggers and amateur chefs (plus you guys of course), but with enough twists to make it my own. I'm using sourdough bread, hot Italian and Andouille sausage, and I'm adding just a little maple syrup to the chicken stock to give it a sweet, fall flavor. 

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/thanksgiving-sausage-and-sourdough-stuffing-76283.html#post1075273

I don't really like fruit in my stuffing, but I'm sure it would be great with some apples and dried cranberries if that's your thing.


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## blissful (Nov 28, 2011)

My stuffing/dressing has eggs in it.
Bread toasted and dried and cubed.
Italian and breakfast sausage cooked
rice cooked, finely chopped celery and onion, cubed apples, turkey broth from giblets and seasonings, chopped mushrooms, sage, rosemary, s&p.
After I've gotten it just the right moistness--gently falling apart, I add a few eggs to hold it together once it is cooked.
(two loaves of wheat bread--6 eggs)
I make them into stuffing balls--large or small and bake them. They are moist on the inside and crusty on the outside. Split them open and add some gravy to serve.


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## Effington (Nov 28, 2011)

I was pretty happy with my stuffing sans egg - I really like it loose and in big pieces - but the egg thing is definitely based on how you like it or your tradition. 

I have to say, my stuffing was a huge success. The sourdough was excellent, perfect for holding just the right amount of moisture without getting soggy or wet. I never liked stuffing much before, but now I have my own tradition.


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## blissful (Nov 28, 2011)

Effington said:


> I have to say, my stuffing was a huge success. The sourdough was excellent, perfect for holding just the right amount of moisture without getting soggy or wet. I never liked stuffing much before, but now I have my own tradition.



DC: Saving the world, feeding the hungry, one recipe at a time.

Glad it worked for you.


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## CWS4322 (Nov 28, 2011)

I didn't use egg before in stuffing/dressing, but now that I have those farm FRESH eggs and they are "free," I have to use them up! (The girls have been hiding clutches--we have been finding clutches of 6-13 eggs in the oddest places...).


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## Andy M. (Nov 28, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> ...(The girls have been hiding clutches--we have been finding clutches of 6-13 eggs in the oddest places...).




Depending on how well the girls hid them, they may not be *FRESH* anymore.


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## blissful (Nov 28, 2011)

How does a clutch happen?
A. one chicken decides to lay 6 eggs--most unlikely.
B. a bunch of chickens all go lay a bunch of eggs in one unlikely place--'hey chicken lucy loo, over here, we are putting together a clutch'.
C. a bunch of chickens lay eggs and later move them into an unlikely place--'hey chicken licken', we are hiding them here to watch our human caretaker play hide and seek'.


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## CWS4322 (Nov 28, 2011)

They aren't sitting on them, the barn is cool (we have hard frost on the ground every morning). The girls are redefining the definition of an Easter egg hunt. FWIW, you can keep eggs for incubation at room temperature for up to 10 days before you start incubating them (some people keep them in the fridge for a week before putting them in the incubator). But no, they are not "FRESH" because FRESH means today, but then, the eggs people buy at the store aren't FRESH today either. The eggs we've found in these clutches have been designated for "dog" eggs, just to be safe.


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## CWS4322 (Nov 28, 2011)

Blissful--how does it happen? Well, Plymouth Rocks don't lay every day (they take a day off out of 7). The Buff Orpingtons seem to take a day off every so often as well. The Buffs eggs are "pink," and more elongated. So their eggs are obvious. The Rhode Island Reds lay every day. So there are always 11 eggs. That's when the "Easter egg" hunt begins...to see which of the PRs and Buffs laid eggs. The PR eggs are smaller than the RIRs and not pink. They also have a thicker membrane. But yes, maybe it is just they are trying to give us a "game" to play because they follow me around when I go collecting. Perhaps we should move them to the coop and force them to use the nest boxes rather than giving them more space in the barn...They do have nest boxes in the barn, but the coop is smaller and the nest boxes are mounted on the walls. So they would have fewer choices of where to lay eggs...but they like the tractors, the canoe, the rototillers, and their loveseat. I'm too much of a softy to take away their furniture.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Nov 28, 2011)

<whispers>

_Awk! She found them!_
Yes, new place over here.
_Bet it takes her more than 3 days to find this one, Awk!_
She's looking at us.
_Quick! Act like a chicken, Cluck Cluck, Cluck!_


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## blissful (Nov 28, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> <whispers>
> 
> _Awk! She found them!_
> Yes, new place over here.
> ...


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## blissful (Nov 28, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Well, Plymouth Rocks don't lay every day (they take a day off out of 7). The Buff Orpingtons seem to take a day off every so often as well. The Buffs eggs are "pink," and more elongated. So their eggs are obvious. The Rhode Island Reds lay every day. So there are always 11 eggs. That's when the "Easter egg" hunt begins...to see which of the PRs and Buffs laid eggs. The PR eggs are smaller than the RIRs and not pink. They also have a thicker membrane.



I do believe you are our resident EGG-SPURT!


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## Robo410 (Nov 28, 2011)

"I never understood where the term "dressing" came from." bakechef

one dresses (stuffs) then trusses the bird. It is a regional term going back at least to colonial times when people tried to be polite even when talking about cooking.


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## msmofet (Nov 28, 2011)

Robo410 said:


> "I never understood where the term "dressing" came from." bakechef
> 
> one dresses (stuffs) then trusses the bird. It is a regional term going back at least to colonial times when people tried to be polite even when talking about cooking.


 HMMMMMMMMMMMMM Then why is "Dressing" used for NOT cooked/stuffed into the turkey? I call it stuffing no matter where it is cooked. LOL


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## Zhizara (Nov 28, 2011)

msmofet said:


> HMMMMMMMMMMMMM Then why is "Dressing" used for NOT cooked/stuffed into the turkey? I call it stuffing no matter where it is cooked. LOL



I agree, otherwise you'd have to call it dressing until you stuffed it in the bird, and stuffing from the bird, but dressing when cooked on the side.  Too silly.


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## Addie (Nov 28, 2011)

My mother made traditional sage bread stuffing for the cavity and sage potatoes and sausage stuffing for the neck. There was very little of the potato stuffing, so I made sure I always got some of that before anything else on my plate.


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## CWS4322 (Nov 28, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> <whispers>
> 
> _Awk! She found them!_
> Yes, new place over here.
> ...


 You two are SO BAD


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## taxlady (Nov 28, 2011)

msmofet said:


> HMMMMMMMMMMMMM Then why is "Dressing" used for NOT cooked/stuffed into the turkey? I call it stuffing no matter where it is cooked. LOL



I don't think anyone made dressing/stuffing that wasn't inside the bird back then.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Nov 28, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> You two are SO BAD



Hey, you raised them!!!  They think they can drive tractors!


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## CWS4322 (Nov 28, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Hey, you raised them!!! They think they can drive tractors!


 and paddle a canoe! But they are really cute


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## Effington (Nov 29, 2011)

taxlady said:


> I don't think anyone made dressing/stuffing that wasn't inside the bird back then.



To the Internet!



			
				Wikipedia said:
			
		

> It is not known when stuffings were first used. The earliest documentary evidence is the Roman cookbook, Apicius'"De Re Coquinaria", which contains recipes for stuffed chicken, hare, pig, and dormouse. Most of the stuffings described consist of vegetables, herbs and spices, nuts, and spelt (an old cereal), and frequently contain chopped liver, brains, and other organ meat.
> 
> Names for stuffing include 'farce' (~1390), 'stuffing' (1538), 'forcemeat' (1688), and 'dressing'. After about 1880, the term stuffing was replaced by dressing in Victorian English.





> “A lot of people will say that ‘stuffing’ is cooked inside the bird, and ‘dressing’ is served alongside,” says Rebecca Hays, managing editor at Cook’s Illustrated. “But I don’t think there’s technically a right or wrong answer.”
> 
> The inside-outside theory does fall apart quickly. Hays says her New England-based magazine uses “stuffing” whether the dish — usually some blend of bread laced with seasonings, vegetables, maybe meat — is cooked inside or outside the bird.
> 
> ...



Then there's the regional variation of the ingredients, which I'm sure also accounts for some of the differences here. Traditional north-eastern stuffing is made with hearty white bread, while southern stuffings often employ cornbread. New England uses onions, celery, thyme and sage. Oyster's are included in many coastal communities. Midwesterners like using rye or dark breads like pumpernickel. Sourdough is popular in northern California along with wild mushrooms. There's even tamale-based Thanksgiving stuffings found in Texas with pork, chilies and raisins. 

Then there are variations among southerners.... rice is popular in the Deep South and Carolina Low country. Cracker crumbs and biscuits are used in some areas, and where pork is king you'll find ham, bacon and sausage in the mix. In Louisiana you'll find more rice in stuffings along with andouille sausage, tasso and hot peppers providing a Cajon/Creole influence.

So regionally, pretty much everyone in the south (mostly south of the Mason-Dixon) and some in the midwest call it "dressing." To everyone else, it's just stuffing. 

Now, someone mentioned that using the term dressing may be born out of politeness - as I quoted in Wikipedia above, "dressing" seems have overtaken "stuffing" as the preferred term in Victorian English around 1880. That may why dressing still rules in the south:



> “‘Stuffing’ was not a pleasant word,” says Eve Felder, associate dean at the Culinary Institute of America, who grew up in Charleston, S.C. “So you always called it ‘dressing.’ It’s like ‘grits’ was not a pleasant word. So even though we lived on grits, we called it ‘hominy,’ because it’s a gentler word.”



Personally, I don't think that stuffings were cooked outside the bird until Stove Top stuffing made an appearance, probably sometime in the 1970's. 

Many chefs and the USDA do advocate cooking stuffing outside the bird now. Food safety is part of the reason, but the other is that when the bird is done cooking, the stuffing may not be - leading to either a potentially unsafe stuffing, or an overcooked bird. But, getting it back in the bird is becoming more and more popular now. 

I don't do it because I don't want anything standing in the way between me and a perfectly cooked turkey.


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## Andy M. (Nov 29, 2011)

You learn something every day.  Thanks,


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## Effington (Nov 29, 2011)

I bet stuffed dormouse was gross.


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## Andy M. (Nov 29, 2011)

Effington said:


> I bet stuffed dormouse was gross.




Not much fun for the dormouse either.


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## CWS4322 (Nov 29, 2011)

Gosh darn--my grandma didn't ever hear about USDA recommendations. And, eating stuffing in the bird wasn't listed on her death certificate re: cause of death.


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## Effington (Nov 29, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Gosh darn--my grandma didn't ever hear about USDA recommendations. And, eating stuffing in the bird wasn't listed on her death certificate re: cause of death.



Yeah, but grandmas never had to worry about USDA recommendations on food safety because they overcooked everything - I know mine did, and my mother. If you rely on that pop-up thermometer at 185 degrees, then anything in, on or near that turkey will be perfectly safe - and the turkey itself will be a barren wasteland of non-flavor. 

I'm happy to be in the generation of probe thermometers, juicy poultry and pink pork tenderloin. We just have to be a little more careful about salmonella, in poultry at least, to get our food in the window between "safe" and "tasty."


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Nov 29, 2011)

If experience is the deciding factor, then the whole of the Thanksgiving meal should be called stuffing. When I'm done eating it, and drinking one more glass of home-made egg nog, and then having to drink another glass of milk to "cleanse" the pallate, I know that I am thoroughly stuffed.

But somehow, I'm not as belly-button-popping stuffed as I used to get as a teen, or even as a young adult. I've learned to moderate the quanitity of food a little better.

 It's just that by the time you have a taste of everything at the table, just a taste, you've already over-eaten. And you haven't even had any of the multiple desert offerings yet.

What's a man supposed to do. It's an impossible enigma.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## PrincessFiona60 (Nov 29, 2011)

Effington said:


> Now, someone mentioned that using the term dressing may be born out of politeness - as I quoted in Wikipedia above, "dressing" seems have overtaken "stuffing" as the preferred term in Victorian English around 1880. That may why dressing still rules in the south:



Missing your nice quote on polite food...but, I use enough polite language, in the kitchen...anything goes!


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## SharonT (Dec 2, 2011)

I do put a few eggs in my cornbread dressing, but they're boiled and chopped first.


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## pmeheran (Dec 6, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> I think egg is supposed to act as a binder.  I've never used egg in stuffing.



Yes, my mother used it as a binder in chicken stuffing.  The trick was to only use one egg for the whole bowl of stuffing.  The stuffing will hold together but you didn't put in enough to change anything but the texture.  Of course that was in the days before salmonella and E. coli.  I personally don't use egg in my stuffing.  It is a rice stuffing with crimini mushrooms, giblets and sliced black olives.


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