Some say that stuffing is what you stuff inside the bird whereas dressing is what you cook separately on the side. I think Southern Living said it best,
"The difference between stuffing or dressing isn’t as much about technique or ingredients as it is about whether you say y’all, you all, or youse."
I grew up in the north and my husband is from the south. My family made a white bread stuffing. His family made a cornbread dressing. Both families cooked some of the stuffing/dressing inside of the bird and some of the stuffing/dressing outside in a separate pan, purely to appease all that would come to eat at the table.
Personally, I think both are absolutely delicious so there is nothing wrong with welcoming both to the Thanksgiving table. After all, the more, the merrier!
Michigan's White Bread Stuffing
Ingredients
12 cups soft bread cubes
1 cup butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
1. Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until tender.
2. Remove from heat and stir in all of the remaining ingredients. Combine and serve.
Texas's Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
3 boxes of Jiffy boxed cornbread mix
1 cup of chicken broth
2 medium onions, chopped
5 stalks of celery, chopped
6 Tablespoons of Butter
1 pound mild pork sausage
4 eggs
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In an oven-friendly baking dish soak the cornbread mixture in the chicken broth for 10 minutes. Stir to absorb the liquid.
3. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onion and celery until tender. Add the sausage and cook over low heat until the sausage is browned.
4. Drain the sausage and vegetables. Then add the sausage mixture to the cornbread mixture.
5. Bake for 45 minutes or until slightly browned.