Feeding Frenzy

By Rebecca

November 19, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this

I’m from the deep south (southern Alabama) and it has always been dressing. My mother makes it with cornbread, light bread (white bread or “factory bread” as our French exchange student said), celery, onions, and chicken broth, then bakes it in the oven. I mix in some Pepperidge farm with mine because I like the taste of the herbs. We’ve always had sweet potato casserole, (not pie) with brown sugar/pecan topping. This casserole calls for about a pound of butter, but it is so good! One year I brought a pumpkin pie that I baked (my husband is from the North- New Jersey) and my mother said “No one likes that— they won’t eat it”— it wasn’t tradition. My nieces loved it! I think pecan pie is pretty traditional in the South but I never liked it so if I make that I make a chocolate version and serve it with plenty of whipped cream. I always fix fresh whole cranberries— the canned ones are disgusting, but one year all the stores were sold out, so it was that or nothing. I do know that people from the North fix mashed potatoes, but I never do even though I married into a family from New Jersey. The way I look at it is that if they want it, then they can fix it!

By Stan

November 20, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this

Dressing!!! Stuffing is evil!!! (I am a fan of Good Eats)

I’m a native of Dekalb county, Mom grew up there too, Dad is from the country the other side of Athens. Dressing, made from cornbread, biscuits, onion, celery and a few other things was always there for Thanksgiving. Also on hand was the sweet potato “souffle” with the brown sugar and pecan topping.

Pecan pie ALWAYS. As for pumpkin vs. sweet potato, who cares…I love pie, all pie, never had a pie I didn’t like.

Rebecca: my wife is from Iowa and must have her mashed potatoes. I didn’t know Iowa was Yankee till I learned her food habits. :)

By Stacey

November 20, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this

Mississippi native chiming in and we eat dressing. My husband is a GA native and he always had dressing too. I was always taught that the difference between dressing and stuffing is that dressing is made from cornbread and stuffing is made from croutons. I only stuffing to top my squash casserole and even then I prefer the stuffing made with cornbread croutons.

As far as pie is concerned, we always had sweet potato pies and pecan pies. If there was leftover custard from the potato pies it was topped with brown sugar and pecans, baked in a buttered casserole & called potato pudding. My mother was the only one in the family who liked pumpkin pie. She said that you couldn’t really taste the difference between pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie but we always could.

By L. Andrews

November 22, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this

Cornbread dressing for me… didn’t know anything about stuffing besides the stuff that came in a box called ‘stove top’ and it was ok, then i moved to GA and they had stuffing made with pepperidge farms or something and it was too much like soggy bread to me… for a soggy bread dish, give me some bread pudding!!! (no raisins please) anyway i had to learn to tweak the dressing when i transitioned to veg*an and it’s just as good without the turkey juice, giblets and eggs…mmmmm i can’t wait til next week!!!

By Dr. R

November 22, 2008 12:57 PM | Link to this

I remember the first time someone from the family tried to introduce oyster stuffing to Thanksgiving. Everyone looked at him like he was from Mars or something. Growing up around here, it was always turkey, cornbread dressing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce (right out of the can) and pecan pie. Though I did introduce one new item recently: Garlic mashed potatoes, quite possibly the finest food ever created.

By Michael

November 22, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this

Had never heard of dressing until just now. So much for living 22 years in Georgia.

By Trish

November 24, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this

I am a southern sister from the heart. It must be Cornbread Dressing,with Turkey, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce. Sweet Potatoe Pie, Yams and Collard Greens seasoned with Smoke Turkey, A small pot with Ham Hocks (smile). Potato Salad and some Corn Cakes old fashion top of the stove. That big glass of Lemonade (homemade) Tea and Kool aid …now thats a great meal…

By Ashley

November 25, 2008 9:22 AM | Link to this

How can you have Thanksgiving without stuffing coming right out of the bird? It’s so good and flavorful!!

By Northerner In The House!

November 25, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this

I said this on the other blog. I LOVE stuffing straight outta the bird & have always done it this way but so many people have warned me about the bacteria from stuffing the bird, so this year I’m gonna try dressing. If it’s not all that, next year we’ll go back to the bacteria stuffing :-)

But it is very flavorful straight from the bird, I love it that way.

By Mary L

December 14, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this

I am from central Florida, but my parents were from rural Jasper Co, GA. Since we feed so many people on Thanksgiving, we have both stuffing and dressing. The definition of stuffing is: cooked in the bird. The definition of dressing is: cooked outside the bird. There is just not enough stuffing to go around, so it is necessary to cook a huge pan of dressing.