Three Southern Takes On Thanksgiving Dressing

I understand there’s some confusing about what dressing is supposed to be called?

I grew up eating dressing at Thanksgiving. While I know that dressing is called stuffing in other parts of the country, it makes since not to call it stuffing because we don’t stuff it in the turkey.

Many people in the south bake dressing in a pan, cut it in square slices and serve it alongside the turkey – you know – like window dressing? So… dressing.

I”ve actually never had dressing stuffed inside a turkey, never been at a dinner where dressing was stuffed inside a turkey, and honestly if it was I probably wouldn’t want to eat it! But that’s just me. I know there are millions of stuffing eaters out there. 🙂

Now that that’s settled, lets talk turkey – er – dressing.

My favorite dressing growing up was a cornbread stuffing with spicy sausage. As a pescaterian I now neither eat sausage or turkey, but I can still have dressing. It is in fact one of the highlights of Thanksgiving dinner for me. And I love how there are so many different types of stuffing – it’s personal to families, cooks, regions and cities.

There are several different ways I like to make stuffing as well, so I thought I’d share three of my favorite recipes for my favorite dressings.

Spicy Sausage Stuffing

As I mentioned, I grew up eating spicy sausage stuffing. This recipe calls for Johnsonville but any organic spicy sausage will do. Last year, I made this recipe with a vegan spicy sausage. It turned out well. But this year, I’m making different versions without mock meats.

This recipe also calls for cream of chicken which creates the tastiest, moistess dressing. When in doubt, add more cream of chicken! I have to have moist dressing. As a pescatarian, I add vegetable broth and experiment with cream of mushroom and Greek yogurt flavored with herbs and spices

This spicy sausage stuffing recipe was created by Christin of Spicy Southern Kitchen. Read the full recipe.

Oyster Dressing

I love oysters. I love oyster dressing. It’s two things that don’t appear to go together. Bread and oysters, and yet it is divine! So moist. So flavorful. And the dressing I’m making this year. I’ve made it before, and I add oyster broth instead of chicken broth, and lots of melted butter. This recipe only calls for sage as an herb, but I also add tarragon, parsley and rosemary.

Since I don’t eat turkey, the oysters provide a heartiness to my meal I can’t get from the other sides.

Read Peggi Anne of Just A Pinch‘s recipe.

Southern Cornbread Stuffing

The humble cornbread stuffing is iconic in the south. It’s the de facto stuffing served at Thanksgiving. It’s the assumed stuffing, the one most born and bred southerners grew up eating (at least in North Carolina). It’s a little more dry and crumbly than the other stuffings on this list, but more herbaceous with basil, thyme and more. At my Thanksgivings there are always multiple dishes of stuffing, some fancy, some plain. And this one, it’s always there.

Find the full recipe by Amy of HouseOfNashEats.com