Whether you call it dressing or stuffing—and whichever bread you use to make it—this holiday side dish evokes strong opinions.
There are all sorts of food debates that can result in fierce verbal battles. What shouldn’t you put in the (English translation: “On The Subject of Cooking”) The cookbook, believed to be the oldest in existence, mentions various recipes for stuffed game, fowl and more. Beyond that, there’s no record to enlighten us on how stuffing became a Thanksgiving tradition.
WHAT’S BEST?
I lean toward dressing for one huge reason — bacteria. On its website, the USDA notes that undercooked stuffing can lead to some nasty illnesses. I don’t want that — neither do I want to serve it. But secondly, I do like the ability to control how I cook my dressing on the stovetop.
WHAT’S THE BEST BREAD?
You can use any white bread for dressing. I’ve used old hamburger and hot dog buns, day-old rolls, corn muffins, sourdough, and the like. I find that whole-grain breads don’t work well in dressing because they’re too dense and don’t readily absorb moisture. So if you have some whole grain, rye, or pumpernickel sitting around, make toast.
I also have no problem mixing white and cornbread. Don’t dump it if it’s a little old; cook with it.
BEST INGREDIENTS
I like simplicity. I don’t want some fancy dressing competing with the other holiday sides. Cubed bread, onions, peppers (any color), salt, pepper, butter, chicken stock, and a little parmesan cheese does it for me. I’ll add some ground pork sausage if I have some lying around, but I won’t go out of my way to get it. (Editor’s note: Others favor chopped celery and/or sage in the mix.)
HOW DO I MAKE IT?
As I said, simple.
6 cups of cubed white or cornbread, or a mixture of the two
1 large rough chopped onion
1 large rough chopped red pepper (any color will do)
1 stick of butter, total
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock, more or less
1 cup parmesan cheese
In a large pan, Add ½ stick of butter in a pan. Add the onion and peppers, and cook for about one minute over medium heat. Add in all the bread, turn the heat to medium-low, and occasionally stir to ensure the bread doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If it does, deglaze with just a little chicken stock.
About five minutes in, add the other 1/2 stick of butter, let it melt, and stir. Continue stirring. After about 15 minutes, all the bread should be golden brown. Remove from the pan and add to a large bowl. Add chicken stock, a few tablespoons at a time, until your dressing achieves the consistency you desire. Sprinkle in the cheese and toss.
That’s how I do it, but whatever recipe you use, I hope it’ll be so good no one will care if you call it stuffing or dressing this holiday season. They’ll just call it delicious.
Ray Marcano is a longtime, award-winning journalist who has written and edited for some of the country’s most prominent media brands. He’s a former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright Fellow.
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