With the Thanksgiving feast only days away, our attention turns to those traditional dishes that we make once or maybe twice a year. They're usually reserved for the holiday table. The top of the list is green bean casserole, that vegetable concoction with its crunchy oniony topping. No Thanksgiving dinner would ever be complete without it. It was created by the Campbell Soup Company in 1955 and is an iconic part of the American holidays. Then there's pumpkin pie and the marshmallow sweet potato casserole. Are you hungry yet? My favorite part of the turkey is what's inside the big bird--the stuffing or is it dressing? This has been a topic of discussion with friends who hail from all parts of the U.S.
Here's a little background from my research. Apparently the term "stuffing" was first mentioned in 1538 in English print. By the 1880's, the word wasn't upper crust enough for the Victorian age. Somehow calling it dressing made what was shoved into the bird carcass more genteel. Today, dressing and stuffing are regional. Our friends from Tennessee call it dressing, which is standard for the South. Many times it's a casserole and not in the bird at all. Cornbread may be the base, rather than white bread too. If you're from the Northeast or Midwest, that lovely mess of bread, onion, celery, sage, broth, and butter is called stuffing.
Tonight I enjoyed stuffing with mild chilies at our church dinner.It was great! The dish is extremely versatile and I've made it a dozen different ways over the years. The Italian year had artichokes, mushrooms, sausage, and Parmesan. That was a good year. Most years its pretty simple with chopped onion, celery, and mushrooms. Sometimes a bit of dried fruit goes in or chopped apple to give it some sweetness. There have been pecans or walnuts added too. Good stuffing or dressing cannot be StoveTop. You must make your own cubed bread or at least get Pepperidge Farms herbed bread cubes in the bag. At our house, the bird must be stuffed to the hilt and an additional dish of stuffing must be baked too. Leftover stuffing is mandatory. This is per my husband, who is quite a connoisseur of stuffing. The inside stuffing is most desirable because it's basted in those delicious turkey juices, all moist and well...downright delicious.
Whatever you call it and however make it, enjoy the holiday this week. As you remember the blessings of the year, give thanks to our gracious Heavenly Father as the Provider of all good things. We'll be doing just that on Thursday as well.
Here's a little background from my research. Apparently the term "stuffing" was first mentioned in 1538 in English print. By the 1880's, the word wasn't upper crust enough for the Victorian age. Somehow calling it dressing made what was shoved into the bird carcass more genteel. Today, dressing and stuffing are regional. Our friends from Tennessee call it dressing, which is standard for the South. Many times it's a casserole and not in the bird at all. Cornbread may be the base, rather than white bread too. If you're from the Northeast or Midwest, that lovely mess of bread, onion, celery, sage, broth, and butter is called stuffing.
Tonight I enjoyed stuffing with mild chilies at our church dinner.It was great! The dish is extremely versatile and I've made it a dozen different ways over the years. The Italian year had artichokes, mushrooms, sausage, and Parmesan. That was a good year. Most years its pretty simple with chopped onion, celery, and mushrooms. Sometimes a bit of dried fruit goes in or chopped apple to give it some sweetness. There have been pecans or walnuts added too. Good stuffing or dressing cannot be StoveTop. You must make your own cubed bread or at least get Pepperidge Farms herbed bread cubes in the bag. At our house, the bird must be stuffed to the hilt and an additional dish of stuffing must be baked too. Leftover stuffing is mandatory. This is per my husband, who is quite a connoisseur of stuffing. The inside stuffing is most desirable because it's basted in those delicious turkey juices, all moist and well...downright delicious.
Whatever you call it and however make it, enjoy the holiday this week. As you remember the blessings of the year, give thanks to our gracious Heavenly Father as the Provider of all good things. We'll be doing just that on Thursday as well.
Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Psalm 105:1 NLT
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