Thanksgiving Dinner With A Little Bit Of Everything

What’s the difference between “dressing” and “stuffing”?

Most Americans call the Thanksgiving bread side stuffing. In Black American and Southern households, it’s almost always dressing. The two words are not the same dish: dressing is usually made with cornbread, baked in a pan in the oven, and served alongside the turkey. Stuffing is often made with white bread, packed inside the bird, and cooked there. The split runs deep: a Black or Southern cook hearing the word “stuffing” can spot a non-Southern visitor in one syllable.

In this clip, a host walks through her Thanksgiving spread: “turkey, fried chicken, fried fish, oxtails, goat, turkey wings, cabbage, collard greens, mac and cheese, dressing, yams, mashed potatoes.” The word dressing sits naturally in the list.