meaning - Is it "dressing" if I cooked my "stuffing" outside of the turkey?


I've always cooked my Thanksgiving stuffing without actually putting it inside the turkey. Does it have to be stuffed into the turkey to be called stuffing?



Answer



The term 'stuffing' is used for the stuff that could go into a turkey, even if it never made it into a turkey. It might be more accurate to say dressing (but then, are the (sweet) potatoes or the cranberry sauce dressing too - and why one but not the other?), but most people would not bother with that fine a distinction.


Maybe this belongs on the Cooking? Or, maybe you'd get alternative answers there.


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