Dressing Vs Stuffing, Decided (2024)

I wasn't even aware that people referred to stuffing as "dressing" until…sh*t, I don't know when. Maybe I was 13 or 21 or something. Either way, I'd been on Earth for a while before I ever heard that sh*t.

Apparently, as I learned on VSB yesterday, there are people who had the exact opposite experience. Stuffing has always been "dressing" to them, and when they think of "stuffing" they think of the type of food Brooks fed his bird in The Shawshank Redemption.

Anyway, I want to settle this now and forever. Dressing or Stuffing?

Stuffing (the right answer) or Dressing (the wrong one)

• Dressing (65%, 744 Votes)
• Stuffing (35%, 406 Votes)

—-Damon Young

From my personal experience stuffing is served inside the bird, and dressing is served outside. That's the obvious. But getting into the composition, stuffing is typically white bread based (crackers, baguette, etc.) and has more vegetable composition. Whereas dressing is typically cornbread based, veggies and then maybe toasted seasoned breads.

Also worth noting, stuffing has also been known to be made of other things like mashed potatoes or pureed cauliflower. You know the type of people who would do that.

Me, being unabashedly southern, dressing over everything.

—-Ryan Sides

Stuffing is in the bird. Dressing is out, the perfect brown and crisp, and overall just better.

—-Christina Eichelberger

Stuffing was, in my cousins' and auntie's words: "White people sh*t." I always thought of stuffing as either LOAF bread-based or Stove Top. Round my parts, we stuffed the bird with dressing AND it "dressed" the outside of the bird. So I differentiate based on what it's made with. Dressing is cornbread.

Woo, chile the smell of dressing. Yums. Wise men love sage. Puns.

—-Tonja Stidhum

Ryan, you touched a nerve. Risk of being greeted with f*cksh*t like cauliflower, green bean casserole, or something involving bacon-wrapped carrots, unseasoned possum kabobs or some other Marmite-coated terribleness is why holiday meals with Beth-Ann and Brixton are not covered under Obamacare. And I'm no daredevil n-word.

But anyhow, I grew up hearing both, but eating the same damn sh*t. Different strokes or whatever.

But, when I hear "stuffing," I just imagine kitchen terrorist Sandra Lee finding a way to use beer, orange rinds, walnuts and lunchbox crumbs in a fun new take on a down-home American classic: Stovetop Stuffing. She must be decommissioned and disassembled at once. No one [woman] should have all that [terribleness.] sh*t. Wait, what point was I making?

—-Alex Hardy

It's called dressing. Stuffing sounds like something immature people say.

—-Huny Young

As an ardent and avid southerner, its dressing. Though I've been at folks houses and they were talking about stuffing and I was like WTF when dressing was brought out. But given that us southerners really run this soul food sh*t, I'm going to say that it is dressing. Stuffing is that inside the bird non-sense usually composed of that sh*t I don't like. Or at least that's my inexperienced take on it. In my house, we eat dressing. Anything less is uncivilized.

—-Panama Jackson

Hey Team Dressing. Just in case you didn't know, dressing goes on salads. It's like Italians who call sauce gravy. I mean, I guess but I'm gonna call it sauce. Stuffing goes in turkey. You all can talk about Southern roots blah blah all you want, but the fact is it is stuffing. If you ask me where the dressing is at, I'm passing you a bottle of ranch.

—-Jozen Cummings

Why do you colored people love Ranch so much?

Also: It's stuffing.

—-Maya Francis

Hey Jozen,

No.

Signed,
The People

—-Panama

We won't be slandering Ranch, Maya. And I promise, one day when we get this VSB potluck popping, whoever labels their stuffing "dressing" is going to be in for a surprise when I cross that sh*t out and call it by its proper name. Stuffing.

—-Jozen

Jozen you took the words right out my mouth. Dressing is for salad.

I know I'm betraying my southern roots when I say it's called stuffing. But it makes the most sense, y'all.

—-Mylon Medley

Not for nothing, we've had this argument on VSB before. If I remember, it got heated. It's amazing the things that Black folks do indeed get really political about. This sh*t is tantamount to the Hatfields and McCoys. With that being said, should you try to cross out my "dressing" and replace it with words that reek of Lucifer's trumpets, I will indubitably challenge you to a duel. And by duel, I mean I will put you out, remake Rae Sremmurd's song into "No Stuffing Zone" and hit my nae-nae and transition into a Shmoney Dance for all the dead homeys and those who refuse to acknowledge its proper name.

—-Panama

How can such smart people be so wrong about something so simple? It is dressing. Let's just stop this misguided stuffing nonsense.

-—Shanae Brown

Honestly? You know what? I love all of you and I don't want to be divided about something that brings us such joy (because I'm silently judging you.) Just pass me a plate — but make sure there's no swine on it.

—-Maya

This went left quickly. How is it stuffing if it's not stuffi…you know what, nevermind. Words mean things.

—-Ryan

No bones on the dressing vs stuffing debate, but I really need us Blacks to start loving ourselves, our taste buds, and our spirits, and saying no to the ranch dressing. Hidden Valley is a conspiracy keeping us from the promised land. Stay woke.

—-Shamira Ibrahim

You're right, Ryan. Words do mean things. Stuffing means stuffing. Dressing can mean something other than stuffing. Ergo stuffing is more appropriate here.

—-Jozen

The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish, in which case it may still be called 'stuffing', or in some regions, such as the Southern US, 'dressing'.

This is from Wiki. Basically, everyone except a tiny percentage of Black people with family in Alabama calls it stuffing. "Dressing" is some off-brand regional sh*t, like White Castle or Lil Boosie. And we know Wiki is always right and never, ever wrong. So, it's decided.

—-Damon

Ok…ranch, White Castle, and Boosie slander followed by a Wikipedia definition of dressing vs stuffing?? This battle is no longer mine, it's the Lord's.

—-Ryan

"White Castle"?

That's my time folks. You guys just don't respect yourselves.

-—Maya