(KDVR) — It’s a question that divides the country each year ahead of Thanksgiving: What’s the difference between dressing and stuffing?
Merriam-Webster defines stuffing as “a seasoned mixture (as of bread crumbs, vegetables, and butter) that is typically placed inside the cavity of a turkey, pepper, etc. and cooked.” It defines dressing as “a seasoned mixture usually used as a stuffing (as for poultry).”
According to delish, though, dressing is cooked outside of a turkey, while stuffing is typically cooked inside.
However, the way the terms are used can vary depending on what part of the country you live in. In fact, some places call the side dish “stuffing” even if it is prepared outside of the turkey.
A recent report from Campbell’s showed that you are more likely to hear stuffing referred to as “dressing” in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
The dish tops the list of Thanksgiving sides, the report found. Here are the top five:
Stuffing/dressingMashed potatoesSweet potatoesGreen bean casseroleMac and Cheese
The report offered a few other fun facts as well, including that of all the states, Massachusetts is the only one evenly split on the debate over mashed potatoes versus stuffing.
If you don’t like your sides to touch on your plate, you’re not alone. Folks in Arkansas, Alaska and Idaho don’t either.
States that are most likely to get creative with their sides include Maine, Washington and Oregon, and those who don’t mind eating sides only for their Thanksgiving meal reside mostly in Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Travel site “The Vacationer” conducted a survey of the most disliked Thanksgiving foods, and incidentally, turkey wasn’t it.
The poll, which allowed respondents to choose as many options as they wanted, resulted in the following list:
1. Cranberry sauce — 30.51%
2. Turkey — 29.11%
3. Green bean casserole — 27.52%
4. Ham — 26.72%
5. Coleslaw — 25.32%
6. Sweet potatoes or yams — 25.12%
7. Stuffing/dressing — 22.33%
8. Pumpkin pie — 21.44%
9. Carrots — 16.95%
10. Mashed potatoes — 15.45%
11. Corn — 14.36%
12. Macaroni and cheese — 14.36%
13. Apple pie — 12.86%
None of these. I like them all. — 16.55%
According to the Vacationer, this is the second consecutive year that cranberry sauce, turkey and green bean casserole have topped the list.