Bread Dressing

Bread dressing is a savory mixture of bread cubes or crumbs, aromatic vegetables, herbs, and broth, served as a filling or accompaniment to roasted poultry or meat.

"Dressing" and "bread stuffing" are often used interchangeably, but the terms can mark a real distinction: dressing is baked separately in its own dish, while stuffing is packed into the cavity of the turkey or chicken before roasting, where it picks up moisture and flavor from the meat's juices but must reach a safe internal temperature before serving. In the American South, "dressing" is the more common term regardless of where it's cooked.

Preparation typically starts with sautéing onions, celery, and other aromatics in butter or oil, then adding the bread and letting it absorb the flavorful liquid, with sage, thyme, and parsley as common seasonings. Variations add sausage, nuts, dried fruit, or oysters.

Beyond Thanksgiving, bread dressing works as a year-round side for poultry and meat, or can be repurposed into bread pudding or used as a binder for meatballs or croquettes.