We should first clarify, this tasting was actually with "dressings" not "stuffings," since we baked them in casserole pans, not inside the turkey's hollowed-out body. But for the record, we'll probably just keep calling it stuffing since the proper terminology can cause confusion. Some people hear dressing and just picture a big bottle of Ranch—and we didn't eat pans of that. We tried nationally available brands: Stovetop, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods 365, Martin's Potato Rolls, Pepperidge Farms, and Canterbury Organics. Find out who won. More

I have a confession to make: I'm a Thanksgiving stuffing fanatic. I love the stuff: with turkey, with gravy, on a giant plate all by itself. Filled with nuggets of mushrooms or apples (or both), savory with meaty bits, nuts, sage and thyme—sometimes even cooked with a splash of sake. (Don't knock it till you've tried it.) Stuffing is by far my favorite of the Thanksgiving leftovers, so I sometimes even make a batch in advance of the holiday, just for practice. More

There's no shame in using a boxed stuffing mix on Thanksgiving. See which brands did the best in our taste test. More

Canada already celebrated Thanksgiving back in October, but one chef, Frédéric Morin of Joe Beef in Montreal skipped the bread crumbs to make his own special spin on stuffing. He combined three of the city's iconic foods: bagels, smoked meat (and pickles) from Schwartz's Deli, and maple syrup. For the turkey, he spiced it up with some Montreal steak seasoning and drizzled Coca-Cola on top—the latter isn't particularly Canadian but it makes for a nice sweet glaze. "Seasoning the other side [of the turkey] is like wearing clean underwear. Nobody sees them but it's just for your sake." I got to try Morin's well-seasoned bird and stuffing when traveling through Montreal recently, and have to say, both were darn... More

Alton isn't against what we commonly refer to as stuffing. He's against cooking it inside the cavity of the bird. He believes it should be baked separately in a casserole pan, which means it's technically called dressing. More

At the Alinea Thanksgiving, there are two magic words: "plastic" and "bag." Earlier today, we showed you turkey, the Grant Achatz way. (aka, throw it into a plastic bag). Not much changes in the stuffing department. Achatz calls it his bag o' stuffing, in lieu of the more traditional cavity o' stuffing. Since he's such a pro, Achatz doesn't need tongs when placing bags into bubbling-hot water baths. He scoffs at tongs. He uses his bare hands. For the pumpkin pie, Achatz gives the baggies a break to whip out the blowtorch. "This doesn't look like pumpkin pie. This looks like Alinea. With funny gels and stuff," noted Nick Kokonas, an Alinea business partner. Those gelatinous pumpkin-bourbon cubes get... More

It's November 1, so now I can start obsessing in earnest about Thanksgiving without everyone thinking I'm a complete nut job. To me Thanksgiving is all about the stuffing and the pie. But maybe not everyone feels the way I do, so I've decided to let Serious Eaters weigh in on this extremely important topic. Perhaps some of you love turkey or its crisp skin. Others may live for the moment they bite into the sweet potatoes (with or without marshmallows) or the mashed potatoes enriched with loads of butter and heavy cream. Maybe, just maybe, to some folks, Thanksgiving is all about the green beans or the brussels sprouts or some other green or other-colored vegetable. For my wife... More