If you were to visit different families across America celebrating a Thanksgiving feast together, there is one dish that I think is really quite unique and individual to each family. You are going to more or less find the same old turkey, cranberry sauce and green bean casserole, but where you will really see some individuality and usually a good story is the stuffing. I have found that there is almost a story there.

I definitely have a silly story myself :) One of the first years we were married, we lived over a thousand miles away from our nearest relatives and we had our first Thanksgiving away from home with new friends. I was asked to bring stuffing, among other items and I didn’t dare spend the time and money on making my mom’s because I was a pretty new cook and felt very intimidated. My mom assured me that StoveTop stuffing would be just fine and nobody would know the difference. I made regular StoveTop stuffing, with the addition of some fresh sage seasoned sausage and laid it proudly on the table. One of the men there, who was a bit of a snob, kept complimenting my stuffing and telling me, “Oh I’m so glad you made this from scratch! My mom used to make the crappy stovetop kind and I would be able to smell it from a mile away!!” Well, clearly he couldn’t because the crappy stovetop kind was right in front of his face and he didn’t notice! Ha! I tried to not to bust up laughing, but admittedly, I didn’t correct him. It was one time I kind of “lied” about making something for someone else. I felt it would embarrass him and me if I told him the truth! But to this day it has become a really funny memory my husband and I love reminiscing about this time of year.

One of the recipes that is so special to my family when I was growing up and has been for generations is my great grandmother’s recipe for cornbread stuffing that my mom always makes for Thanksgiving. It is so special and nostalgic to her because her mother and grandmother both took special care to make cornbread a couple days in advance and season it just right. She now takes the same great care to make the time-intensive recipe for us all to enjoy this delicious side dish together.

Now, on my husband’s side of the family, my mother-in-law takes just as much care with her very special and unique stuffing that is heavily flavored with sage and onion and she uses rotisserie chicken and dried out Grandma Sycamore’s white bread for the breading part. She starts laying the bread out to dry and get a headstart on her stuffing three or four days ahead of time to make sure she has a big batch ready with plenty of leftovers for the big day.

My mother-in-law’s mom passed away many years ago, but this stuffing brings back all the feelings of love for her mother and it always makes her and her sisters feel very close to her when they enjoy her recipe together at Thanksgiving :) I think that is so neat and I always feel privileged to eat her special stuffing that means so much to her!

I really believe stuffing is one of the most personal and special recipes that is so individual to each family, whether that is laughing about making easy StoveTop stuffing, or painstakingly making it over the course of several days to get it just right and add just the right amount of sage--which is no small task, mind you. This flavor can easily get carried away and become overpowering rather quickly!

Do you have a special family recipe that you use for stuffing? Or any funny experiences making it? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving together and enjoy every last bit of whatever stuffing it is you all enjoy :)