Do you call it stuffing or dressing? It’s a question that probably doesn’t really need answered, but it makes for a better dinner debate than some of the other more dividing issues arising during family gatherings such as politics, religions, or your current relationship status.
While the terms are constantly used interchangeably, the most basic definitions call for the use of “stuffing” when eating the breadcrumb-based mixture straight out of the roasted bird’s cavity and “dressing” if your side was prepared in a baking pan.
Other definitions are based on getting down to the heart of the dish. When onions, celery, maybe some type of nut or dried fruit, is the base of the breadcrumb dish, people are partial to the term stuffing. If meat or seafood, such as oysters, are dropped into the mixture, the dish becomes dressing.
Finally, the terms have slight geographic affinities across the United States. Heading into the southern states, such as Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama, the term dressing covers any preparation methods used and whatever ingredients are included. If there is a bread-based side dish on the holiday table, it is called dressing. Northern states, especially along the coastal regions, appear to use the term stuffing. Apparently the midwestern part of the country has no distinguishable trend for either term, so either dish moniker can pop up.
I personally go with stuffing. I think it’s because Stovetop brand is labeled as stuffing and that was my favorite iteration of the Thanksgiving side dish growing up. It wasn’t ever stuffed in the cavity of the bird. My grandmother made a homemade concoction she used for that particular activity and then threw it away. But that’s an entirely different discussion.
Whether you say stuffing or dressing, and even if that doesn’t match with how you prepared it, you want to whip up this pheasant pumpkin cornbread stuffing for your next large gathering meal. Store-bought bread crumbs can be used, but it’s worth the extra bit of time to make the pumpkin cornbread from scratch. The cornbread is best made the day before, cut up, and then left to stale overnight. If an even more dense cornbread is desired, toss the diced up bread in the oven for an hour or so at 200 degrees. The drier the better for the cornbread.
Sausage is used in stuffing quite often, and I substituted that idea out for wild pheasant. I think grouse or chukar would also be great in this dish.
Finally, don’t skip on the pomegranate seeds. I usually add a slightly sweet component to my stuffing dishes, typically in the form of dried cranberries, apricots, or apples, but the pomegranate took this side dish to a whole other level. The tiny pop of sweet juice fits so well against the savory pumpkin and sweet potato flavors. Don’t leave them out!
Pheasant Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing
Servings: 6 – 8
Active Time: 1 and ½ hours
Inactive Time: 24 hours (if making homemade cornbread pieces)
Also Works With: grouse, wild turkey, chukar, quail
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pheasant
- 6 cups pumpkin cornbread*
- ½ cup butter
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 6 stalks celery
- 2 leeks
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon caraway seed
- 1 tablespoon fennel
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- 1 pomegranate
- Salt and pepper
Ingredients Pumpkin Cornbread*
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 (150z) can pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions Pheasant Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 13×9” baking pan.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground pheasant and let cook until the meat is no longer pink, about five to seven minutes. Remove the cooked pheasant from the skillet and set aside.
- Melt the stick of butter in the same skillet the pheasant was browned in. Once the butter is melted, add the sliced leeks and celery. Let cook for three to five minutes, or when the celery and onions start to soften.
- Add the diced sweet potatoes. Dice the sweet potatoes so they are bite size, about 1” squares works best for even and quick cooking. Let cook for ten minutes.
- Add the minced garlic at this point.
- Return the pheasant to the skillet and add the seasoning, the caraway seed, fennel seed, and Italian seasonings. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir and coat everything as best possible.
- Add the pumpkin cornbread pieces. The cornbread pieces can be store-bought or are easy to make at home with the following instructions*. Let everything warm for three to five minutes.
- Slowly add the quart of vegetable stock to the stuffing mixture. Warm for a few minutes and then transfer the entire mixture to the greased baking pan.
- Sprinkle the pecan pieces over the stuffing mixture and place in oven.
- Bake the stuffing for 30 to 40 minutes, until the liquid has been completely absorbed and the top is starting to brown.
- Add the pomegranate seeds over the warm stuffing and serve.
- Enjoy!
Instructions for Pumpkin Cornbread*
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 13×9” pan to avoid the batter sticking.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: the four eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, and melted butter. Be sure to let the butter cool slightly before adding to the mixture so the eggs won’t start to cook.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together, combining until the liquid is just incorporated. No need to overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a golden brown color develops around the edges, about 25 minutes. Let the pan cool for 30 minutes before removing the cornbread.
- Remove from pan and let cool completely.
- To ready the cornbread for the stuffing mixture, cut into ½ inch cubes and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Allow to cook in oven for 30 minutes, or until the cubes are dried out to the desired doneness.
- The pumpkin cornbread is best when made a day before the stuffing so it is dried completely.
