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Turkey Day is almost upon us, and with crazy work and family schedules, it's inevitable that we'll run out of time to make everything. So we decided to take one Thanksgiving staple, stuffing, and see if instant stuffing might pass the test for a quick fill-in. Guess what? It does, especially when stuffed into the bird.
We tested more than 18 kinds of instant stuffing to determine which brand could substitute for homemade (ok, mom's or dad's or Aunt Ethel's will always be superior), but who has the time these days? Not everyone serves a turkey on Thanksgiving, of course, so we divided the stuffings into four flavor categories: turkey, herb, chicken and pork. We picked our favorite and also tell you which one to avoid. The majority of these stuffings are available in supermarkets in the tri-state area and on a national level.
You'll notice that one specific brand dominated the others ... and it's a classic.
The Best Instant Stuffing
Winner: Stove Top
We were surprised to find only two different brands for this flavor. If you have to serve instant stuffing along with your bird, there's no doubt in our minds that Stove Top is your choice. It had a great balance of herbs and spices without being overly salty. We could actually see the pieces of onion and celery and the bread absorbed all the water and butter without making the stuffing mushy.
To be honest, if you blindfolded us, we might not be able to tell the homemade stuff apart from this.
Skip: America's Choice
Winner: Stove Top Savory Herbs
From savory to homestyle to country herb, we tried every herb combination out there. Luckily, there was some competition in this category, but Savory Herb had a great crunch from the veggies (onions and celery) and was a little more salty, which brought out some of the herbs.
We found that the competition was either too mushy, too sweet or had no herb flavor what-so-ever.
Skip: Pepperidge Farm Cubed Country Style Herb Stuffing
Winner: Trader Joe's and Stove Top
We just couldn't choose a winner between these two brands. Both had excellent flavor and texture without being too sweet. So which one should you choose? It really comes down to your preference in texture. Trader Joe's cornbread had much larger cubs, which created a more dry stuffing (can always add more butter) -- here, the cornbread was truly the star. While the Stove Top had a slight bit wetter texture, creating a more dense, moist stuffing.
Skip: America's Choice
Winner: Stove Top
We didn't think we'd be able to tell the difference between the chicken and turkey flavors, but we could. After a further look at the ingredients (which is a very long list), it was confirmed that the chicken flavor does in fact come from cooked chicken and chicken broth (not to mention high fructose corn syrup). Packed with the same veggies and herbs as the first two, there simply was no competition for this poultry
Skip: America's Choice One-Step Chicken Stuffing
Winner: Stove Top
Again, there were only two brands in this category. Stove Top definitely had a firmer, more palatable consistency/texture (fluffier than America's Choice but still disturbingly "solid"), but we were disappointed with the flavor. It just tasted off somehow, more like a bouillion cube than a subtle herb flavor.
Skip: America's Choice
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11-19-2010 @5:55PM Michael said... Wow -- I really hope this is a sponsored post, otherwise your culinary credibility is pretty much shot. Not that I hate Stovetop -- it's kind of satisfying in a guilty-pleasure, mass-produced sort of way (like a Twinkie or a Big Mac) -- but to claim that it's nearly indiscernible from homemade... wow. That's really all I can say about that.
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11-20-2010 @1:27PM Skip said... Stove Top or Home made??? Simply take your wonderful recipe from Great Grand Ma Sallie Mae and add a CUP of SALT and you have Stove Top...
11-25-2010 @4:06PM Sue said... I've used Stove Top Turkey dressing for years and use Butter Buds in stead of butter. We like to keep our saturated fats low. We have turkey tenders w/ gravy, 1/4 box of Stove Top stirred in, and cranberry sauce every week or so...on noodles or potatoes. Yum!
Make the whole box, divide in quarters and freeze.
11-20-2010 @9:38AM John F.C. Taylor said... I don't care what brand it is or what the maker calls it it. If it's not cooked in the bird, it's not stuffing. If it's cooked outside the bird, it's simply dressing. For my add on to the basic recipe it's always chopped onions, celery and nuts. Walnuts will do, but I prefer hazel nuts.
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11-20-2010 @1:23PM Skip said... John F.C. Taylor said... I don't care what brand it is or what the maker calls it it. If it's not cooked in the bird, it's not stuffing. If it's cooked outside the bird, it's simply dressing.
Skip Says - ABSOLUTELY... Stuffed in the bird - OR panned dressing... Yes...
11-20-2010 @10:11AM Susan said... Not sure what's wrong with their taste buds but I'd never even consider making stove top stuffing. I use pepperidge farm, saute the onions and celery, add Bells seasoning and cook it inside the bird.
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11-20-2010 @11:29AM gobo said... If you'd never even consider it, then you can't really judge it, can you?
11-20-2010 @1:32PM Susan said... I ate stove top stuffing when i was in college. Let's face it in college you'll just about anything. So when I say I wouldn't even consider it, it is because I have tried it!!
11-22-2010 @8:24AM LinC said... Stovetop is okay but nothing to write home about. I'm a fan of Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing. I follow the directions on the bag to add onion and celery but use less butter. I also moosh in about 1/2 pound of mild pork sausage. Now that makes for good stuffing!
11-20-2010 @12:55PM Jennifer said... I stopped making homemade stuffing years ago when I discovered Stove Top really was as good (sometimes better) than the stuffing I labored over. I chop up and sautee the giblets and add it to the stuffing and always stuff the bird with it. Whatever is left over I bake in a casserole dish.
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11-20-2010 @11:08AM Tina fasano said... stove top? if you love a lot of salt! I love Bell's stuffing in the bird! The only one for Thanksgiving!!!
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11-20-2010 @11:47AM phxart said... Well, this info only goes to prove the old saying "There's no accounting for taste"! Gobble Gobble
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11-20-2010 @12:54PM Lloyd said... If you don't do your own stuffing/dressing, then you better just quit, loser. Using this made up stuff is for those who can't cook. But for Thanksgiving, you prepare everything from scratch, and that's all there is to this discussion. Real cooks cook real food for Thanksgiving not junk from a bag.
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11-20-2010 @5:46PM gobo said... If you're this much of a jerk about Thanksgiving, thank god I don't have to share a meal with you. But then, I'm a "loser", right?
11-25-2010 @2:10PM susan said... To me, it's more about the company than the food. It doesn't have to be perfect.
11-20-2010 @12:58PM frank said... For Thanksgiving? I'd consider nothing but homemade cornbread sage stuffing. It's easy and quick to make and taste better than anything on the store shelves. All you need is equal parts cornbread (which you can buy in most store bakeries if you don't want to make yourself) and a sturdy white bread, a large chopped onion, an egg or two, lots of pepper and sage, a bit of salt and plenty of chicken broth to moisten it. You can even make it a day ahead. Then just stuff the bird or put into a pan and bake.
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11-20-2010 @2:27PM lita said... "To be honest, if you blindfolded us, we might not be able to tell the homemade stuff from this one." REALLY? If that is a truly honest appraisal of Stove Top stuffing, then it is time for the authors to find new employment. While Stove Top is a quick way to make a stuffing/dressing, and it is not unpleasant in taste, there is no way anyone could mistake it for home made. This single comment alone makes me more than a little skeptical regarding any information or suggestions offered here.
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11-25-2010 @2:43PM Roselyne said... You may want to skip "Stove top" stuffing as you cannot find cubes. All you find is mush before cooking. It used to be cubes but not any more.
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