(11/21/24) WINNSBORO, La. — The LSU AgCenter has nutrition and community health agents across the state, and our mission is focused on your food, family nutrition needs and improving health and overall quality of life.

In Louisiana, we take our food and family traditions very seriously — and extension agents are no exception! We are passionate about what we feed our families. The food we offer at holiday meals is grounded in tradition. This Thanksgiving, we are sharing what we serve our families for this very special holiday meal with a focus on a dish that is second only to the turkey: dressing.

Agents from each of the AgCenter’s five administrative regions — Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southwest and Southeast — shared their families’ tried-and-true recipes that have been passed down and enjoyed for generations. Thanksgiving in Louisiana often features some unique and delicious variations of traditional dishes, especially when it comes to our dressings. We were not surprised by the variety of ingredients in the recipes from all the different regions in our great state.

Reflecting regional preferences, some recipes have a base of rice, and others use cornbread or even French bread. Some incorporate Louisiana seafood while some include chicken or beef.

While many Americans refer to this side dish as stuffing, it is commonly called dressing in Louisiana. Traditionally, the primary difference between stuffing and dressing is how it is cooked. Stuffing is cooked inside the turkey or poultry of choice, and dressing is prepared as a side dish, casserole style. The ingredients are mostly the same, with the cornbread and bread being the component that may differ. For the most part, the terms are used interchangeably in Louisiana.

You can read more about each agent’s dressing and see their recipes at https://www.lsuagcenter.com/ThanksgivingRecipes2024. They include:

— Southwest Region: Viley’s Liver Dressing from Becky Gautreaux.

— Northwest Region: Crawfish Dressing from Shannan Chevallier.

— Southeast Region: French Bread Dressing from Shawn Verbeten.

— Northeast Region: Traditional Cornbread Dressing from Cecilia Stevens.

— Central Region: Mrs. Addie’s Seafood Dressing from Jennifer Duhon.

There is a special bite of Louisiana in each of these recipes. These culinary traditions, which capture the spirit of celebrations of our past and the joie de vivre of our present, bind all of us together.

We hope you will take the time to prepare one or two of these delicious culinary heirlooms for your family this Thanksgiving. You can access a video for another unique Louisiana dressing recipe at https://bit.ly/MirlitonDressing.

Make sure to visit our website, www.LSUAgCenter.com, for more information on food safety, shopping tips and recipes. Or call your parish’s AgCenter office and ask for the nutrition and community health agent.

Quincy Vidrine is a nutrition and community health agent and coordinator for the AgCenter Northeast Region.

Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, or make it with rice or cornbread, this side dish is a staple on many Thanksgiving tables. It has a number of regional variations in Louisiana. Photo by Tobie Blanchard/LSU AgCenter