Stouffer’s was in business for over 60 years in the 1950s. The company got its start in the home of Charles Stouffer, when he turned his mother’s recipes into frozen TV dinners – a new convenience food for the post-World War II generation.
His son, Robert, took over when he graduated from Purdue University with a degree in mechanical engineering. The image on the right is their logo from 1959.
There are many, many types of stuffing mix available today both at grocery stores and online retailers. These are some of the most common stouffer’s stove top stuffing :
1. Whole Wheat Stuffing:
This is the original recipe by Stouffer’s. It has more bread pieces and larger cubes of onion than the other types of stuffing. However it is still a modified whole wheat recipe.
2 . Ready to Bake Stuffing Mix:
This is similar to the original recipe, but with chopped celery and carrots added.
The ingredients are most often around 70-80% wheat flour, with some corn and soy products being added for flavor, for example in the cheese flavored stuffing mix.
The corn and soy come from genetically modified plants. It is still a modified whole wheat recipe.
Some of the companies that appear to be making this mix claim that the corn and soy are not genetically modified, but they are still only used as flavoring, not as primary ingredients.
3 . 100% Natural Stuffing Mix:
Some companies make 100% natural stuffing mixes. They usually include celery, onion and herbs for flavor.
The main ingredients are various types of grain, such as oat, wheat and corn flour. This is a modified whole wheat recipe.
4 . No Yolks Stuffing Mix:
When the original Stouffer TV dinner was invented in the 1950s it was not uncommon to use yolks in prepared foods as an emulsifier to give it a creamy texture.
Today many people desire food that is “all natural” so this type of mix has been made available by some manufacturers. It is a modified whole wheat recipe.
5 . Cornbread Stuffing Mix:
Cornbread is a typical Southern dish and its inclusion as a main ingredient in stuffing flour mixes makes sense.
This particular mix also includes herbs, carrots and onions for flavor in addition to corn meal and wheat flour. This is still a modified whole wheat recipe because it has cornmeal, which is not a whole grain.
6 . Whole Wheat Stuffing Mix:
For the altered Stouffer’s Recipe (above) this mix includes chopped onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms and herbs for flavor. It is a modified whole wheat recipe.
7 . White Bread Mix:
This is a bread and batter mix for a recipe for fried chicken, e.g. refrigerated Southern fried chicken or the original Stouffer’s fried chicken recipe.
It is a modified white flour recipe because the flour used in production of bread is different from that which can be used for making stuffing mix.
The main difference between bread and stuffing mix is that bread recipes call for “yeast” whereas stuffing recipes call for “baking powder”.
8 . Cornbread Stuffing Mix:
This version also contains cornmeal and a similar variation on the ingredients called oatmeal in addition to corn flour and wheat starch. It is a modified whole wheat recipe.
9 . Holiday Turkey Stuffing:
Some manufacturers make a stuffing mix specifically for the Thanksgiving holiday, which is either cornbread or a white bread mix with herbs and spices added.
The main ingredients in these mixes are bread flour, cornmeal and wheat flour. These are all modified whole wheat recipes.
The turkey is stuffed with this type of stuffing to give it flavor and moisture as part of the holiday meal.
10. Cranberry Stuffing Mix:
This version contains cranberries and chopped celery, carrots and onions in addition to corn meal and wheat flour. It is a modified whole wheat recipe.
11 . Italian Bread Mix:
This mix includes herbs, garlic, diced onion, celery and mushrooms for flavor. The main ingredients are yeast and wheat flour with the addition of some type of cornmeal.
Although it is a modified whole wheat recipe, the cornmeal is not a whole grain because it is not ground from maize (corn) as are the other types of flour used in this mix by Stouffer’s or by other manufacturers.
12. Italian Seasoned Bread Stuffing Mix:
This version also has added vegetables and herbs. The main ingredients are yeast flour, wheat flour and cornmeal. This is a modified whole wheat recipe.
13 . Spanish Seasoned Bread Stuffing Mix:
This version also includes black pepper, bay leaf, thyme and sage for flavor.
The main ingredients are yeast flour, cornmeal and vegetable oils for moisture.
It is a modified whole wheat recipe because it contains cornmeal which is not a whole grain even though it is ground from maize (corn).
