One of the key dishes on many Thanksgiving table is the bowl that sits beside the turkey: The stuffing. But dressing may be a safer option.

There are pros and cons to stuffing a turkey. Some people like the flavor, and some people like to stuff the bird because it is a family tradition.

But it is probably time to start thinking about going from stuffing to dressing. The difference is, of course, stuffing goes inside the bird and dressing cooks outside the bird, reported WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C.

Cooking a stuffed turkey is riskier than cooking an unstuffed turkey. There is a pretty good chance that bacteria that cause foodborne illness can flourish inside the stuffing because it does not get hot enough in the cavity of the turkey.

In fact, the temperature stays low enough that it creates a perfect incubator for harmful bacteria.

Another reason not to stuff the bird is that when you roast a turkey that is stuffed, the turkey takes longer to roast. The longer you cook the bird, the drier it will become because the stuffing soaks up many of the juices and fats that the turkey would normally be using to keep moist.

If those are not enough reasons not to stuff the turkey, consider that stuffing baked in a turkey is often soggy, with a very poor texture. It's higher in fat and calories from the fat that has soaked into them.

For safety's sake, you might consider offering your guests dressing on the side. Here are two recipes that are quick and easy to prepare.

When reheating leftover dressing, be sure to make sure the temperature of the dressing gets to 165 degrees.

Dressing #1:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• ½ c. each chopped celery and chopped onion
• 4 c. herb-seasoned stuffing mix, lightly packed
• 2 c. toasted bread crumbs, lightly packed
• 1 tsp. ground sage
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1 (10½ oz.) can reduced fat, reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10½oz.) can reduced fat cream of celery soup
• Chicken or turkey broth, enough to make it moist
• Butter flavor cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Melt butter. Cook onions and celery until tender. Mix with crumbs and stuffing mix. Add spices.
2. Pour soups over and mix ingredients well. Pour enough turkey or chicken broth over mixture until desired moistness is reache.
3. Spread in two large 9-by-13 inch baking pans that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until center of dressing tests done.
(For a small family, divide uncooked dressing, refrigerate and bake fresh batch on the day after Thanksgiving for a freshly baked dresing.)

Dressing #2:

Ingredients:

• 1 small pkg. regular stuffing mix
• 1 small pkg. cornbread stuffing mix
• 4 c. broth, use more if needed
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• ½ c. onions, chopped
• ½ c. celery, chopped
• Butter-flavor cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Mix stuffing mix and broth. Add eggs and mix well.
2. Cook onions and celery in saucepan for 10 minutes. Add to mix.
3. Spray two 9-by-11-inch baking dishes with cooking spray and pour mixture into prepared dish.
4. Cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.