It’s mediocre because most people never try to cook any of it outside of Thanksgiving and don’t experiment with the recipes because they’re trying to cook a bunch of dishes and don’t want to mess them up.
Turkey is good when it’s not overcooked and underseasoned. Mashed potatoes are good when they’re not gummy from not having the extra starch rinsed off or chunky from being undercooked. Stuffing is good when it’s not shoved into a turkey cavity or soggy from sitting in drippings and has ingredients in it besides bread.
I agree with everything you said but the stuffing, I prefer mine prepared in the bird but I make another batch cooked on its own for those who don’t like it.
Cooking the stuffing in the bird is risky. You may already know that, since it sounds kind you have been doing it that way a long time. However, many don’t understand the risks, chief among them is overcooking the turkey.
And bacteria too I guess… https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/stuffing-and-food-safety
