I liked the way America's Test Kitchen did it. On one of their programs they took off the legs and wings of the turkey, so that the bird would cook faster. Then they made their dressing and put the legs and wings on top of the dressing and baked it in a separate casserole dish. The turkey parts flavored the dressing and for those really worried about stuffing a turkey because of the bacteria problem, your stuffing still had the turkey flavor and no worries about anyone getting sick.
I suppose that if you like the Rockwell picture of a baked turkey, this won't do for you. However, since I carve the turkey in the kitchen no one ever sees the turkey in our house. We usually cook for about 19 people and there just isn't room for the pretty turkey on the table.
I also agree that if you bake your dressing in a slower oven for a longer period of time, you won't get the crusty crunch that some people dislike. Otherwise, the sliced bread idea is pure genius.