Southern Dressing Stuffed Zucchini

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I can't wait! I love all the food traditions that my family has served over the years and one of the most beloved is southern style dressing.  We always bake our dressing and serve it along side our juicy turkey then pour over the rich homemade gravy. Well, truth be known, not everybody loves dressing that way and this year we have a guest that's a vegetarian.

So, I thought about how I could change up one of my favorite dishes and came up with this ~ dressing stuffed zucchini. I think it combines all the wonderful flavors of traditional dressing with a great veggie!   

The only change was the addition of a little parmesan cheese and once baked, my little boats turned out absolutely wonderful.  They are great right out of the oven or at room temperature and I think they'd be great sliced and served as an appetizer.

Southern Dressing Stuffed Zucchini

1 small onion - chopped
2 celery stalks - chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups Pepperidge Farms herb stuffing
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese (reserve 1/4 for topping zucchini)
4 medium zucchini

• Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a medium size skillet, add butter and olive. Once butter is melted, add onions and celery and cook until onions are clear. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Cut zucchini lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Set aside.
• Add herb stuffing, stock, salt, pepper, celery salt, thyme and 1/4 cup of cheese to onions and celery. Mix well.
• Place zucchini on a foil lined baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. Sprinkle salt in the well of each zucchini and stuff with dressing mixture. Lightly drizzle each zucchini half with olive oil. Bake in oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and place back in oven until cheese is melted.