It’s  hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week!  Nine days from now, most of us will be gathering with friends or family (or both!), to celebrate the holiday season by giving thanks and over-indulging in food.  HelloFresh is thankful there is a holiday dedicated to EATING- what could be better?

Now, we know everyone has their favorites and their own traditions at the table, but there is certainly nothing wrong with mixing things up this year at Thanksgiving. Whether you’re hosting or just bringing a dish, there can never be too much of anything on the table.  Next to the turkey, a delicious stuffing with a variety of flavors is key to making the meal a success.  So how about some rich, lemony goodness combined with a healthy veggie mix and crunch topping?

This Thanksgiving staple is STUFFED with flavor and, if made with vegetable stock, a healthy vegetarian alternative for a traditionally meat-heavy meal.  What could be better?

Celery and Parsnip Stuffing with Roasted Meyer Lemons

Ingredients

• 1 small loaf of wholegrain bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 sticks celery, trimmed and roughly chopped, leaves reserved for garnish
• 2 large parsnips
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cups sage
• 2 tablespoons rosemary
• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juice
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Cut the bread into cubes and spread out on a cookie sheet. If possible, leave bread out overnight or bake at 150 degrees for an hour until bread is crunchy stale, but not hard or browned at all.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking pan and set aside.
3. In a very large deep skillet or Dutch oven, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the parsnips and a generous sprinkle of sea salt, edge heat to medium-high (hot, but not enough that the butter is smoking) and cook 10 minutes longer, until pieces are tender and lightly browned on the edges. Pour in a splash of stock and scrape up any brown bits.
4. Add remaining stock, bring mixture to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn heat off and stir in bread, herbs, and Meyer lemon zest and juice. Add chili powder, and sea salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Spoon into prepared baking pan, dot with remaining tablespoon butter, and slide into oven and bake for 35 – 45 minutes, or until the top of the stuffing is a rich golden brown and stuffing is piping hot.
6. Thinly slice the lemon and drizzle extra virgin olive oil. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at the same temperature used for the stuffing. After 10 minutes, flip and bake for 10 more. Cool and cut slices into half moons.
7. Before serving, tuck slices of roasted Meyer lemon throughout, and garnish with minced celery leaves and sage.

So as you mentally prepare yourself for the upcoming shopping season, keep this stuffing recipe in your back pocket to impress everyone at Thanksgiving dinner and let us know what you’re thankful for below!  Happy Cooking!