This is a holiday tradition in the New Orleans area. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without it in most of our homes! Elsewhere in the country, people call mirlitons “Chayote Squash.” I usually buy mine at the closest grocery store with a large hispanic foods section. They are very common in Mexican cooking.
- 10 mirlitons
- 1 small onion
- 3 stalks celery
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb cooked ham, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I used some from the Whole Foods bakery today, but often I just make my own with whole wheat toast and Italian herbs in the food processor.)
- 1/2 cup (or more) Italian blended cheese or parmesan, shredded
- Tony Chachere’s to taste
Peel the mirlitons and remove the seeds. Chop them into large chunks (about 2″ in size). Boil them in a large dutch oven until tender. This may take 20 to 30 minutes or longer. Once the mirlitons are tender (stick a fork in them to check), drain them in a colander. Get as much water out as possible.
Transfer the mirlitons to a large bowl and smash them with a potato smasher, leaving large pieces. Let them rest until water comes up to the surface of the bowl. Scoop off any water with a large spoon so that you can get out as much as possible.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Return your dutch oven or large pot to the stove and place on medium low heat. Melt the butter in the pot and saute the onions, celery, ham and garlic until the onions are cooked and look slightly clear. Season heavily with Tony Chachere’s. Add extra cayenne pepper if you like them spicy. Add the parsley and green onions to the pan and cook for another minute. Add cooked mirlitons, shrimp and half of the bread crumbs to the pot. Stir well until everything is mixed.
Transfer the mixture to a 9 1/2 x 13″ baking dish. Top with the remaining breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown.
Enjoy!
VARIATION (Not for Thanksgiving, but great any other time you are lucky enough to find mirlitons on sale at the grocery store): Add roasted, diced poblano peppers and use Mexican white cheese instead of the Italian cheese. You can also substitute cilantro for the parsley when you are adding poblanos.
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