Mirliton (chayote) squash is the ingredient in this delicious dressing. Around the holidays, it’s particularly popular here in Louisiana.
| Prep Time: | 1 hr |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 30 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 (8-ounce) mirlitons (chayotes)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound cooked, cubed ham
- 1 egg
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup dry bread crumbs for topping (Optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add mirliton, and boil until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel. Cut in half, remove seeds, and cut into cubes.
- When the mirliton are almost done, bring another pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp, and cook for about 5 minutes, until pink. Drain shrimp, reserving the water for later. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Add the shrimp, ham, and cubed mirliton. Beat the egg in a small dish with a tablespoon of the water from the shrimp; pour into the baking dish. Mix in the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper until evenly blended. If it seems a little dry, add a little more water from the shrimp. You have the choice to freeze, refrigerate, or bake at this point. Sprinkle some more breadcrumbs on top if desired.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown on top.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 319 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 141 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Sodium | 1062 mg |
| Sugars | 4 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Almost like grandma used to make it. Instead of ham, ground meat was used, but I prefer to use ground turkey, shrimp and Reising’s seasoned stuffing mix with fresh and dry season. YUMMY!!!
NOLA born and raised. This recipe very close to the authentic!!! Thank you.
I made some adjustments based on my family tastes and history in New Orleans. I added crab meat and andouille sausage instead of ham. I also sauted 1.5 green peppers, 1 jalapeno (seeds removed), and 1 celery stalk with the onions.
My wife paula makes it for me every year at holiday time with potato salad ham or a turkey sandwich is amazing
I got this recipe from my southern Louisiana grandmother years ago and my kids love it! We use jimmy dean roll sausage and shrimp with Italian bread crumbs, No cheese! And of course lots of Cajun seasonings and old bay. It’s so good we use to fight over it!!!!
Ok, so here’s my Cajun twist on this recipe. Instead of regular breadcrumbs, I used Italian style. Instead of Parsley, I used fresh chopped Cilantro. I used a Jumbo yard egg (we have chickens), three large Mirlitons (boiled, peeled and seeded) and three cups of cooked rice. I pinched the dried thyme to release its flavor and boiled the shrimp in Creole Seasoning for a better flavor (no, not crab boil, that would’ve been too much). I used Andouille sausage instead of ham and sauteed them in with the onions, garlic, olive oil and added in the Cilantro and thyme toward the end. Then I mixed everything in a large bowl and poured it into a casserole dish. I poured a cup of evaporated milk evenly over the top and topped with a shredded 7 Italian cheese blend. I baked it at 350 for about 40 to 45 minutes, let stand for 10 minutes and served. Shortly after, it was GONE!!!
Tried this with my home grown Mirliton. Only had to boil 30 minutes and I followed the receipe as written except, except being a cajun I added a spicer seasoning than it calls for. Delicious. I froze half after baking – hope it is still good after thawing.
Great recipe. I think it’s sad that this is the only recipe that comes up for mirlitons. They are a great vegetable to use with roast instead of potatoes too!
This is almost identical to a recipe I have. mine also adds in some crab meat (about a cup or so). A friend from New Orleans originally made it for me- and I was HOOKED! this stuff is great!
This is wonderful. I doubled the recipe and set half aside to freeze for a rainy day. Needs more bread crumbs, but that is a personal preference.