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Angela's Mirliton Casserole

This is a great addition to any holiday spread! The spicy boil flavours and fresh chayote squash make for a delicious side dish. You can make it with shrimp and crab or without.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Cajun
Keyword chayote casserole, mirliton casserole, shrimp and crab side dish, shrimp side dish, spicy shrimp and mirliton casserole
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 8
Author misangela

Ingredients

  • 4 large chayote squash (mirlitons) or 6 medium ones
  • 1 pound small salad shrimp frozen is fine
  • 1 can crabmeat use 2 if you love crab
  • 3 cups breadcrumbs or stuffing mix I use half cornbread and half regular
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 large onion or 2 medium, small dice
  • 2 stalks celery small dice
  • 1 red bell pepper small dice
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp cayenne more or less to taste
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp salt to taste
  • 2 Tbl butter, salted
  • 5 scallions fine slice
  • ½ cup parsley fine chop
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • ½ cup parmesan shredded
  • 1 bottle Zatarain's Boil liquid
  • French's Onions to top casserole

Instructions

  • Prep all your ingredients before you start to cook. Mise en place will greatly improve your cooking!
  • Start a large stock pot of water to boil.
  • Peel, seed and dice mirlitons. About 1" dice. When water boils, pour in the whole bottle of Zatarain's and add the chayote. Cook for about 15 minutes until the squash is tender.
  • Remove squash with spider or slotted spoon to a large bowl. Cook shrimp in the boil water just until opaque. Remove shrimp when done and reserve liquid.
  • In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sweat onion, celery, pepper and garlic. Cook gently until soft. Add cayenne and S/P. Set aside.
  • In the large bowl, break up the chayote squash until consistency you like. Add in the cooked veg, scallions, parsley, breadcrumbs, dry mustard, lemon zest and juice, and parmesan. Stir to incorporate.
  • Finally, gently stir in shrimp and crabmeat until thoroughly combined. Check seasoning. If it's a little too dry, add in some reserved cooking liquid.
  • Put into a large 9x13 dish or two 9x9 square dishes sprayed with food release spray. Top with French's onions and bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.