Baby, if you didn’t grow up with mirlitons on your fence, you ain’t from Louisiana. Nana’s grandma had ‘em growing up the chicken coop.
Nana found this Stuffed Mirliton in an old church cookbook. Mrs. Pattie’s recipe. 4 mirlitons boiled whole. Scooped out. Mashed with butter. Ham + shrimp + bread + bay leaves. Baked till brown and crisp.
Pawpaw calls ‘em alligator pears. Nana calls ‘em mirliton. Rouses calls ‘em chayote and charges $2 each. In October when the vines are loaded, neighbors leave bags on your porch. That’s when you stuff ‘em.
This is New Orleans Thanksgiving. This is Creole, not Cajun. No roux. No tomatoes. Just butter, seafood, and French bread soaking up the mirliton juice. Makes 8 halves. Freezes perfect.
Let’s stuff some pears.
Why Mrs. Pattie’s Stuffed Mirlitons Are The Real Deal
`1. 8 Tbsp Butter: That’s 1 whole stick. Mrs. Pattie wasn’t playing. Mirlitons are bland. Butter is the flavor.*
`2. Ham + Shrimp: Land and sea. Salt from ham, sweet from shrimp. Classic Creole combo. No ground meat here.
`3. French Bread, Soaked + Squeezed: Not breadcrumbs. Day-old french bread soaked in water, squeezed dry. Binds it, keeps it moist.
`4. 2 Bay Leaves: Simmer 10 minutes with bay leaves. That’s church cookbook taste. Don’t you skip it.
`5. Boil Whole First: Cut after boiling. Scoop the meat. Shells become the bowl. No waste. Grandma efficiency.
Nana’s Stuffed Mirliton Recipe
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes
YIELD: 8 halves – Serves 4-8
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 mirlitons – also called chayote or vegetable pear. About 2 lbs.
- 1/2 cup chopped ham – Nana uses smoked ham, diced small
- 8 Tbsp butter – 1 stick. Yes, all of it.
- 2 large yellow onions, minced – about 2 cups
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shrimp, cut up – Gulf shrimp, 51/60 count, peeled + deveined
- 1 tsp salt – plus more to taste
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups fresh French bread – torn, soaked in water, squeezed DRY.
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs – for topping
- 2 Tbsp melted butter – to mix with crumbs
INSTRUCTIONS – NANA’S WAY:
Step 1: Boil Mirlitons Whole – Don’t You Cut Yet
Wash 4 mirlitons. Put in big pot, cover with water. Boil 25-30 minutes till fork-tender. You should be able to pierce with no resistance. Drain. Cool 10 minutes. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out meat with spoon, leave 1/4-inch shell. Chop scooped meat fine. Mash lightly. Save shells. Discard big seed.
Step 2: Build The Stuffing – Butter First
In large skillet or Dutch oven, melt 8 Tbsp butter on medium. Add 2 minced onions. Nana's secret: add 3 cloves minced garlic with onion. Saute 10 minutes till soft and clear. Don’t brown. Add chopped mirliton meat to butter + onions. Heat a bit, Mrs. Pattie said.
Step 3: Ham + Shrimp Go In
Add 1/2 cup chopped ham + 1 cup cut up shrimp to pot. Saute 5 minutes till shrimp just turn pink. Don’t overcook shrimp – they bake again later.
Step 4: Season + Simmer
Add 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp parsley, 1 tsp thyme, 2 bay leaves. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir. Smells like church supper now. Remove bay leaves. Nana always forgets and finds one later.
Step 5: Bread Binds It
Take 2 cups French bread, soak in water 1 minute. Squeeze out ALL water with your hands. Crumble into pot. Add 1 tsp black pepper. Stir. Simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Mix should be wet but hold together. Taste for salt. Nana adds 1/2 tsp Tony’s here.
Step 6: Stuff + Bake
Preheat oven to 375°. Place mirliton shells in 9x13 pan. This is Nana's favorite 9x13! Mound stuffing into each shell – heap it high. Mix 1/2 cup bread crumbs + 2 Tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle on top. Bake 20-25 minutes until brown and crisp on top. Shells should be tender, tops golden.
Step 7: Rest + Eat
Let sit 5 minutes. Serve 1-2 halves per person. Hot sauce on side. Pawpaw eats it with a spoon right out the shell.
Nana’s Mirliton Rules + Fixes
Bland
You didn’t use 1 stick butter. Or enough salt. Or Tony’s. Mirlitons taste like nothing without help.
Watery stuffing
Didn’t squeeze bread dry enough. Or mirlitons weren’t drained. Mix in 1/4 cup more dry bread crumbs.
Shells fall apart
Boiled too long or scooped too thin. Leave 1/4-inch wall. If it rips, bake stuffing in ramekin.
Can’t find mirlitons?
Rouses October-December. Farmers markets. Latino markets call them chayote. Same thing.
No shrimp?
Use crab meat, crawfish tails, or all ham. Mrs. Pattie’s recipe is flexible.
What Nana Serves With Stuffed Mirlitons
*1. Turkey + Gravy:* Thanksgiving plate. Mirliton on side replaces dressing for some folks.*
2. Baked Ham: Christmas dinner. Ham + ham in mirliton = Nana’s math.
*3. Red Beans Monday:* Stuffed mirliton + red beans + rice = meatless Monday done right.
4. Green Salad: Simple. Vinaigrette cuts the butter. Nana needs balance.
`5. By Itself: 2 halves = supper. Nana eats this for lunch all November.
*From Nana’s Kitchen:* Nana made these last October when the neighbor’s vine went crazy. Froze 16 halves for Christmas. Pawpaw thawed 2 for lunch yesterday.
Mirlitons are free food in Louisiana. They grow on fences. They feed crowds. They taste like butter and shrimp when you do it right. If you’ve never had one, start here. If you have, you already know.
`Tell Nana: Team Mirliton or Team Alligator Pear? You put shrimp or crab in yours? Where do you get your mirlitons? Tag @NanaTeesCajunHome – Nana wants to see your shells!
*Shop Nana’s Mirliton Kit:*
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