This flavorful casserole featuring pork and beef combined with mirliton squash does double duty as either an entrée worthy of the center of the table or a buffet side dish. This perfectly balanced combination has just the right level of aromatics, herbs, and spices to bring your guests back for another spoonful.
The hearty casserole showcases Louisiana mirliton squash. (All pbotos credit: George Graham)
Mirliton is an ingredient with cultural roots and an exclusively local identity. When I say the word “MEL-a-tawn” outside of Cajun country, I usually get a stupefied stare. When I pronounce it phonetically “MERL-e-tawn,” I still fail to register any understanding. I then have to go into the long explanation that a mirliton is a Chayote squash, sometimes called a vegetable pear. But here in Louisiana, we have a language all our own, so MEL-e-tawn it is.
This bright green, pear-shaped vegetable is a jewel of an ingredient in the Cajun kitchen. Stuffing is a popular method to cook them, and I have a delicious Shrimp-Stuffed Mirliton on page 149 of my cookbook Acadiana Table: Cajun and Creole Home Cooking From The Heart Of Louisiana.
With their distinctive pear shape, mirliton are commonly called vegetable pears.
But today, it’s a meaty dressing featuring mirliton in a cast-iron casserole—a delicious and easy Cajun recipe.
- 6 mirlitons, quartered
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¾ pound ground pork
- ¾ pound (80/20) ground chuck
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup chicken stock, if needed
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, for topping
- In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat, add the mirlitons and cover with water. Cover and boil until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain the water and let cool to room temperature. Remove and discard any seeds and chop the softened mirlitons into bite-size chunks. Drain off any excess water; set aside for later use.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- In a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil along with the pork and ground beef. Break up the meat in the pan and sauté just until the meat begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon draining off excess grease. Set aside for later use.
- In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter. Add the onion, bell peppers, and celery. Sauté until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and garlic along with the salt, peppers, onion powder, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce. Cook for 3 minutes longer and add the cooked mirliton.
- Combine the mixture and stir in the breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs should be moist; add some of the chicken stock if needed. Distribute the vegetables and meat evenly around the skillet and spoon the melted butter over the top. Place in the hot oven and let bake until the casserole is heated through and the top is browned, about 30 minutes.
This tasty one-pot dressing is a tasty entrée or buffet side dish.
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I just made a casserole a few nights ago and sorta just made it up. I’m surprised at how close it is to your recipe. It was delicious and my first time in the kitchen with mirlitons.
Hey Phyllis – Isn’t it great when you stumble on a new recipe? Like you, I love to experiment in the kitchen, and when I find a real winner like this one, I love to pass it on. All the best.
I think my Merliton dressing is much better because I use Louisiana crawfish tails instead. Never did like it with ground beef or pork . The bell peppers are not necessary as well .
Michael- I love seafood versions of mirliton dressing and have a recipe in my cookbook. This one is heartier dinner fare, and if you try it, I think you’ll like it as an alternative. All the best.
Can you share where I can find your seafood version, my son does not eat meat? Thank you
LJ – It is not online, but one of 125 recipes in my cookbook Acadiana Table. The recipe is Baked Mirliton with Shrimp Stuffing. I hope you order a copy today.
I went grocery shopping and stumbled upon mirlitons. It was a childhood favorite of mine and immediately grabbed 5 of the largest specimens I could find. I followed this recipe to the “T” and boy am I not disappointed. The memories of having Sunday lunch where this meal was served at my aunt Ruby and uncle Clayton’s house came flooding in. Thank you for reminding me of how well my childhood was. Yes, it’s a Cajun classic and so worth the preparation.
Pure comfort food. My kind anyway. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much this for recipe. It brings back some good child hood memories. My Paw Paw was the best cook, from wild game to anything he would catch from the bayou. I can’t wait to cook this.
I have been looking and looking for a good meat mixture for mirliton. I can always only find seafood. Thanks, this is perfect.
Hey Liz- Glad to help. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Decided to try this instead of making cornbread dressing and giblet gravy. I left out all the meat because I wanted something lighter and turkey is my jam. It was Very good! and even got better as leftovers. Enjoyed it with my cranberry sauce. Savory, sweet, tart and heat. Even made it the day before to marry flavors to save time, then browned in the oven.
Thanks Anita- Good thinking on the lighter version, and I agree with your make-ahead menu strategy. Not only does it make meal prep easier, but many dishes taste better the second day (gumbo, for sure). All the best.
I was looking for an alternative to cornbread dressing and saw this recipe. It was excellent! I think the key was using both meats. Also, I’m not a fan of green bell pepper so I substituted it for yellow. This recipe will certainly be put in my vegetable rotation! Thanks for sharing George..
this was my first time making this dish that i’ve had at so many family holidays over the year and it came out great! thank you for sharing. i’m excited to scope out your other recipes.
i made a few small changes: used 1.5 lbs fresh italian sausage from the grocery store up the street (though next time i want to try using their hot sausage), roasted the mirlitons instead of boiling, did 2 tbsp of butter instead of 8, and subbed out the melted butter on top for shredded parmesan. the last bit was something that came to me when i opened the fridge and saw the container of parm, and i know it’s not very traditional, but it added a really nice touch!