Louisiana Mirliton Casserole

Without doubt, every part of the United States celebrates Thanksgiving with a regional dish.  Here in south Louisiana, you can almost guarantee that a casserole made with mirlitons will be on the table.  Pronounced in New Orleans and surrounding parishes as "mel-a-tawn" you may also know it as a chayote. I remember my dad growing these on an old rose bush trellis - an extremely prolific producer, the mirliton.

Anyway, my old recipe was made with Italian bread crumbs and lots of them.  I searched for a gluten-free version for days, but none of them appealed to me, so I decided to do what any good blogger would do and just create my own.  Honestly, I am happier with this version than with my old one, seriously, this is even better!  I brought it to the office potluck, and it was a huge hit, with everyone asking for the recipe.  So, if you're looking for something different for your Thanksgiving table this year, try my mirliton casserole, for a little taste of Louisiana!

Mirliton Casserole
6 mirlitons
1 lb ground sirloin
2 small onions, diced
6 ribs celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons salt-free creole seasoning
2 tablespoons minced parsley
4 oz cream cheese, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt & hot sauce to taste

Boil the mirlitons, whole, until fork tender, about 45 minutes to one hour.
Let cool, then peel skins, cut in half, and remove pit.
Dice pulp and drain in a colander until ready to use.
Heat the two teaspoons of olive oil in a large saucepan, add ground sirloin and cook over medium-high heat until carmelized; remove from pan and set aside.
Return saucepan to heat and add stick of butter.
Once the butter has melted, add onions, celery, bell pepper, green onions, and garlic, cook until onions are tender and translucent.
Return ground sirloin and drained mirliton to saucepan, stir in creole seasoning and minced parsley.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
Stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Taste and add salt, along with hot sauce to taste.
Butter an 11x7 baking dish, and spoon in mixture.
Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese over top.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoy!

I've linked to the following great blogs...
Savory Sunday
Mangia Mondays
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Hearth and Soul
Tasty Tuesdays
Made From Scratch Tuesday
Delicious Dishes
Let's Do Brunch
Wow Me Wednesday
These Chicks Cooked
Taking a Timeout Thursday
Full Plate Thursday
It's a Keeper
Strut Yourself