Mirliton (Mirleton) Vegetable Pear Casserole

The vegetable used to make this dish has several spellings and wordings. They are as seen above: Mirleton – Mirliton – Vegetable Pear – Chayote The chayote is a more or less pear-shaped member of the gourd family. Several varieties of chayote exist, but the commonly available one has thick apple-green skin and generally weighs 1/2 to 1 pound. Its crisp flesh is mild in flavor, falling somewhere between cucumber and summer squash. Though the chayote can be prepared many ways, it is always cooked, never eaten raw. The chayote can be steamed or boiled. It can also be sliced or diced and it can be sautéed or roasted or pickled (see the recipe on site).

Ingredients

  • 5 - 6 mirlitons, parboiled until barely tender
  • 1 medium onions chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground pork, pork sausage or Jimmy Dean sausage
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper, optional
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 tbsp roux for flavor
  • 2 tbsp oil or butter for browning
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Step 1

Peel, slice and parboil the mirliton until barely tender.

Step 2

In a separate pan, brown the beef and pork in the oil. Add and sauté the onion, bell pepper and celery until tender. Drain any excess oil.

Step 3

Mix and heat through the rest of the seasonings and the optional roux to the mixture. Do not add the cheese yet.

Step 4

In a greased casserole dish, put one layer of sliced mirlitons and one layer of ground meat mixture until the casserole is filled.

Step 5

Sprinkle the sharp cheddar cheese on top of the casserole. Bake in a 350 degree oven 25 minutes or until the cheese melts and the entire dish is heated through.



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