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Mirliton Dressing

A baked dressing of mashed mirliton, shrimp or sausage, the trinity, and breadcrumbs — the New Orleans Creole answer to cornbread dressing on the holiday table.

Compiled by APEX Legacy from published research and documented food history, under the editorial direction of Jonathan Jackson, Founder. How we write and review these pages →

Why it is ours

Mirliton dressing is the dish that distinguishes a New Orleans Creole holiday spread from the rest of the South — where others bake cornbread dressing, the Creole table bakes the backyard squash. It carries family and neighborhood identity in every pan.

What it does

Built on mirliton, this dressing carries more fiber, potassium, and vitamin C and far fewer refined carbs than a bread-heavy cornbread dressing. Shrimp adds lean protein and selenium. Keeping the breadcrumb load light makes it one of the more blood-pressure-friendly dishes on a Creole holiday table.

How it is cooked

Boil and mash mirlitons, sauté the trinity with shrimp or a little sausage, fold everything together with breadcrumbs and seasoning, then bake in a casserole until set and lightly browned. Use whole-grain crumbs, lean shrimp over sausage, and olive oil; let the mirliton be the bulk of the dish.

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