Mirliton (chayote) boiled, scooped, and the flesh mixed with shrimp or ham and breadcrumbs, then baked back in the shell — a beloved New Orleans holiday table dish.
Stuffed mirliton is a New Orleans holiday institution — vines climbing back fences in the Seventh and Ninth Wards, the squash put up by the grandmother and stuffed for Thanksgiving. It is a deeply local Creole tradition, rooted in the home garden.
Mirliton is a low-calorie, low-glycemic squash high in fiber, folate, vitamin C, and potassium — a quietly excellent vegetable for blood pressure and glucose control. Stuffing it with shrimp adds lean protein and selenium. The fiber and potassium make this a genuinely heart-supportive Creole dish when the filler is kept light.
Boil mirlitons until tender, halve and scoop the flesh, then sauté it with the trinity, shrimp or diced lean ham, and seasoning. Bind lightly with breadcrumbs and an egg, mound back into the shells, and bake. Use whole-grain breadcrumbs, lean protein, and olive oil; let the mirliton itself carry the volume.
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