Ingredients

• 1 pound small shrimp
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• ½ cup butter 1 stick
• 15 mirlitons chopped about 6 quarts
• 1 cup yellow onions chopped
• ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs in all
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preparation

Peel, devein and rinse the shrimp. Pat dry with a towel, place them in a bowl and sprinkle with your favorite Creole or Cajun seasoning. Mix to combine.

Peel and de-seed the mirlitons (see Notes). Chop them into ¼ to ½ inch cubes and set aside.

Chop the yellow onions and measure the remaining ingredients.

To make the casserole

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the yellow onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add the shrimp and saute until just turning pink, about 3 minutes.

Add the chopped mirliton in batches, stir to combine.

Lower the heat to medium, cover the Dutch oven and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the mirlitons begin to release their liquid. Stir occasionally.

Uncover the Dutch oven and simmer for about 1 to 1 ¼ hours (uncovered) while the liquid reduces and the mirliton softens.

Use a potato masher to give a rough smash to the mirliton mixture.

Add kosher salt and ground pepper to taste and simmer for another 15 minutes while the liquid reduces almost completely.

Add about ¼ cup of seasoned bread crumbs to the mirlitons and mix well.

Bake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare a casserole dish by spreading softened butter all over the inside.

Spoon the mirliton mixture into the casserole dish and spread evenly with a spoon.

Sprinkle about ¼ to ½ cup of seasoned bread crumbs completely over the top.

Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until browning on top and bubbling around the edges.

Remove from the oven and set aside for about 10 minutes.