Mirliton Seafood Casserole

Ingredients:

12 Medium to large Mirlitons
2 Sticks plus 2 tablespoons salted butter 
2 Cups chopped onions
2 Bell peppers chopped
1 Rib celery chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
½ Cup chopped fresh parsley
½ Pound smoked sausage
1 Pound 70/90 shrimp boiled and coarsely chopped
1 Pound cooked crawfish tails coarsely chopped
1 Pound crab meat
3 Cups Italian bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons Tony’s creole seasoning
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon crab boil
1 Teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 Teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

In a large pot boil Mirlitons whole with crab boil and salt until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool then peel, remove and discard the seeds and any stringy pulp. Chop the pulp into small pieces and put into colander to drain. Set aside, drain well before using.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan or large casserole dish.

In a roasting pan or Dutch oven, melt 1 stick of butter and sauté onions, bell pepper, and celery, until, onions are clears (about 5 minutes)

Add smoked sausage, sauté for 5 minutes

Add the Mirliton, garlic, parsley, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and dry seasonings

Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking

Add shrimp and crawfish, mix well

Fold in the crab meat. Try not to break up the lumps of crab meat

Gradually add the bread crumbs to absorb the liquid, about 2 ½ cups, the mixture should be moist but not wet. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan almost constantly.

Transfer mixture into prepared pan, sprinkle top of casserole with bread crumbs, add pats of butter, bake uncovered until the casserole is heated thoroughly and bubbly, and the top starts to turn brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.