Stuffed Mirliton

Place the whole mirlitons in a large pot, fill it with water, cover, and bring to a boil for 25 minutes; reserve ½ cup of the mirliton stock. Remove the mirliton, cut mirliton in half lengthwise, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Remove seeds and scoop the mirliton flesh into a food processor or a bowl. Gently scoop out ¾ of the flesh to preserve the shell, then place the shell on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pulse the food processor 5-6 times until the mirliton is chopped, or rough chop it to a medium size by hand.

Preheat the oven to 375°F(190°C). While the mirlitons boil, heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Do not drain the meat when water is released. Add smoked sausage and cook for 4 minutes until browned. Stir in 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and mirliton; cook for 3 minutes, or until the vegetable mixture is tender. Stir in minced garlic and dry thyme.

Add remaining Cajun seasoning, ½ cup breadcrumbs, and lemon juice. The mixture should thicken up. Add more mirliton stock if needed.

Scoop the mixture into the mirliton shells, be sure to evenly distribute it, and stuff it to create a mound shape. Sprinkle more breadcrumbs over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned, and garnish with parsley.