re: What's your go to side dish, and the recipe?

STUFFED MIRLITON

4 mirlitons, sliced in half lengthwise
¾ lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, in ½ inch pieces,
½ cups onions, diced
¼ cup green bell pepper, diced
¼ cup celery, diced
¼ cup green onions, chopped
3 tbs parsley, minced
2 tbs olive oil
½ cup breadcrumbs plus enough to cover top mirlitons
2 table sp Parmesan
Salt, black pepper, red pepper to taste

Procedure:

Boil the mirlitons in lightly salted water until tender enough to scoop from shells. Drain and cool under tap water to room temperature. Scoop out pulp, but leave shells intact about 1/3 inch thick. Set aside to drain. Mash the pulp from the mirliton and set aside. . Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté the onions, bell pepper, celery & garlic in oil until wilted. Add the mirliton pulp. Cook for 5 minutes, Add salt, pepper and red pepper to taste then add parsley and green onions. Blend well. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink. Add breadcrumbs and blend well. Fill the reserved mirliton shells with the shrimp mixture to a raised, rounded shape. Top with remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake mirlitons for 15- 20 minutes or until the tops are nicely browned.

Substitute 1 lb ground meat, crabmeat, or crawfish tails for the shrimp for other variations to this dish.