What exactly are chayotes??
I thought you’d never ask! 😉
First of all, if you’ve never heard of them before, you are certainly not alone.
I had absolutely no idea what they were, either. Â Until my husband texted and said that they were on sale, and wanted to know if I’d like some.
Well, you all knoooow how I get when things are on sale! Â I had to find out more!
After a quick check with Wikipedia, I discovered that a chayote is actually a fruit belonging to the gourd family. Â In fact, they are often called pear squash.
Did someone say squash?!? Â Well, then, of course I wanted some!!!
Still, even once the hubby arrived home with these little treasures, I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I wanted to do with them! Â I figured, like all squash, they’d probably taste great stuffed and baked…but what if I was wrong?? Â I definitely did want to waste this rare find!
Thankfully, a fellow NOMster, came through for me with words of encouragement! Â She said that chayote are very common in Puerto Rico, and that her mom often stuffed chayote squash and baked them. Â Most importantly, she said they were super yummy when prepared this way!
Score!
Thus, with renewed confidence, I set out to try my hand at stuffed chayotes.
The result?
Beyond words yumminess!!!
In fact, as much as I loved them, they were an even bigger hit with the hubby. Â Let’s just say, I had one serving…and he ate the rest.
In one sitting.
Success!! 🙂
Vegetarian Stuffed Chayotes
(Serves 6 as a side dish, or 3 as an entrée)
Ingredients:
- 3 large chayote squash
- 1 T virgin coconut oil, plus a bit extra for greasing your pan
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and diced
- 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
- 2 Roma (aka plum) tomatoes, chopped
- Pinch or two of sea salt
- Pinch or two of crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 20 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/2 cup Ezekiel Sprouted Grains Cereal, or toasted whole grain bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (or cheese of choice), plus a bit extra for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease a large baking pan with coconut oil, and set aside.
Steam (or boil) the chayote squash until tender. Â When they have cooled enough to handle, slice the squash in half lengthwise. Â Remove and discard the seed.
Scoop out the pulp in each squash half to within 1/4 inch of the skin. Invert the shells, and set aside to drain.
Chop the pulp, then squeeze it between paper towels to remove excess liquid.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
Sauté the garlic until golden.  Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and seasoning to the pan, and cook until tender.
Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the chopped chayote flesh, along with the remaining ingredients.
Spoon the veggie mixture evenly into the chayote shells.
Place the shells in the prepared baking dish.
Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes, or until heated through.
Sprinkle with a bit of extra cheese, if desired.
Bake for about 5 more minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
Enjoy!!
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I just love the recipes I discover here on your site! =) Stuffing and baking “Chayote” is very new to me. We call it Sayote here in the Philippines and we often saute it and add other veggies.
You completely just made my day!! I’m so happy to hear that you are enjoying the recipes you find here. I will definitely have to try sauteing chayote/sayote ASAP! 🙂