Jamaican Stuffed Christophene (Chayote)

About This Recipe

Christophene, known elsewhere as chayote, is a mild, slightly crunchy squash common across the Caribbean, here halved, scooped and stuffed with a seasoned ground beef filling that includes the scooped flesh itself. The filling is seasoned with thyme, scallion and a touch of scotch bonnet for gentle heat, mixed with breadcrumbs for structure before being packed back into the tender squash halves. Topped with cheese and baked until bubbling, stuffed christophene is a comforting, vegetable-forward Jamaican dinner that makes good use of a squash more commonly relegated to a simple side dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4christophene (chayote squash)(halved)
• 300 gground beef
• 1onion(diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3scallions(chopped)
• 1 sprigfresh thyme
• 1/2scotch bonnet pepper(minced, seeded for less heat)
• 1/3 cupbreadcrumbs
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 1 cupshredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Parboil the christophene

   Boil the halved christophene in salted water for 10-12 minutes until just tender; drain and cool slightly.

2. 2

   Scoop the flesh

   Scoop out the center flesh of each half, leaving a sturdy shell, and finely chop the scooped flesh.

3. 3

   Make the filling

   Cook onion until soft, add garlic, ground beef, scallions, thyme and scotch bonnet, browning until the beef is cooked through.

4. 4

   Combine

   Stir in the chopped christophene flesh, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

   Don't overcook the christophene shells during parboiling — they need to hold their shape through a second round of baking, so slightly firm is better than fully soft.

5. 5

   Stuff the shells

   Fill each christophene shell generously with the beef mixture.

6. 6

   Top and bake

   Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake at 190C/375F for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve hot.

Variations

• •

  A vegetarian version replaces the ground beef with black beans and extra vegetables.

• •

  Adding a bit of curry powder to the filling gives a different, warmly spiced flavor.

• •

  Ground chicken or turkey can substitute for beef for a lighter filling.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat covered in a 180C/350F oven until warmed through.

Frequently Asked Questions