Let the good times roll (laissez les bon temps rouler) with this amazing collection of traditional and classic Mardi Gras Recipes and Menu Ideas for 2023. These quick and easy Cajun and Creole-style themed food ideas are perfect for celebrating Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday whether you are in New Orleans or at home.
If you are looking for Mardi Gras recipes for a crowd, or just need menu ideas for a party or lunch, appetizer, dinner, side dish, or dessert, you will find everything you need right here.
I’ve teamed up with my sister Chula at the Pudge Factor Blog to bring you these classic recipes and menu ideas. Each recipe includes easy step-by-step instructions, and most also include videos to make it as simple as possible for you to prepare these mouth-watering dishes.
We hope these recipes and menu items give you plenty of ideas to celebrate Mardi Gras properly. And, even if you aren’t celebrating, these easy culinary creations are perfect for special occasions or to serve your family and friends.
Hurricane Cocktail
Hurricane Cocktails were first created at the legendary Pat O’Brien’s Bar in New Orleans in the 1940s as a creative way of utilizing large stocks of rum. Legend has it that the Hurricane got its name because the cocktail was first served in the glass piece of a hurricane lamp. And, as they say, the rest is history.
Cajun Shrimp and Grits
Easy Cajun Shrimp and Grits is a classic Southern shrimp and grits recipe. It features creamy parmesan cheese grits topped with perfectly seasoned, sautéed Cajun shrimp swimming in a decadent sauce with butter, garlic, and lemon juice.
Cajun Onion Strings with Spicy Dipping Sauce
Crispy Cajun Onion Strings with Spicy Dipping Sauce are as easy to make as they are addictive to eat. The Onion Strings are amazing on their own and delicious when piled high on a juicy burger or as a crunchy topping for your favorite casserole.
The Spicy Dipping Sauce is equally amazing and perfect, not only for the Onion Strings but also as a condiment for your favorite burger or sandwich.
Ultimate Oysters Rockefeller – Grits and Pinecones
Ultimate Oysters Rockefeller is for you if you are looking for an outstanding appetizer to impress your guests or a light, healthy dinner entree! This classic dish is a must-try for seafood lovers and, like my recipe for Southern Crispy Fried Oysters, is perfect for showcasing oysters’ briny and succulent flavors.
Creole Seafood Jambalaya
Creole Seafood Jambalaya with succulent shrimp, tender chicken, and spicy andouille sausage is an easy, make-ahead, flavorful, and iconic one-pot wonder.
Found all along the Gulf Coast but especially in New Orleans and Southern Louisiana, this seafood jambalaya also includes perfectly seasoned rice, the iconic “holy trinity,” luscious tomatoes, and the bold punch of Creole seasoning.
Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake
Brighten your celebrations with this rich and moist Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake. It feels like springtime and tastes amazing under a layer of lemon glaze. Every piece is a surprise. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Easy Mardi Gras Hot Muffuletta Dip
This easy hot muffuletta dip is a tantalizing dip made with tasty green olives, salami, provolone cheese, and tangy giardiniera. These yummy ingredients are combined with cream cheese to make a hot and delicious dip that is guaranteed to make you swoon and is perfect for a party.
Mardi Gras Macaroons
Laizzez les bons temps rouler with these melt-in-your-mouth macarons filled with a light and airy lemon buttercream.
Southern BBQ Shrimp and Cheese Grits
One taste of Southern BBQ Shrimp and Cheese Grits, a divine combination of creamy parmesan cheese grits and succulent, briny gulf shrimp sautéed in a bold and spicy BBQ sauce, and you will be transported to the French Quarter in New Orleans!
Shrimp Étouffée
Shrimp Étouffée is classic New Orleans at its best. It’s perfect for your Fat Tuesday dinner with spicy shrimp cooked in a delicious roux-based sauce.
Homemade Pecan Praline Ice Cream
A festive and decadent holiday dessert, luscious Pecan Pralines and Ice Cream will make a sweet ending to any meal! Sometimes it’s called Pralines and Cream Ice Cream, or even simply Praline Ice Cream, but no matter what you call it, the combination of pralines and cream is the perfect balance of richness and sweetness.
Mardi Gras King Cake
The King Cake is a quintessential confection that is decorated in Mardi Gras colors. Traditionally, a tiny plastic baby is hidden in the King Cake. Whoever ends up with the baby is named “King” for a day and bound by custom to host the next party and provide the King Cake.
Mardi Gras Snack Mix
This snack mix is simple to make, full of delicious sweet and savory treats, and festive with Mardi Gras’s colors, which are purple, green, and gold.
New Orleans Beignets
New Orleans Beignets – In New Orleans, beignets are a fried yeasted dough served with confectioners’ sugar on top. They are traditionally prepared right before they’re served to be eaten fresh and hot. They were brought to New Orleans in the 18th century by French colonists and made famous by the Café du Monde.
New Orleans-Style Shrimp Creole with Spicy Cajun Cream Sauce
A unique recipe, this New Orleans-style Shrimp Creole features succulent shrimp drenched in a Spicy Cajun Cream Sauce made with sour cream, tomato paste, and Creole or Cajun seasoning. Mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes round out this mouth-watering Louisanna-inspired entree. It’s delicious in an unforgettable way!
Old-Fashioned Pecan Pralines
Old-fashioned Pecan Pralines are a classic Southern candy and a unique treat. These luscious, crunchy bites of heaven taste a little like a combination of creamy butterscotch, caramel, and roasted pecans, all wrapped up in a sugary, fudgy package!
Red Beans and Rice
In New Orleans, red beans are a cultural tradition dating back hundreds of years. Through the years, Red Beans and Rice was the quintessential dish associated with Mondays. Whatever day of the week, however, Red Beans and Rice is sure to please the pickiest of eaters.
Cheesy Creole Shrimp Toast
Cheesy Creole Shrimp Toast is a delicious, quick, and easy (and mostly make-ahead) appetizer perfect for a Mardi Gras party.
Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Boursin Grits
Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Boursin Grits is an easy-to-prepare but elegant dish to serve for any occasion. Succulent fresh shrimp are cooked to perfection in creamy garlic and parmesan sauce. Ordinary grits are taken to new heights with the addition of Boursin cheese and smoked Gouda cheese. Are you drooling yet?
Spicy Buffalo Shrimp Po’Boy
What better way to celebrate Fat Tuesday than with my Spicy Buffalo Shrimp Po’Boy Sandwich, a quintessential New Orleans dish and a Po’Boy of your dreams?
Cajun Pork Boulettes with Spicy Dip
Cajun Pork Boulettes with Spicy Dip is an amazing appetizer. They are perfect for your Fat Tuesday celebrations and are easy to put together, albeit a bit time-consuming. The Cajun Pork Boulettes can be made ahead of time and freeze beautifully. What more could you ask? Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!
Classic Cajun Dirty Rice with Sausage
Classic southern comfort food at its finest, Dirty Rice is a delicious blend of cajun spices, vegetables, rice, sausage, and, yes, chicken livers. Hailing from Louisiana, this one-pot wonder can be served either as a side or main dish.
Mardi Gras Praline Crunch
Praline Crunch is just in time for all of your Mardi Gras celebrations. If you like caramel corn, you’ll absolutely love this recipe. It’s made like my Old-Fashioned Caramel Corn using Corn Chex in place of popcorn. I dress it up with toasted pecans and Mardi Gras colored M&M’s. Laissez les Bon Temps Roules with these amazing munchies for all of your celebrations!
Best Blackened Shrimp
In this flavor-packed Blackened Shrimp recipe, fresh shrimp are coated with a spicy blackening seasoning blend and pan-seared in butter until they are tender, juicy, and simply amazing. It’s the perfect low-carb main course or appetizer and takes just minutes to make.
Beef Grillades And Smoked Gouda Grits
Beef Grillades (pronounced gree-hahds) and Grits is a classic New Orleans dish. The beef is cooked in a flavorful gravy accented with onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until it is fork-tender. It’s made extra special when served with Smoked Gouda Grits.
New Orleans Shrimp Remoulade
Shrimp Remoulade (pronounced ruma-lahd) is a quintessential New Orleans dish composed of cold-boiled shrimp with a spicy mustard-based dressing. It is generally served as a first-course appetizer, making it perfect for Fat Tuesday celebrations. I usually serve it on a bed of lettuce or in a stemmed cocktail glass to awaken my guest’s taste buds.
Frequently asked questions:
Mardi Gras is a time of celebrating, party going, parades, and feasting before the religious season of fasting begins on Ash Wednesday for Lent. The first celebration in America took place on March 3, 1699
Mardi (French for Tuesday) Gras (French for Fat) refers to Shrove or Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday. In reality, it refers to the Carnival celebrations that begin on January 6 (the Epiphany) and ends on Fat Tuesday.
Because it is tied to Ash Wednesday, which is aligned with Easter, the date changes every year. For 2023, Fat Tuesday is on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
The colors are purple, green, and gold (yellow). Purple is said to represent justice, green to symbolize faith, and gold to represent power.
Because the celebration is tied to Christianity, it is celebrated worldwide, but most notably in New Orleans, Louisiana. Biloxi, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, are cities east of New Orleans that also actively celebrate Mardi Gras with krewes, numerous parades, and balls.
More Mardi Gras recipes and menu ideas:
If you can’t make it to New Orleans to participate in the annual celebrations, here are more recipes you might like to make at home. Whether you are looking for appetizer, dinner, side dish, or dessert recipes, I have you covered.
For even more menu ideas, videos, and cooking tips check out my Mardi Gras Recipe Section.
★ If you make any of these recipes, please leave a comment and give the recipe a star rating. We would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
**This post was originally published on February 19, 2017.
Marvelous recipes with great added tips !