February 13 is Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), the last day of Carnival season just before Lent, the 40-day period during which many people spend in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Naturally, it’s a time of great excess (gotta indulge before giving it up!). In New Orleans, it’s celebrated with parades, elaborate costumes, and tons and tons of delicious food. We’ve rounded up this list of 40 of our favorites here, everything from Southern-inspired sides and desserts to Creole-influenced apps and mains. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
One of the most amazing things about traditional New Orleans food is how it has been influenced by cuisines around the world, like French, Caribbean, Italian, and West African, to name a few. Many of these influences are found in modern Cajun and Creole cuisine, which is a great place to start if you’re unfamiliar. Gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp creole, , and shrimp étouffée are all incredible dishes that’ll make you feel like you’re in the Louisiana bayou.
If attempting full-on traditional recipes like these sounds intimidating, we’ve also got a number of recipes only inspired by Cajun and Creole flavors. Adding seasonings and ingredients to recipes you already know and love is a great way to dip your toes in to food you’re unfamiliar with. Give our smoked sausage Cajun Alfredo, our grilled chicken Cajun pasta salad, our jambalaya pasta, or our a try to see what we mean.
And don't forget about some of New Orleans' most infamous sandwiches—the muffuletta and the po' boy. They were both created out of necessity during important times in history—the "poor boy" during the streetcar worker strike of 1929 and the muffuletta by a Sicilian immigrant in 1906—and now can be found all throughout the city. Every iteration has something a little different or special, so try adding your own little spin when making them at home too. Need an idea? Check our our muffuletta pizza to see just how far your imagination can take you.
Want even more Mardi Gras inspiration? Check out our best Mardi Gras appetizers, desserts, and co*cktails too.
1
Crawfish Étouffée
The word étouffée is French for “smothered,” which makes sense in this spin on shrimp étouffée. This brothy dish features crawfish and vegetables completely covered in a savory butter-and-flour-based gravy (aka a roux). Pro tip: Serve this over white rice to soak up all that flavor.
Get the Crawfish Étouffée recipe.
2
New Orleans-Style Beignets
Want to celebrate Mardi Gras from the comfort of your kitchen? Make beignets. Liberally dusted in confectioners’ sugar, these pillowy deep-fried doughnuts will make you feel like you're at the famous Cafe du Monde in just one bite.
Get the New Orleans-Style Beignets recipe.
3
Smoked Sausage Cajun Alfredo
This dish expands on what we all love about fettuccine Alfredo, amping it up with the punchy spices and andouille sausage commonly found in Cajun cuisine. If you love gumbo and jambalaya, this recipe has got to be next on your list.
Get the Smoked Sausage Cajun Alfredo recipe.
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4
Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo
Filled with shrimp, sausage, and the signature seasoning, hearty gumbo is the true melting-pot dish of New Orleans. It's a top-notch comfort food stew centered around a flavorful roux and the holy trinity of Southern cooking: aromatic onions, celery, and bell peppers.
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5
Shrimp & Grits
Rich and cheesy, shrimp and grits is the comfort food staple we'll welcome all year long, but especially around Mardi Gras. Our recipe is extra-creamy due to a generous amount of cheese and butter. We also took this recipe to the next-level by adding in crispy bacon.
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6
Bananas Foster Cheesecake
Bananas Foster is a classic dessert that should never go out of style, and now we’re bringing it back in with this bananas Foster cheesecake. Boozy caramelized bananas are piled over a fluffy banana cheesecake for a classy, show-stopping dessert that’s sure to be the belle of any ball you bring her to.
Get the Bananas Foster Cheesecake recipe.
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7
Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice
All Creole cuisine packs a flavor punch that keeps you coming back for seconds, but red beans and rice are in a league all their own. The red beans soak up the smoky, porky, spicy, and earthy flavors and release some starch to create a rich gravy that’s perfect for spooning over steamed white rice.
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8
Fried Catfish
Our top secret for the most flavorful, extra-crispy catfish? A buttermilk and hot sauce marinade. We know, it may sound odd, but the result is an extra-flavorful, slightly spicy catfish that, once coated and fried, results in crispy fillets that'll rival even your favorite seafood restaurants.
Get the Fried Catfish recipe.
9
Cajun-Spiced Chicken & Gnocchi
Let the good times roll because this chicken and pasta skillet will take you straight to Louisiana. Just like our other gnocchi skillet dinners, this one is absolutely craveable; plus, it brings all the flavors we associate with New Orleans into your kitchen, just in time for Mardi Gras.
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10
Mardi Gras King Cake
King cakes are one of the best parts of Carnival season. They’re traditionally sweet pastry shaped into a ring (like a crown) and covered with icing and colored sprinkles (gold for power, green for faith, and purple for justice). Whoever finds the toy baby inside their slice is king for the year (and has to bring the cake next Mardi Gras!).
Get the Mardi Gras King Cake recipe.
11
Muffuletta
The muffuletta was first served at Central Grocery, an Italian deli in Louisiana founded by Sicilian immigrant Salvatore Lupo in 1906. Sicilian farmers would stop by Lupo’s deli in between shifts at the French Market and juggle plates of olives, salumi, and cheese for lunch. To make it easier to eat, Lupo decided to slap all the ingredients between two pieces of bread, and the muffuletta was born. The more you know!
Get the Muffuletta recipe.
12
Cajun-Stuffed Chicken
Cajun seasoning is a top 5 go-to seasoning mix for our Test Kitchen chefs. We love the spicy, zesty flavors it can provide to everything it touches. Bonus: It also makes this stuffed chicken dish the perfect leftover contender because the flavor last and lasts.
Get the Cajun-Stuffed Chicken recipe.
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13
Shrimp Po’ Boy
If you've never had an iconic Louisiana po' boy, this classic fried shrimp version is a great place to start. With crispy fried shrimp, a homemade remoulade, and plenty of fresh veggies, this sandwich will take you to the fern and Spanish moss-lined streets of NOLA in seconds flat.
Get the Shrimp Po’ Boy recipe.
14
Hush Puppies
Hush puppies—or fried balls of savory cornmeal batter—are a welcome addition to any seafood spread or fried food feast. These golden, crispy bites are so easy to make, they're the perfect last-minute appetizer for all your Mardi Gras festivities.
Get the Hush Puppies recipe.
15
Muffuletta Pizza
This pizza has the same components as its namesake muffuletta sandwich (with a chewy-crisp crust standing in for the sesame roll!) but is arguably even simpler to make, portion, and serve to a big crowd. Make it for a casual dinner OR a Mardi Gras bash, and watch everyone freak out.
Get the Muffuletta Pizza recipe.
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16
Jambalaya
Spicy, hearty, and incredibly flavorful, jambalaya is a New Orleans classic for good reason. Its complex flavor is informed by cuisines from around the world—Spanish, West African, and French to name a few. Our recipe combines three proteins and vegetable-packed rice for a flavor-packed dish that will warm you up all season long.
Get the Jambalaya recipe.
17
Dirty Rice
Dirty rice (or rice dressing as it’s referred to in the bayou) is a delicious Louisiana staple made mainly of rice, ground pork sausage, ground beef, and the holy trinity of vegetables (onion, bell pepper, and celery). It's the perfect use for old rice, so feel free to use that box of takeout rice here!
Get the Dirty Rice recipe.
18
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
Not to be mistaken for jambalaya or shrimp étouffée, gumbo comes in many forms, but it always absolutely must: 1) thickened by a dark brown roux, 2) be served over rice (or with potato salad if you’re extra Southern), and 3) feature the holy trinity of Southern cooking: onion, celery, and green bell pepper.
Get the .
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19
Bananas Foster
Traditionally, rum is the liquor of choice to flambé bananas Foster, but no one’s stopping you from experimenting with bourbon or anything over 80-proof that has great flavor. As the sauce ignites, the flames will die out as the alcohol is cooked off, leaving you with the flavor of whatever you choose.
Get the Bananas Foster recipe.
20
Paczki
Paczki (pronounced something like puhnch-kee) are a traditional Polish dessert typically prepared on Fat Tuesday (or Mardi Gras) as a way to use up all the rich ingredients typically given up for Lent. If you're looking for a decadent treat, these dense jelly donuts should be next on your baking list.
Get the Paczki recipe.
Camille Lowder
Digital Food Producer
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
