While going to NOLA to celebrate Mardi Gras in person this year probably isn’t realistic, it doesn’t mean you still can’t have a great time right in your very own home. In fact, a bunch of our staffers are doing just that this upcoming Fat Tuesday. At the very center of their celebration? You guessed it — delicious food! From fluffy beignets to crunchy hush puppies, here’s everything we’re making, ordering and eating this Fat Tuesday.

Beignets, Beignets and More Beignets!

The last time my mom was in New Orleans she picked up a box of beignet mix from the famous Cafe du Monde! I've been saving it to make on a special occasion and what better way to celebrate Mardi Gras than with these French, powdery doughnuts? You can also find the boxed mix anywhere online!

— Lauren Tom, Associate Content Producer

Currently I’m looking for any excuse to do cooking projects and Fat Tuesday is the perfect excuse for making beignets. While making it to New Orleans from NYC is pretty out-of-the-question this year, making the city’s classic baked good at home will give me a feeling of being on vacation on Bourbon Street. This mix is created by two Louisiana natives and is ready to fry in just a couple of steps (you do have to let the dough rest, so factor that in)! It’s perfect for a weekday treat before the big celebration.

— T.K. Brady, Senior Editor

I've made Erin McDowell's Ricotta Beignets three different times now, and they're sooo incredible that I'm planning on making a double-batch of them again on Fat Tuesday. Since this'll be the very first time I'm celebrating the holiday (I'm all about giving myself little celebrations throughout the remainder of 2021) I'm also planning on covering the spongy golden rounds in green, yellow and purple sanding sugars instead of confectioners’ sugar to give them a little Big Easy-inspired touch!

— Michelle Baricevic, Online Editorial Coordinator, Food Network Magazine

A Beloved Childhood Treat

For the first time in a long time, I’m back in my hometown of Detroit for Fat Tuesday. And if you’re from here too, you know exactly what that means: It’s time for paczki! In case you’re not familiar, paczki are Polish doughnuts, and they’re a longtime tradition in the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck. They can be glazed or not, filled or not. My favorites are simply glazed with a bright-red strawberry filling. Growing up, my mom would have a paczki waiting for me in the car when she picked me up from school on Fat Tuesday. It’d be gone by the time we arrived home, and my fingers would be a deliciously sticky-sweet mess at that point. This year, I’m stopping by a local bakery to pick up a pack of paczki, but you can also order them online here.

— Maria Russo, Senior Digital Editor

Can't Beat Cajun Food

I always try to order takeout once a week to help out my neighborhood restaurants. Gumbo Bros are always on the rotation at least once a month, so we celebrate Fat Tuesday every month! Their Cajun Chicken & Sausage Gumbo and the Fried Shrimp Po Boy (on Leidenheimer Bread of course) makes me think of the sounds of the brass bands playing in the French Quarter. Watch out for the flying beads! See you soon, NOLA.

— Dave Mechlowicz, Director of Culinary Production

Fried Goodness

I admit I’m lucky I have more than a few restaurants in my neighborhood that serve great hush puppies. (Sorry to my Northeastern co-workers!) But takeout hush puppies do lose a little something on their trip home. Thank goodness for Sunny Anderson's Hush Puppies with a Hot Honey Dipping Sauce recipe: Her four-ingredient batter fries up into mouthwatering golden-brown bites that are crisp on the outside yet light and airy on the inside. And when you can make them in only 35 minutes, they’re quick enough for a weeknight — perfect for an indulgent Fat Tuesday celebration at home.

— Meghan Hynes Cole, Associate Editor

Homemade Confections

I know most people went through the confectionary phase of quarantine months ago, but I’ve just recently started. For the past few weeks, I’ve been taking on a new dessert project each weekend and it feels right to go extra-indulgent for Fat Tuesday with Kardea Brown's Chocolate Topped Pralines. My plan is to double the recipe, then pack up a little taste of New Orleans for a few friends who I took a trip there with years ago.

— Julie Hines, Managing Editor, Food Network Kitchen App

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