Party-Ready Mardi Gras Recipes

King cake is the wintry dessert that fuels Louisianans during Carnaval season. King cake season lasts January 6th until Mardi Gras—the perfect antidote to the post-holiday slump (though the date of Mardi Gras changes each year, depending on when Easter is). The term "king cake" is actually a misnomer since it's not a cake, but a yeast-raised bread. But the most exciting thing isn’t the delicious pastry-like cake, but the plastic baby that’s hidden inside! This is not the kind of cake where you “save some for later,” since whoever gets the piece with the baby has to bring the next king cake! This tradition runs throughout the two month (or longer!) Carnaval, so everyone has plenty of opportunities to eat lots and lots of king cake. King cake is traditionally filled with a cinnamon filling, but this version uses a fun, raspberry-cream cheese filling. Feel free to swap the raspberry jam for another fruit jam. 

Like most creole dishes, this jambalaya contains the “holy trinity”—onion, celery and bell pepper. The andouille sausage and creole seasoning add a distinct Louisiana flavor. The rice for jambalaya is traditionally cooked in with the other ingredients, but this quick version uses pre-cooked rice, making this dish perfect if you’ve got leftover rice to use up.

This massive sandwich is a New Orleans staple. To build it, hollow a round loaf of bread and stuff the hole with an olive-vegetable salad. Once that’s done, stack layers of Italian meats with provolone, wrap the whole thing in plastic and weigh the sandwich down. The last step is key, as it ensures that the sandwich will stay together — and be flat enough to eat!

In New Orleans, beignets are served with a snowstorm of powdered sugar. The puffy fried dough squares are sold at loads of places, including the rightfully famous Café du Monde. Anytime you order beignets to go, the paper bag is likewise loaded with powdered sugar. Capture that spirit by tossing these New Orleans–style beignets with powdered sugar in a large paper grocery bag. Or use a baking sheet coated with sugar. Whatever approach you choose, be sure to eat them while they’re piping hot. That’s half the point. The other half is finding yourself covered in white powder after a few bites.

The perfect side for whatever you're serving up on your Mardi Gras menu? Kardea's crunchy, tangy salad.

This New Orleans classic warms you up no matter where you are. Don't skip the almond extract — it ties together all the ingredients, and gives the drink its trademark nutty backbone.

A Po-Boy is an iconic New Orleans sandwich, especially when filled with a “barbecue shrimp.” Though the shrimp never actually touches a grill, it’s cooked in a winning combination of butter, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, paprika and cayenne.

This loaded gumbo is a perfect excuse to throw a little shindig to celebrate like they do in Louisiana. Invite your closest friends and indulge in this rich and flavorful gumbo, exactly the way it's intended to be enjoyed.

Mardi Gras may come just once a year, but this ice cream keeps the party going year-round. No electric ice cream maker required — it's a cool way to enjoy all the flavors of the iconic Mardi Gras treat. And of course, we included a hidden treasure.

You’ll find all the big flavors of the Big Easy in this saucy dish. Don’t skip the andouille sausage — the seasoned meat adds tons of flavor to the meal.

Valerie uses ham hocks, onion and garlic to give her side dish Southern flair.

Nothing says springtime in New Orleans like a crawfish boil. Alton makes his own seasoning to perfect the flavors in his Cajun dinner.

Catfish is an iconic Southern dish, especially when it’s fried. Trisha brines her filets overnight, then shakes them in a cornmeal-flour mixture before frying until they get crispy.

No Southern meal is complete without a side of hush puppies. Claire uses sugar in her batter, making their slight sweetness a nice break from spicy sauces so you can keep going back for more.

No stovetop needed for this comfort food classic. Thanks to the Instant Pot®, this dish keeps the soul of Southern cooking with just a fraction of the work it would normally take.

Bobby’s cocktail, named after the French Quarter, is a legendary local cocktail. For his boozy brunch beverage, Bobby mixes rye, cognac, vermouth, bitters and Benedictine liqueur.

The classic po' boy sandwich gets recast with fried pickles as the star, satisfying pickle fanatics and vegetarians alike.

This super-flavorful dip is inspired by the spicy shrimp dishes of New Orleans.

Beignets (a fluffy, pillowy donut) are a New Orleans tradition. Trisha fries hers until golden-brown, then coats the beignets in lots of powdered sugar.

Trout fillets are broiled and served with a creamy and slightly spicy butter sauce with mushrooms and peppers.

This cost- and weeknight-friendly dish of shrimp, corn and tomatoes gets its bold flavor from Creole seasoning, an aromatic and spicy mixture that usually includes paprika, cayenne pepper, dried herbs, plus granulated onion and garlic.

Claire’s creamy dish works great as a side or its own meal. She uses andouille sausage to get those Creole flavors.

Rachael says, “Although I was ‘not an easy child,’ my Cajun daddy says there are many reasons he loves me. I think this recipe may be at the top of a very short list!”

There are three key ingredients to Bobby’s crawfish dish: tarragon, Tabasco and butter, which according to Bobby, “make everything taste good.”