50 Best Mardi Gras Food Ideas - Dining and Cooking

1Cajun Crab Cake Sliders jumbo lump crab tossed with trinity vegetables, cajun seasoning, and the lemon pepper seasoning and pan fried until golden brown PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON2New Orleans-Style Beignets beignets on a platter dusted with powdered sugar PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

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3Slow-Cooker Shrimp Boil baby potatoes, sweet corn, spicy sausage, and lemons swimming in a flavorful broth with juicy shrimp tossed in plenty of old bay seasoning PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI ; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

For this classic shrimp boil variation, throw your Baby potatoes, sweet corn, spicy sausage, lemons, and juicy shrimp tossed in plenty of Old Bay seasoning into the slow cooker with a flavorful broth and let the machine do the work for you.

Get the Slow-Cooker Shrimp Boil recipe.

4Shrimp Po’ Boy Burgers shrimp po boy burger PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

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5Crawfish Étouffée crawfish étouffée served with white rice and parsley PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

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.

6Cheesy Shrimp & Grits Bites smoked gouda grits, breaded and fried until crispy then topped with cajun seasoned shrimp and creamy remoulade sauce PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

Shrimp and grits are a Southern staple for good reason. In this two-bite version, smoked gouda grits are breaded and fried until golden brown and crispy, then topped with saucy Cajun-spiced shrimp and a flurry of fresh scallions.

Get the Cheesy Shrimp & Grits Bites recipe.

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7Muffuletta Dip muffuletta dip with toasted bread PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

If you aren’t familiar with the muffuletta sandwich, you should be. It’s filled with three different cured meats, a plethora of olives, roasted red peppers, and other brined ingredients. It’s big and proud, and this dip is the perfect scoopable version of it.

Get the Muffuletta Dip recipe.

8Creamy Cajun Stuffed Shells creamy cajun stuffed shells in a white baking dish PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

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9Shrimp & Tomato Succotash Skillet blistered tomatoes and charred corn tossed with onion, bell pepper, lima beans, and seared cajun spiced shrimp then topped with a flurry of torn basil PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON10Mardi Gras King CakePHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

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.

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11 Shrimp Creole shrimp in a tomato based stew topped with chives and served with rice PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Similar to shrimp étouffée, but with a tomato-based sauce, this recipe will transport you to the balcony-lined streets of New Orleans. Aromatic onion, green bell pepper, and celery form the holy trinity of flavor on top of which you’ll build this saucy little number.

Get the Shrimp Creole recipe.

12Smoked Sausage Cajun Alfredo cajun flavored alfredo with penne tossed with smoked sausage PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

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13Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo shrimp and sausage gumbo with green onions PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS14Shrimp & Grits shrimp and grits in a bowl with greens onion PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

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.

Get the Shrimp & Grits recipe.

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15Bananas Foster Cheesecake bananas foster cheesecake topped with caramel sauce and sliced bananas PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

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.

16Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice a creole classic with tender, creamy red beans stewed in smoked ham and andouille sausage and flavored with holy trinity vegetables, then served over steamed rice PHOTO: DOAA ELKADY; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

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.

Get the Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice recipe.

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17Muffuletta slice of muffuletta PHOTO: KATE JORDAN; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

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.

18Cajun-Spiced Chicken & Gnocchi gnocchi in a tomato based sauce with sliced spiced chicken PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

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.

Get the Cajun-Spiced Chicken & Gnocchi recipe.

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19Fried Catfish catfish battered and fried served with lemon wedges PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

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.

20Instant Pot JambalayaPHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

The Instant Pot is a great way to make jambalaya, a Cajun classic, in just an hour. On top of being super-quick dinner to cook, you won’t need pre-cooked rice or meats. All the rice, veggies, broth, and chicken go in the Instant Pot together and get cooked under high pressure for the perfect, fluffy jambalaya.

Get the Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe.

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