Whether you’re celebrating Fat Tuesday or just looking to mix up your weeknight routine, tonight is a great excuse for a New Orleans–style feast. Make this dinner one to remember with these handpicked recipes featuring Cajun and Creole favorites like grilled oysters, jambalaya and, of course, beignets (but with a seafood twist). We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Mardi Gras recipes from our two special New Orleans episodes from Season 3 and Season 4 and a local recipe that was too good not to include!
Café Du Monde Beignets
Deep-fried and sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar, these French delicacies will make you say “au revoir” to your usual glazed and sprinkled donuts. The Food Hacker provides a beginner-friendly crash course on cracking this timeless treat. Be sure to keep an eye on temperatures to avoid over- or undercooking, and feel free to add a little extra sweetness with a chocolate drizzle or dipping sauce!
Classic Muffuletta Sandwich
Our favorite muffuletta recipe from Serious Eats brings a taste of New Orleans right into your kitchen. This classic combo is a meat lover’s dream, complete with layers of thin cold cuts and a juicy olive salad. Get the most out of the hearty bread of your choosing by letting your creation sit a while before serving—that way, all of the ingredients will properly meld before the first bite!
Cajun Kevin Po’Boy
This shrimp po’boy from The Little Big Cup isn’t like what you’re used to seeing in the French Quarter. This spin calls for hollowed-out bread stuffed with shrimp, crabmeat, crawfish, and andouille sausage, all smothered in a rich and creamy sauce.
Cajun Seafood Pasta
This sinfully delicious pasta from TwoRows Classic Grill is full of flavors, heat, and love. Made with seafood, veggies, and a cheesy cream sauce, it’s super easy to make and will surely become a new family favorite!
Shrimp Creole
This take on shrimp creole from Richter Tavern outside San Antonio is on the richer side of this classic Cajun dish. The juicy shrimp is served in a deliciously spicy cream sauce spooned over cheesy grits.
B.B. Lemon’s Blue Crab Beignets
Crispy, rich, and savory, these poppable Blue Crab Beignets make for the perfect starter to your Mardi Gras feast. B.B. Lemon in Houston serves these with an entire crab claw right in the middle like a little lollipop. They’re so good, you’ll forget all about the powdered-sugar ones!
Cochon’s Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Chile Butter
Oysters on the half-shell are great, but when they’re grilled in a spicy garlic butter, they’re absolutely heavenly. James Beard Award–winning Chef Stephen Stryjewski’s lauded restaurant, Cochon, makes them bubbling hot with fresh lemon. Don’t forget the French bread to soak up the leftover butter.
Mother’s Restaurant Jerry’s Jambalaya
Mother’s Restaurant is a New Orleans classic and home to the “World’s Best Ham,” but the entire menu is full of incredible Creole dishes. Jerry’s Jambalaya, named after the co-owner, is a must-eat take on the Louisiana dish and full of aromatic herbs and smoked sausage.
Mr. B’s Bistro BBQ Shrimp
No need to break out your grill for this dish. In New Orleans, barbecued shrimp means sautéed in Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce. Mr. B’s, famous for these suckers, serves them with heads and tails on—and always with a bib! The biggest trick for making yours taste like the restaurant’s version is to not skimp on the butter.
Ruby Slipper Cafe’s Bananas Foster Pain Perdu
Butter, bananas, and rum, oh my! This boozy pain perdu recipe from Ruby Slipper Cafe will have you wondering how you ever made French toast any other way. Satisfy your sweet tooth with this breakfast spin on bananas Foster, created by another NOLA icon, Brennan’s.
I am loving the recipes!!!!!!!. I’ve been cooking most of my life and love to try new dishes. In fact, I’m ALWAYS cooking NEW dishes still.
My husband and I are in our 70’s. It is so nice to have the recipes for places we cannot visit. We watch every week. I wish HEB carrieed Goya olive oil, but I can get it at Target.
Virginia
Thanks so much for the feedback, Virginia. You might consider asking your HEB store manager to bring in the Goya olive oil. It’s my favorite too!