Mardi Gras Side Dish Recipes

These deep fried fritters are amazing! They may sound a little different, but they are remarkably easy to make and will take you way down South. Serve with cayenne butter (melted butter with some cayenne added), or with cayenne aioli (mayonnaise with fresh garlic and cayenne pepper in it). Try garnishing with thinly sliced green onions. Enjoy!

This is a Cajun recipe I've had forever! I first prepared it when I was in my high school class in Metairie, Louisiana. It's awesome!

This is as Southern as you can get.

Discovered this recipe while I was a consultant to one of the long time landmark New Orleans restaurants 20 years ago. It's still my all-time favorite catfish recipe and I have closely guarded the recipe till now. I hope others will enjoy it as much as I have.

This simple Italian bread shaped like an alligator will rock any New Orleans Cajun-style Mardi Gras event. You can easily shape it into any animal you like, as this dough lends itself well to handling and doesn't rise uncontrollably and distort your animal's shape. Make the dough in your bread machine, then shape it, let it rise, brush it with egg wash, and bake. To make other shapes, coloring book animals enlarged and placed underneath parchment paper make great guides!

My take on the Ponchartrain sauce served at a popular seafood restaurant chain in my town. Although I prefer Snapper, it may be ladled over any grilled, blackened, steamed, or pan fried fish. Very elegant and easy! Great idea for a romantic candlelight dinner for two.

This is a very old-fashioned recipe. The cornbread is shaped into little cakes and fried, rather than baked. They are served with maple syrup or honey.

Robust, rich New Orleans tradition. A favorite recipe that my southern dad created. This recipe takes some time and love, but is very much worth the effort! Make sure you have your teeth in for this one!

A simple Southern classic! Okra is dredged in seasoned cornmeal, then fried until golden.

This is a fried okra salad with bacon, onion, and tomato in a tangy vinegar dressing.

A friend of mine made this for a Mardi Gras dinner. It was so delicious, I just had to have the recipe.

My Grandma Ollie-Belle made the best 'greens.' This recipe is as close to hers as I could come. The 'pot-liquor' is the key to great greens!! Serve with fresh green onions and black-eyed peas with rice.