Mardi Gras Recipes

Colorful King cake filled with cinnamon, sugar, pecans, and a plastic baby.

Gumbo doesn't have to be hard! Instead of slowly cooking and stirring a roux for what seems like forever, try this alternative baked method. It's not a shortcut per se, but cooking it in the oven will save you from having to stand over the stove for hours. Serve hot with a spoonful of white rice.

These beignets take on a wholesome aspect as they're cooked in an air fryer. You will need a silicone egg-bite mold, available through retailers like Amazon®.

This is an easy recipe that my children have enjoyed. They're not big fish eaters either!

These gigantic sandwiches were invented a century ago at Sicilian Deli here in New Orleans. The spicy, tangy olive salad is what really sets this meat and cheese sandwich apart. A genuine muffuletta should be made on oven-fresh Italian bread topped with sesame seeds. Be sure and use the highest-quality ingredients available; it really makes a difference! Since you're going to all the trouble of making the olive salad, consider doubling the recipe so you'll have some extra waiting around for when you get another muffuletta craving -- it keeps for at least a month! Note: Use round bread loaves for real muffuletta.

A Cajun jambalaya that suits the whole family!

This is an easy and delicious take on a Louisiana classic that you can prepare and cook in 40 minutes! I use turkey kielbasa to cut down on the fat, but not the flavor. Season with hot pepper sauce if you like.

This tasty chicken and shrimp jambalaya is made all in one pot — your Instant Pot! Heat lovers can double the hot pepper sauce to give it an extra kick. Serve over white rice.

This recipe is great for 'creamy pasta' lovers. Fettuccine noodles can easily be substituted with angel hair pasta.

Elegant and quick dessert of sweet bananas cooked in a buttery rum sauce.

There's a lot to love about this classic whiskey and bitters beverage. The official drink of New Orleans, the Sazerac is every bit as aromatic and flavorful as most anything else from down on the bayou.

Inspired by a shrimp po'boy with crab mayo seen on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,' I decided to do an extra spicy version and give it a 4th of July-friendly name. The result is an explosively flavored combination of hot, crunchy shrimp and cold crabby mayo. This was one of the best things I've had in a long time, and that's after eating it barely warm; for best results, though, be sure to enjoy this just as soon as it's safe to eat, in all its crunchy glory.