Creole shrimp and grits in a white bowl, with a spoon above the bowl with a shrimp in it.
Jody Horton
1 of 10

Creole Shrimp and Grits

This Creole shrimp and grits combines perfectly spiced shrimp, a spicy (but not too spicy) Creole sauce, and creamy white Cheddar grits. It’s Southern comfort food with Big Easy flair.
Recipe

WANT TO SEE MORE MARDI GRAS RECIPES?

Of course you do! Everyone loves Mardi Gras, even if they’ve never celebrated in New Orleans. We’ve got you covered with these 40 tantalizing Mardi Gras recipes.

Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo with a serving of rice, in a white bowl with a spoon.
Leigh Beisch
2 of 10

Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

This Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo is easy and authentic as can be and not nearly as complicated as you may think to make at home. Only slightly spicy and even a little healthy. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Recipe

We love this Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo so much we made it twice in ten days. After dinner, you will go to bed dreaming about it and wake up in the morning wondering how to justify it for breakfast. It warms the heart, the soul, and the belly. Thank you for sharing this, you’ve given us a new winter dish to look forward to making!

kate
Three glasses of sweet tea cocktail on a wooden table.
Brian Woodcock
3 of 10

Sweet Tea Cocktail

In the South, you can’t have a garden party—or any summer get-together, for that matter—without sweet tea. This is a sweet-tea-based cocktail with a kick of white whiskey.
Recipe
A bowl filled with duck jambalaya and topped with sausage
Ellen Silverman
4 of 10

Duck Jambalaya

Jambalaya gets a new look with this recipe. Duck breasts are grilled then added to the pot along with rice, ham, onions, and bell peppers. Hot and spicy.
Recipe
A platter of baked shrimp with Creole sauce with bread slices on the side.
Noah Fecks
5 of 10

Baked Shrimp with Creole Sauce

Baked shrimp can be prepared with the shell off, but I prefer to leave both the head and shell on to seal in the shrimp’s delicate flavor. It’s messy, yes, but worth it! I serve these shrimp with crusty bread or biscuits so I can sop up every drop of the sauce.
Recipe
A pile of ricotta-sweet potato beignets dusted with confectioners' sugar on a white plate.
Hans Geeler
6 of 10

Ricotta-Sweet Potato Beignets

These ricotta-sweet potato beignets have a wonderful crisp gold-brown crust and tender insides, like a dessert version of hush puppies.
Recipe

I made these Mardi Gras beignets the other night and shared them with my husband, my daughter, and my neighbor across the street. You couldn’t hear anything but the ooooh’s and ahhhhh’s of everyone’s tastebuds enjoying this sweet fritter. It was really easy and oh so heavenly.

delia
A newspaper-topped table strewn with crawfish, corn, peppers, and potatoes - a classic crawfish boil.
Ditte Isager
7 of 10

Crawfish Boil

While it’s typical to measure five pounds of crawfish per guest, it’s also easy to assume that, with so many other ingredients, this recipe will easily satisfy eight people.
Recipe
A pile of Cajun fried chicken pieces.
Chris Granger
8 of 10

Cajun Fried Chicken

This Cajun fried chicken recipe is bathed in buttermilk and turns out crisp, slightly spicy, perfectly deep-fried loveliness thanks to its Southern charm and Louisiana personality. Quite literally the best we’ve had.
Recipe

I made [this Cajun fried chicken], and all I can say is that this was probably the juiciest chicken I’ve ever made!

JUDY B.
Seafood gumbo in a two-handled bowl on a piece of wood.
Chris Granger
9 of 10

Seafood Gumbo

This seafood gumbo, a Cajun specialty, is loaded with shrimp, crab, oysters, and plenty of spice.
Recipe

Made this seafood gumbo tonight and it came out great.

FULA
A white plate with four long slices of banana, covered in melted sugar and rum sauce, with a scoop of ice cream and a spoon.
David Malosh and Simon Andrews
10 of 10

Bananas Foster

Bananas sautéed in butter, then flamed with rum? What could possibly go wrong? Serve these with vanilla ice cream.
Recipe



About David Leite

David Leite has received three James Beard Awards for his writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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