Holidays & Occasions Mardi Gras 34 Fat Tuesday Recipes That'll Let The Good Times Roll Feast on your favorites. By Patricia S York Patricia S York Patricia was the assistant food editor at Southern Living and worked with the Southern Living food team from 2006-2022. She contributed to articles about food, gardening, and pets. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 23, 2024 Close Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis At its core, Mardi Gras is essentially a reflection of New Orleans' ancient traditions and diverse culture; however, most of us have to come to appreciate it as a celebration of pure indulgence. Beyond Bourbon Street, colorful beads, and lavish balls and parades lies a deep connection to food—rich, dense, and satisfying dishes to sustain revelers before Ash Wednesday marks the start of the fasting season of Lent. Thus, the aptly named Fat Tuesday is the last day to enjoy all the meaty and fatty delicacies you can muster up. Because, frankly, 40 days is a long time to go without eating our Southern favorites. We couldn't let the good times roll without offering some New Orleans-inspired meals to prepare you for the ultimate cheat day of decadence. Whether you call it Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, here, food and religion marry together for one last pre-Lent hurrah. Feel free to take your pick from these recipes—just indulge responsibly. 01 of 34 Chicken And Sausage Jambalaya Greg DuPree Jambalaya is a quintessentially Creole dish that's typically filled with meat, rice, and various spices any Cajun food lover would enjoy. Here, our version is packed with chicken and sausage for the perfect hearty approach to Fat Tuesday. Get The Recipe 02 of 34 Crawfish Étouffée Greg DuPree The French word étouffée means to smother or braise. During crawfish season, you can't go wrong with étouffée, a popular stew common of southwest Louisiana that's served over a bed of fluffy rice. This hearty dish will satisfy any seafood lover. Get The Recipe 03 of 34 Creamy Andouille Pasta Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Spicy andouille gives creamy pasta a kick and a bit of Cajun flavor for a weeknight meal. Get The Recipe 04 of 34 Chicken And Sausage Gumbo Southern Living Sausage, chicken, and creole seasoning combine together for a delicious dish that will keep you coming back for more. Get The Recipe 05 of 34 Mardi Gras King Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox The flavor of New Orleans is baked into this round pastry dessert that's decorated in colorful icing reminiscent of the purple, green, and gold spirit of Mardi Gras. It wouldn't be Carnival and Mardi Gras season without king cake and its lucky surprise inside. Get The Recipe 06 of 34 Shrimp And Okra Gumbo Southern Living Serve this Louisiana favorite over rice for an authentic one-dish dinner that will wow your guests. Get The Recipe 07 of 34 Crawfish Boil Greg DuPree A sink, stove, and one big pot is all you need to make this authentic Louisiana dish. But we love a crawfish boil because it gives us an opportunity to gather with family and friends in the backyard over crawfish, corn, potatoes, and all the delicious fixings. Get The Recipe 08 of 34 Crawfish Rolls Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell Crawfish is in season during Mardi Gras season, so make these quick appetizer-sized rolls for dinner or a nibble before a parade. Get The Recipe 09 of 34 Fish And Grits Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Shrimp and grits originates from South Carolina, but it's warmly embraced by many culinary traditions across the South. In South Alabama, the original home of Mardi Gras, fish and grits is the prized alternative. Get The Recipe 10 of 34 Grilled Shrimp Po'Boys With Quick Rémoulade Max Kelly Tender shrimp is grilled and seasoned to perfection in this recipe, and stuffed into split baguettes to make a Fat Tuesday-worthy sandwich. Get The Recipe 11 of 34 Praline Bread Pudding Photo: Hector Sanchez This is the epitome of comfort food and Southern indulgence. It's full of pecans, brown sugar, and nutmeg. The praline sauce drizzled on top offers the sweetest ending to a feast. Get The Recipe 12 of 34 Praline-Cream Cheese King Cake Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop styling: Claire Spollen; Food styling: Chelsea Zimmer King Cake is a dessert that requires no introduction. While we rarely ever advocate for changing up such classic recipes, this pretty praline-cream cheese version is undoubtedly an upgrade on the Mardi Gras staple. Get The Recipe 13 of 34 Cajun Chicken Cassoulet Photo: Iain Bagwell Shake things up with an easy one-pot Cajun chicken dish that doesn't disappoint. Unlike the slow-cooked French version, this meal cooks up much quicker. Get The Recipe 14 of 34 New Orleans Beignets Micah A. Leal Soft, light, and pillowy—need we say more? You don't have to travel to New Orleans to enjoy bite-sized, powdered sugar-coated beignets. No, your search for the revered pastry ends here with this tasty, fool-proof recipe. Get The Recipe 15 of 34 Creole Seafood Jambalaya Will Dickey Juicy shrimp joins chicken, sausage, even bacon in a classic Louisiana jambalaya. Get The Recipe 16 of 34 King Cake Monkey Bread This year, we'll take our King Cake in shareable, tear-able form, thank you very much. Get The Recipe 17 of 34 Instant Pot Jambalaya Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas If you're a jambalaya traditionalist, you might not believe us when we say our Test Kitchen pros said this Instant Pot versions was one of their best yet. "Loved how easy this was and the shrimp were perfectly cooked using this method!" wrote one reviewer. "Will definitely make again!" Get The Recipe 18 of 34 King Cake Bread Pudding with Chicory Ice Cream Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox We love to reinvent a classic, and this dessert combines some of our favorite flavors for Fat Tuesday. Instead of enjoying your king cake as-is, why not turn it into a sweet, soft bread pudding? A scoop of chicory ice cream is the ultimate New Orleans way to finish off this treat. Get The Recipe 19 of 34 Shrimp Creole Southern Living This rice supper packs a punch as is, but you might want to add a dash or two of hot sauce to turn up the heat. Aside from being delicious, the best part about this Shrimp Creole is that it comes together in just one pot, making cleanup a breeze. Get The Recipe 20 of 34 Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey This Instant Pot recipe cuts out the hours of time it usually takes to tenderize beans for this New Orleans staple recipe. "I make this twice a month for my teenage boys," wrote one reviewer. "They love it and it's super easy!" Don't forget to serve this dish with a loaf of crusty French bread or a skillet of homemade cornbread to sop up every last drop. Get The Recipe 21 of 34 Leah Chase's Gumbo Z'Herbes Photo: Robbie Caponetto Who better to borrow a Fat Tuesday recipe from than the Queen of Creole Cuisine herself? Every year on the Thursday before Easter, Leah Chase would cook up to 100 gallons of her Gumbo Z'Herbes, made with nine different types of greens. All of New Orleans, from Catholics to Jews, whites to blacks, would flock to her gumbo pot en masse. "The best way to know people is through food," she said. "Get them to talk about food. Talk over food. It might be about food, but you're also talking about issues." Get The Recipe 22 of 34 Shrimp Étouffée Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas The most time-consuming part of this Louisiana mainstay is chopping all of your veggies, so do it ahead of time to get dinner on the table quicker. Plus, you can cook the rice well in advance and reheat it before supper. Get The Recipe 23 of 34 Mini Muffulettas Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Amy Burke New Orleans' famous sandwich gets a big-batch treatment with these mini versions. A tip from the Test Kitchen: You can prepare these the day before, store in zip-top plastic freezer bags, and refrigerate overnight. Get The Recipe 24 of 34 Mini King Cake Cupcakes Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Lydia Degaris-Pursell; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Why risk getting a tiny slice of king cake when you can have your own personal mini version? This cupcake recipe is too cute for your Fat Tuesday party. Get The Recipe 25 of 34 Brennan's Bananas Foster Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen If you can't make it to the Big Easy for Fat Tuesday, pretend you're at one of its most legendary restaurants, Brennan's, and make this famous dessert recipe at home. You need just a few ingredients to impress your friends and family this Mardi Gras. Get The Recipe 26 of 34 Jambalaya de Covington Jambalaya de Covington This recipe came our way in 1987 from Joanne Champagne in Covington, Louisiana. Though jambalaya takes many forms, this version is made with smoked turkey, ham, and sausage for a flavorful, filling supper on Fat Tuesday. Get The Recipe 27 of 34 Emily's Red Beans And Rice Peter Frank Edwards New Orleans Chef Alon Shaya might be the chef in the family, but he can't take credit for this meal's main event: wife Emily's red beans and rice. Her spicy, tender beans feed a large crowd, especially when served over fluffy, buttery rice. Get The Recipe 28 of 34 Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce Jennifer Davick Finish off your Fat Tuesday meal with a dessert from the recipe repertoire of the Queen of Creole Cuisine, Leah Chase. The five tablespoons of vanilla extract isn't a typo, y'all! Trust the Queen on this. Get The Recipe 29 of 34 King Cake Beignets Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Test Kitchen Pro Ivy Odom dreamed up this adorable dessert mashup. Fat Tuesday favorite recipes king cake and beignets meet in this sweet treat that's delicious with your morning coffee or after dinner. "The best part? You can make the dough ahead so you'll have more time to let the good times roll," writes Odom. Get The Recipe 30 of 34 Cajun-Style Meatloaf Will Dickey This recipes satisfies everyone who loves meatloaf, but it has a unique twist: a Louisiana kick from Cajun seasoning and the holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper for juiciness and tenderness. Get The Recipe 31 of 34 Creole Burger Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Kick up your usual burger recipe by adding the bold flavors of Creole seasonings (we love Zatarain's) and a tangy sauce. Get The Recipe 32 of 34 Fried Shrimp-and-Okra Po'Boys Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall We combined two of Louisiana's favorite ingredients—shrimp and okra—into one incredible po'boy sandwich. Fat Tuesday is the time to really do it up right, and we can't think of a better way to celebrate than with a crispy po'boy. Get The Recipe 33 of 34 Smoked Turkey-and-Andouille Gumbo Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox Beau Beaullieu and Andy Soileau's New Iberia Kiwanis Club team has taken first place 11 times at the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff, and this recipe has won 3 of those times. Beaullieu likes to serve it alongside potato salad and garlic bread. A great excuse to get ahead on your Fat Tuesday cooking? Leftovers taste better the second day, Beaullieu says, and this gumbo freezes well. Get The Recipe 34 of 34 Big-Batch Cajun Lemonade Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall A good Southern host always has a few good cocktail recipes stashed in their recipe box, and this lemonade with a kick is a great way to let the good times roll. Get The Recipe Frequently Asked Questions Why is it called Fat Tuesday? According to americaslibrary.gov, Fat Tuesday is "the last day that many people eat meat and fatty foods before Lent begins." Many Christians fast and abstain from certain foods during Lent until Easter Sunny. What are some foods traditionally eaten on Fat Tuesday? Depending on your tradition, religion, or culture, people enjoy a variety of foods on Fat Tuesday, including pancakes, king cake, jambalaya, or a crawfish boil. Individuals consume foods high in fat and sugar to prepare for Lenten fasting. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit