This year Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, will be celebrated on February 25th. And while there are many countries around the world that celebrate this holiday, it’s a famous celebration for the city of New Orleans. 

New Orleans is steeped in history and tradition and definitely shines during Mardi Gras. Of course, one of the best parts of a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras is the food. The food in New Orleans is unique to the area – especially the Cajun cuisine.

This Mardi Gras, there’s no need to hop on a plane and head to New Orleans to enjoy the food often associated with the holiday. You can make your own Cajun dishes right at home.  

• Chef John’s Shrimp Etoufée: Etoufée is a spicy Cajun stew made with seafood and vegetables and often served over rice. It also consists of the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun cuisine – onion, celery, and green bell pepper – which is used in a lot of dishes in New Orleans. This recipe uses shrimp for your seafood and has you making a delicious roux to thicken the stew. It’s the perfect dish for colder weather.
• Crawfish Boil: You’ve probably heard about crawfish boils, but have you ever prepared one yourself? Don’t be intimidated! A crawfish boil is an entire meal in one pot! So, just get the biggest pot you can find and go for it! You may need to special order your crawfish, but if you ask at your local seafood counter – they may be able to help.
• Jambalaya: Jambalaya is another quintessential New Orleans dish – and it’s really quite simple to make. This recipe has tons of flavor with cayenne and jalapeno and uses shrimp, chicken, and andouille sausage. You’ll impress your friends with this recipe!
• Seafood Gumbo: Good gumbo can be a bit time-consuming to make, so you may want to wait until the weekend to try this one – but it’s worth the effort. Once again, you’ll use the “Holy Trinity” in this dish – along with shrimp and andouille sausage. But, all of the flavor comes from the roux! If you follow the directions, you’ll definitely have a good one!
• Fried Boudin Balls: Not everyone is a lover of boudin, but if you’ve got an adventurous palate, then you need to try these. This recipe even includes all of the details to make your own homemade boudin. If boudin is not your thing, feel free to substitute in your favorite sausage.
• Shrimp Po’ Boys: This is a classic New Orleans sandwich, and it is bound to become a favorite of yours. The fried shrimp and homemade remoulade are a perfect combination! 
• Corn Maque Choux: If you want a tasty side dish to go along with all of your Cajun main courses, then this Corn Maque Choux is the one to make. It’s bursting with flavor! And easy to prepare!
• Pain Perdu: If you’re going to start your Mardi Gras celebration early in the morning, then how about making some Pain Perdu? This French toast recipe is fantastic – and would even make for a fabulous dessert when served with a scoop of ice cream.
• Dirty Rice: Dirty Rice is another side dish that should be on your Mardi Gras table. The “dirty” in Dirty Rice comes from the chopped chicken livers. And, while you may think you don’t like chicken livers, give them a try in this recipe!
• Beignets: You probably can’t get beignets from Café du Monde for your celebration, but you can make some copycats at home. They taste like sweet little pillows of goodness! 

If you want to plan a fun party this winter – make it a Mardi Gras celebration! And be sure to serve some of these recipes to your guests! They’ll love them!