Mardi Gras Recipes: Cajun Style Meals, Snacks, Drinks and More

Mardi Gras is the largest party in New Orleans. It marks the beginning of the lenten season, and literally means "Fat Tuesday", and many a celebration happens in the weeks prior to this day.

You don't have to go to New Orleans to eat cajun food, you can create those wonderful tastes right in your own kitchen!

One of the easiest treats to be had for Mardi Gras are pralines. A sugary confection that is sure to please everyone! There are many variations of this recipe, but this version is my favorite. Try toasting the pecans for an even tastier treat!

Pralines
Ingredients:

* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 3/4 cup of heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 tsp of salt
* 2 cups of chopped pecans
* 2 teaspoons vanilla

In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients except for the vanilla. Heat of medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Clip a candy thermometer onto the pan, taking care that the tip does not touch the bottom of the pan.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring periodically.
Continue cooking until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, about 240 degrees.

When the mixture reaches 240 degrees, remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Continue stirring vigorously for 2-3 minutes, this will help the crystals form, so don't skip this step.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a buttered or silicone lined baking sheet and let cool.

Another great recipe that is versatile is Creole sauce. This mildly spicy sauce can be poured over chicken fish or seafood to give it that Mardi Gras flavor!

Creole sauce

from Southern Cooking "Deck O'Meals" published by Buddy Kivett
Ingredients:

* 1/4 chopped green pepper
* 1 can (1 pound 13 ounces) tomatoes
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 2 stalks celery, chopped
* 2 tbs butter
* 2 tsp sugar
* 1 sprig thyme
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tsp chili powder
* 1 bay leaf
* salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

* Saute green pepper, onion, celery and garlic in butter
* Add tomatoes and seasonings
* Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring frequently.

Yields 2 1/2 cups

If you have some extra time, try making gumbo. The roux is the most time consuming part of the soup, and is what thickens and gives the gumbo it's characteristic New Orleans flavor.

Sausage Gumbo
* Adapted from The New Orleans School of Cooking recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients:

1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of oil
8 oz of chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
8 oz of Andouille sausage (or polish, if you can't find andouille), cut into one inch chunks
2 tsp of chopped garlic
2 cups of chopped onions
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of chopped green bell pepper
32 oz of chicken stock
cajun seasoning
Cooked rice for serving

In a medium skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the chicken and the sausage until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning and set aside.

In a heavy large sauce pan, combine the flour and the oil. Cook over medium to medium high heat until the mixture reaches a chocolate brown color. It will smoke, so don't worry about that. This gives the gumbo a rich flavor. This will take 20 minutes or so, you must stir constantly to prevent the roux from burning.

Once you reach the chocolate brown color with the roux, remove from the heat and add the garlic, onions, celery and bell pepper all at once. There will be a lot of steam, so don't look right over the pan! Stir quickly for several minutes. Now add the chicken stock and the reserved chicken/sausage mixture. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to a boil. Season with cajun seasoning to taste. The gumbo is now ready to serve, or you can simmer for as long as you like. The longer you simmer, the better the flavor it. Ladle over cooked rice.
This is a great soup to make the day before and heat up for your Mardi Gras party!

Hopefully these recipes will inspire you to host your own Mardi Gras party!