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

If you want to celebrate Mardi Gras, but don't live anywhere near New Orleans and don't have the time and money to travel, why not host a Mardi Gras party in your home?

Great Cajun food is one of the most important aspects of any Mardi Gras party. Even if you're not a great cook, these easy Mardi Gras recipes for Mardi Gras appetizers, main dish, drinks, and dessert will be sure to make your Mardi Gras party a big success.

Mardi Gras Appetizers Recipes

Mardi Gras Cajun Shrimp

1 cup melted butter

Dash of worchestershire sauce

¼ cup lemon pepper

2 t. pepper

2 T. hot pepper sauce

3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely minced

1 t. salt

3 pounds of raw, unpeeled shrimp

Toss all of the ingredients together until the shrimp is well coated.

Bake uncovered in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until the shrimp are pink. Note: Stir the shrimp half way through the baking time.

Mardi Gras Cajun Chicken Strips with Bleu Cheese Dressing

1 lb boneless chicken tenders

1 teaspoon of paprika

¾ t. onion powder

½ t. garlic powder

Dash of cayenne pepper

¼ t. white pepper

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. salt

½ t. Italian seasoning

Rinse the chicken tenders and pat dry with a paper towel.

Mix the spices together, and sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken. Be sure to coat it well.

Brush the chicken with melted butter or oil.

Grill about 10 minutes, or cook in a large nonstick skilled in hot oil over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Serve with bottled chunky bleu cheese dressing. You may also want to serve Ranch dressing, for those who do not like bleu cheese. The dressing you find in jars in the produce section is best.

Mardi Gras Main Dish Recipe

Easy Mardi Gras Sausage and Chicken Gumbo

½ lb Hillshire farms smoked sausage (any variety will work well, including the lower-fat options)

4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken

3 T. oil

5 T. all purpose flour

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups water

2 chicken bullion cubes

2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 t. creole seasoning

Hot cooked rice

Heat oil in a heavy pot.

Add sausage and cook over high heat until lightly browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and put on paper towels to drain.

Stir the flour into the hot oil. Keep cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly. (This is the hardest but most important part of the whole recipe. It is easy after this!)

Add the onions, celery, garlic, and bell pepper to the flour mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If it is too thick, you can add up to another tablespoon of oil.

Slowly stir in the water, then add the bullion cubes, the diced tomatoes (undrained) and the Creole seasoning. Stir to mix the ingredients.

Bring this mixture to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the sausage and chicken and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Mardi Gras Drink Recipes

I personally don't consume alcohol, so I don't have any good alcoholic drink recipes for you. But a common alcoholic beverage for Mardi Gras parties is the Hurricane. You can find a recipe for it here:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hurricane-I/Detail.aspx

Be sure to also serve plenty of non-alcoholic drinks for those who for various reasons do not drink. Sweet iced tea is a favorite in the south, and of course you can serve a variety of soft drinks and bottled water as well.

Mardi Gras Dessert Recipe

King Cake is by far the most common Mardi Gras dessert. It is more like a yeast bread, and is covered with green, purple, and gold icing. A fun twist to this dessert is that a little plastic baby is hidden inside. It is thought that the person who ends up with the little babe in his or her piece of cake will have good luck for the next year. It is also traditional for the person who finds the baby to be expected to make the cake for the Mardi Gras party next year.

For more information on Mardi Gras, including recipes for King Cake and more, visit http://homecooking.about.com/cs/holidaysoccasions/a/mardigras.htm

Sources: www.allrecipes.com and http://homecooking.about.com