How to Pick Mardi Gras Foods

Much of the Mardi Gras spirit has to do with food. This is not the time to watch your diet or worry about your waist, as traditional foods served in this season are often rich and oily. From the deep-fried seafood to the spicy stuffed jalapeños, Mardi Gras is a time to enjoy the food as well as the partying. Here are some ideas on how to serve Mardi Gras food without spending days in the kitchen.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Seafood
• Spices
• Pancakes
• Jam fillings
• Vegetables
• Cayenne peppers
• Sausages
• Rice
• Sweet potatoes
• Meat
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers

Prepare Your Menu

1. Focus on seafood. Some of the most popular Mardi Gras foods include Louisiana deviled crab cakes, crawfish pie and Louisiana bayou fish fry. If you haven't tried these recipes before, purchase pre-mixed or frozen ingredients, and then search for the easiest form of the recipes. Most of them can be cooked by beginners with great success.

2. Pick some options for the vegetarians in the group. Sautéed mushrooms and spinach cheese balls are also popular Mardi Gras foods.

3. Serve pancakes, a traditional Mardi Gras food. You can either make them yourself or pick them frozen from the local supermarket. Serve them with small dishes of meat and jam fillings, so that guests can choose their own and roll pancakes as they're ready to eat them.

4. Bake a gumbo pie, the traditional Southern dish that is extremely popular during Mardi Gras. Gumbo is basically a spicy stew made with meat, sausages and vegetables and thickened by adding flour to the broth.

5. Prepare foods by barbecuing, deep-frying, grilling, stewing and smoking. These are all traditional Cajun methods of cooking and a great way to incorporate the Mardi Gras spirit into your kitchen.

6. Include lots of rice and bell peppers in both your main meals and side dishes. Also, use Cayenne peppers, sweet potatoes and tomatoes in your recipes.

Tips & Warnings

• You will need more beverages than at a usual party. Mardi Gras food is spicy and guests will probably drink in quantity to deal with it.
• For a quick way to spice up food, pick "Cajun spice" blends at gourmet stores and specialty shops. Add them to recipes in place of regular herbs.
• If you don't want to cook at all, look for Southwest-style sausages, cornbread, frozen seafood pies and Tabasco sauce at your local supermarket. These are all typical Cajun foods that go well with a Mardi Gras party.