16 Indulgent Recipes for a Festive Fat Tuesday Menu

Fried shrimp po boy sandwiches — The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

The food and drink-laden festivities of Mardi Gras all culminate on Fat Tuesday, the day before the fasting and self-denial of Lent begins in the Catholic tradition. In the Mardi Gras epicenter of New Orleans, Fat Tuesday is an all-day party, with plenty of feasting and merry-making. You can replicate the tastes of Fat Tuesday at home with this delicious menu. Our advice? Wear stretchy pants.

01 of 16

Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits

The Spruce

If you have to work on Fat Tuesday (it is a weekday, after all), this crockpot shrimp and grits recipe will help you celebrate without spending a lot of time on the meal. It's creamy, satisfying, and only takes about 10 minutes of active prep time. The long cook time smooths out the edges of the hot sauce, but feel free to use less if you're averse to heat.
02 of 16

Fried Shrimp Po' Boy Sandwich

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

It's impossible to have a New Orleans-style party without a fried shrimp po' boy sandwich. A po' boy is a hearty stuffed sandwich—often with sausage, fried fish, or shrimp—served on a crusty French bread or baguette. Fry up a batch and set out the ingredients for your guests to make their own for a fun do-it-yourself supper.
03 of 16

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Lynne Mitchell / Getty Images

Made with sausage, chicken, seafood, and rice, stick-to-your-ribs jambalaya is a classic Creole dish often featured at Fat Tuesday tables. Unlike the Cajun version, this one contains tomatoes. The rice cooks separately to ensure it's perfectly done. If you'd like, add ham or substitute turkey for the chicken.
04 of 16

Fried Boudin Balls With Remoulade Sauce

The Spruce / Armando Rafael

Boudin balls are a classic Cajun recipe made with seasoned pork and rice and dipped in an addictive remoulade sauce. These would make an excellent appetizer for your get-together or a tasty side to the meal. If you can't find boudin sausage, go ahead and use andouille or your favorite sausage instead.

Continue to 5 of 16 below.
05 of 16

Cajun-Style Shrimp Etouffee

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

You can't get much more Cajun than a classic étouffée. An etouffee is made with shellfish, crawfish being the most popular. And if you have crawfish, feel free to use them in this etouffee in place of the shrimp. A roux is often used to thicken these dishes and to add an extra nutty dimension. You can find Creole or Cajun spice find in most supermarkets, but be aware that they can get a little spicy.
06 of 16

Updated Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Annabelle Breakey / Photolibrary / Getty Images

The original tunnel of fudge cake uses frosting mix, but this from-scratch version will truly wow your guests. That fudge tunnel is a fun surprise, especially for kids. Don't mess with the recipe; every ingredient is carefully calibrated to create the final product and it won't come out properly if you start freestyling. It's rich enough without frosting, so don't worry about an additional topping.
07 of 16

King Cake Shot

S&C Design Studios

Have your cake and drink it too with these dessert shots. The shooters bring the big flavor of King Cake in a small glass with cake vodka as the base. Cream liqueur to give it that luscious texture and cinnamon schnapps for a kicky flavor. Pour them into glasses rimmed with purple, green, and yellow sugar for a festive touch. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg to really get the party started.
08 of 16

Easy French-Style Beignets

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

New Orleans is known for its beignets, little fried pillows of dough often dusted with powdered sugar and eaten out of a bag. This choux pastry dough is yeast-free and simple to throw together at the last minute. For extra authenticity, serve them with bitter hot chicory coffee or cafe au lait and of course, plenty of sugar.

Continue to 9 of 16 below.
09 of 16

A Homemade Hurricane

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

When you see pictures of people living it up in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, they're usually holding Hurricanes. This fruity rum-spiked punch goes down easy but packs a real wallop. Adjust the amount of rum for your personal preference, and garnish with a pretty maraschino cherry and a slice of orange. No matter what the weather's like where you are, this drink will transport you to the tropics.
10 of 16

Tasty Crab Boil Spice Mix

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Boil up a mess of crabs, shrimp, lobster, or crawfish for a real down-home Fat Tuesday celebration. This spice mix is the perfect way to flavor the water for the best result. Many people buy it when they pick up the seafood, but it's so easy to make at home, and it'll impress guests that you whipped it up yourself. Throw some potatoes and corn in with the seafood and you've got a party on your hands.
11 of 16

Vegetarian Gumbo With Okra

Envision / Getty Images

Just because you don't eat meat doesn't mean you can't enjoy some of the Fat Tuesday standards. This vegan gumbo is loaded up with okra, zucchini, celery, onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers for a full serving of veggies. It calls for file powder, a Creole spice made from sassafras. It's really unique, but if you can't find it, just add a little more thyme and salt and some Creole or another savory seasoning.
12 of 16

Classic Cajun Dirty Rice

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

This classic Cajun dish can star as a main or win best supporting side for its flavor and versatility. It goes great alongside any protein, thanks to its slightly spicy flavor. Dirty rice is a classic Cajun dish that is typically made with chicken livers and/or gizzards and ground meat. The variety of meats and spices give the rice its signature "dirty" look, hence the name. Serve it with extra hot sauce for spice lovers.

Continue to 13 of 16 below.
13 of 16

Sazerac Cocktail

Claire Cohen

The Sazerac cocktail was invented in New Orleans, so if you're a whiskey drinker, you have to mix one up one on Fat Tuesday. This recipe comes straight from the Sazerac whiskey company, so you know it's official. Use Peychaud's bitters for the most authentic flavor, but Angostura bitters will also work if that's what you have on hand.
14 of 16

Simple Baked Onion Rice Pilaf

Tanchic / Getty Images

This virtually foolproof rice pilaf lends itself well to experimentation and will soak up any Hurricanes you're indulging in during the festivities. Add chopped red and green peppers for color and zesty flavor or stir in some green peas toward the end. Chopped garlic or additional herbs would also be a nice twist.
15 of 16

Vegan King Cake

The Spruce / Christine Ma

The original King Cake contains a lot of butter and eggs—not this vegan version. If you or any of your guests are avoiding animal products, this is the dessert for you. Traditionally, the King cake baker hides a tiny plastic baby figurine in the cake. The lucky diner who gets the baby in their slice will have good luck that year. Some people use a (clean) coin or a kidney bean instead if they don't have a figurine to toss in.
16 of 16

Easy Bananas Flambe

The Spruce / Christine Ma

Bananas Flambe is a popular dish in the French Caribbean and a close sibling to the famous Bananas Foster which originated in New Orleans at Brennan's Restaurant in the 1950s. Butter is used in Bananas Foster, not oil, along with dark-brown sugar, dark rum, lemon juice, and banana liqueur. It is flambéed and served with vanilla ice cream. The dessert was named after a loyal Brennan's customer, Richard Foster. Try your hand at either or both for the occasion!

16 Indulgent Dishes for a Festive Fat Tuesday

Get the Feasting Started

Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits

Fried Shrimp Po' Boy Sandwich

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Fried Boudin Balls With Remoulade Sauce

Cajun-Style Shrimp Etouffee

Updated Tunnel of Fudge Cake

King Cake Shot

Easy French-Style Beignets

A Homemade Hurricane

Tasty Crab Boil Spice Mix

Vegetarian Gumbo With Okra

Classic Cajun Dirty Rice

Sazerac Cocktail

Simple Baked Onion Rice Pilaf

Vegan King Cake

Easy Bananas Flambe