39 Fat Tuesday Recipes to Splurge On

Read Time: 18 mins

39 Fat Tuesday Recipes to Splurge On2/39 Shrimp Gumbo 33 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 1 hour 30 min Servings 11 servings (2-3/4 qt.) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: A crisp green salad and crusty French bread complete this shrimp gumbo meal. I always have hot sauce available when I serve this and have found that the instant microwave rice packages make the process a little easier. —Jo Ann Graham, Ovilla, Texas Get your hot sauce ready for this Louisiana staple. Some choose to add tomatoes, bay leaf or another source of protein. 3/39 New Orleans Beignets

They’re a traditional part of breakfast in New Orleans

15 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved New Orleans Beignets Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 4 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: These sweet French doughnuts, inspired by the ones found in Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, are square instead of round and have no hole in the middle. They’re a traditional part of breakfast in New Orleans. —Beth Dawson, Jackson, Louisiana Beignets are square-shaped pieces of deep-fried dough topped with confectioners’ sugar. This New Orleans food is notable from the square shape and the fact that it’s hole-less. 4/39 Traditional New Orleans

Whoever finds it has one year of good luck!

King Cake 16 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 1 hour 5 min Servings 1 cake (12 pieces) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Get in on the fun of traditional king cake by hiding a little toy baby in the cake. Whoever finds it has one year of good luck! —Rebecca Baird, Salt Lake City, Utah King cake is a biblical reference to the story of the three kings. In honor of the three kings bringing gifts to Baby Jesus, there’s a tradition of hiding a little toy baby in the cake. Whoever finds it has one year

of good luck!

of good luck! 5/39 Crawfish Beignets with Cajun Dipping Sauce 9 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Crawfish Beignets with Cajun Dipping Sauce Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 25 min Servings about 2 dozen (3/4 cup sauce) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Get a taste of the Deep South with these slightly spicy beignets. You won’t be able to eat just one! —Donna Lanclos, Lafayette, Louisiana Tis the season-ing for all things seafood. This savory twist on beignets is spicy and delicious. Not to mention it’s the perfect indulgent meal before Lent. 6/39 Dutch Oven Red Beans

This is a one-pot meal that’s ready in about 30 minutes

and Rice 14 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 30 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This is a one-pot meal that’s ready in about 30 minutes. It is one of my husband’s favorites and uses simple ingredients, so it’s been a go-to recipe in our house for years. —Janice Conklin, Stevensville, Montana This one-pot meal is ready in just 30 minutes. If you don’t like spicy food, you can make it more mild in seasoning. However, this dish holds up in authenticity and makes a great go-to dinner. 7/39 Muffuletta Test Kitchen

—Lou Sansevero, Ferron, Utah Muffuletta originated in New Orleans

Approved Muffuletta Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 35 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Muffuletta, which originated in New Orleans, is named after the round, crusty Sicilian loaf of bread it’s traditionally served on. While I favor my own olive salad, there are several good versions available in most supermarkets. —Lou Sansevero, Ferron, Utah Muffuletta originated in New Orleans. This iconic sandwich has layers of olive salad, mozzarella and meat. 8/39 Easy Jambalaya 1 Review Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Easy Jambalaya Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 40 min

Servings 4 servings

Servings 4 servings. Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I brought this easy jambalaya to a Sunday potluck and it was quickly gobbled up. When friends asked me for the recipe, they couldn’t believe how easy it was! —Tami Kuehl, Loup City, Nebraska This potluck meal is made easy with jambalaya mix. And Fat Tuesday is all about making things easier for yourself. Actually, it’s about bulking up on food before abstaining for Lent. Same thing, right? 9/39 Creole Scallop Cakes Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Creole Scallop Cakes Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min

Servings 20 scallop cakes (1-1/2 cups aioli) Go to Recipe Scallops?

Servings 20 scallop cakes (1-1/2 cups aioli) Go to Recipe Scallops? Fantastic. Crab cakes? Incredible. Scallop cakes? Absolute game changer. With a spicy honey aioli, you won’t be able to put these down. 10/39 Bacon Shrimp Creole 4 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 1 hour 10 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This dish is a compilation of two Creole recipes that I found in my mother’s New Orleans cookbooks. The bacon adds flavor and the cayenne gives it a bit of spice. —Jan Tucker, Virginia Beach, Virginia Some have made this

dish with tiger prawns or okra

dish with tiger prawns or okra. However, on its own, this shrimp creole is packed with flavor. The bacon topping adds a nice crunch to round out the whole plate. 11/39 Cheesy Cajun Shrimp and Grits 1 Review Test Kitchen Approved Cheesy Cajun Shrimp and Grits Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 30 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I was born and raised in the South. A few years ago I moved temporarily to Pennsylvania, where good southern comfort food was hard to find. So I created this creamy, smoky Cajun shrimp

and grits dish to remind me of home

and grits dish to remind me of home. —Kailey Thompson, Palm Bay, Florida This southern comfort food is the change in breakfast you didn’t know you needed. It’s shrimp-ly the best! 12/39 Cajun Chicken Lasagna 3 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 3 hours 20 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Destined to be a new favorite with all around the table, this zesty take on traditional Italian lasagna is a nod to the Gulf Coast. Increase the amount of Cajun seasoning if you like spicier fare. —Mary Lou Cook, Welches, Oregon Have you ever

wanted more from your lasagna?

wanted more from your lasagna? Of course not, Garfield taught us better than that! But this cajun chicken lasagna is a break from your usual routine. So keep on hating Mondays, but more importantly, keep on eating lasagna. 13/39 Air-Fryer Shrimp Po’Boys 2 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 45 min Servings 4 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My husband loves crispy coconut shrimp and po’boys, so I combined them with a spicy remoulade and voila! This air-fryer shrimp is a big hit with family and friends and is frequently requested. For catfish po’boys, substitute

cornmeal for the coconut and add a few minutes to the cooking time

cornmeal for the coconut and add a few minutes to the cooking time. —Marla Clark, Albuquerque, New Mexico This coconut shrimp Po’Boy is anything but shrimp-le. The spicy remoulade makes for a well rounded sandwich that’s great for lunch. 14/39 Zippy Praline Bacon 4 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Zippy Praline Bacon Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 20 min Servings 20 pieces Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: We live on a lake and have many overnight guests, so I serve brunch often. I’m always looking for recipes to enhance the usual bacon and eggs. My husband

came home from a men’s breakfast raving about this praline bacon

came home from a men’s breakfast raving about this praline bacon. Just be sure to make more than you think you might need…everybody wants seconds. —Myrt Pflannkuche, Pell City, Alabama Breakfast just got a whole lot zippier. This sweet and spicy bacon veers off the usual track of bacon and eggs. There’s even additional texture with finely chopped pecans. 15/39 Hush Puppies 27 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 25 min Servings 2 dozen Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: A fish dinner isn’t complete without a side of hush puppies, and my mom is well-known for this recipe.

It’s the best!

It’s the best! —Mary McGuire, Graham, NC Hush puppies are necessary for a fish dinner. A perfect side dish, you can’t go without the deep-fried cornmeal cakes during Fat Tuesday. 16/39 Louisiana Red Beans and Rice 19 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Louisiana Red Beans and Rice Recipe photo by Taste of Home Total Time 3 hours 20 min Servings 8 servings (2 quarts) Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Smoked turkey sausage and red pepper flakes add zip to this saucy, slow-cooked version of Louisiana red beans and rice. For extra heat, add red pepper sauce at

the table. —Julia Bushree, Georgetown, Texas Red beans and rice is traditionally made on Mondays (to use up the leftover hambone from Sunday’s dinner), but there’s no reason why you can’t have it on Tuesdays, too. This version uses smoked turkey sausage, instead of smoked sausage, and adds some extra spice with red pepper flakes. 17/39 Spicy Cajun Potato Salad 11 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Total Time 30 min Servings 20 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Here in the South we have a lot of get-togethers, and if you want your dish to be chosen over all

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• Include seasonal or trendy variations to keep your meals exciting.

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✅ Key Takeaways

• These dinner ideas are perfect for impressing guests or enjoying special occasions.

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