Mardi Gras is a French term which means Fat Tuesday. The idea is that you let loose during Mardi Gras before abstaining from bad habits during Lent. With that in mind, celebrations must come with liberal amounts of amazing food!
If you’re throwing a Mardi Gras party or are attending one make sure you share one (or several) of these delicious appetizers! They’re easy to make and allow guests to splurge and try a variety of different dishes.
This idea is so simple it doesn’t require a recipe. If you don’t have a knack for baking or cooking throw together a fun party appetizer that requires all store-bought ingredients such as shrimp cocktails.
Start with a disposable plastic shot glass, then fill it with shrimp cocktail sauce that can be found at your local supermarket. Thaw frozen cooked shrimp and serve with the shot glasses. In contrast, you could shake things up and serve a shot of a bloody mary in each glass and pair that with the shrimps instead. Either way, the party guests will love it!
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These miniature sausage rolls take on a New Orleans flair. The inside is a spicy chicken andouille sausage and the outside is a flaky pastry.
You will also be provided with a recipe for a delicious sauce that combines bourbon, mustard, and honey. This dipping sauce pairs perfectly with these sausage puffs!
https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a24281158/cajun-sausage-puffs-bourbon-mustard-recipe/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: COUNTRY LIVING
Transform the ingredients you love about jambalaya into a delicious party dip! You’ll experience classic jambalaya ingredients as well as loads of ooey-gooey cheese!
This dip starts on the stovetop then is finished in the oven. Lastly, serve it with chips, vegetables or your favorite dipper!
https://cupcakesandkalechips.com/cheesy-hot-jambalaya-dip/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: CUPCAKES AND KALE CHIPS
Among several other foods, it is customary to enjoy seafood during Mardi Gras! These lovely seafood phyllo cups are elegant yet quite easy to put together.
Phyllo is thin sheets of dough that are used to make pastries. However, to make this recipe simple you’ll use store-bought phyllo sheets. The filling is a combination of shrimp, crab meat, lovely seasonings and a lot of cheese that makes this appetizer irresistible!
https://valentinascorner.com/seafood-phyllo-cups/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: VALENTINA’S CORNER
Add a splash of color to your party table with this purple, yellow, and green king cake cheese ball. This isn’t your average savory cheeseball, this one is sweet – perfect for dessert or as an appetizer!
This party appetizer only requires 15 minutes of your time and 7 ingredients! Considering it is sweet in flavor, serve it with your favorite wafer cookies or graham crackers.
https://www.diprecipecreations.com/king-cake-cheese-ball-mardi-gras/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: DIP RECIPE CREATIONS
Oysters are a great appetizer for any Mardi Gras party. These oysters are cooked on the grill which really brings out the flavor.
The salty shellfish are topped with a buttery sauce, full of garlic and other enticing flavors. If you don’t have access to a grill this recipe will provide you with instructions on how to achieve the same outcome using the broiler in your oven.
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-oysters-0 PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: MY RECIPES
Seafood and Fried Food go together like peanut butter and jelly (in my opinion)! These crispy fried oysters are definitely going to be a huge hit at your Mardi Gras party.
First, the oysters will need to marinade in buttermilk and hot sauce for about 30-40 minutes. Before deep frying, you’ll toss them in a delicious seasoned flour mixture.
https://www.butter-n-thyme.com/southern-fried-oysters-recipe/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: BUTTER N THYME
The awesome thing about seafood is you can transform these ingredients into so many different recipes. Oysters are an excellent ingredient for main courses, finger foods, and even delicious dips and spreads!
This oyster spread has smokey flavors and a wonderful creamy texture. This spread is best served on your favorite cracker or cucumber slices.
https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/smoked-oyster-spread/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: SPICY SOUTHERN KITCHEN
What better way to celebrate Mardi Gras than with a sandwich that originates from New Orleans. The muffuletta may be the mightest sandwich of all and your friends and family will go crazy for these!
To convert these sandwiches into appetizers, use small dinner rolls instead of full sized buns. The muffuletta is layered with blended mixed pickled vegetables, swiss cheese, ham, salami, and provolone cheese slices.
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mini-muffulettas PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: MY RECIPES
Andouille sausage is a spicy pork-based sausage that is famous around Louisiana. It is French in origin but has become famous in Cajun cooking.
This appetizer combines andouille sausages with cranberry cheddar that together create an exciting flavor explosion. You’ll only need 3 ingredients and 20 minutes to put a delicious tray of these together.
https://cookinglsl.com/andouille-sausage-appetizer-bites-cranberry-cheddar/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: COOKING LSL
Mini crab cakes are fun finger foods that pack a lot of flavors! They’re made from simple ingredients that you’ll either have on hand or can source from your local grocery store.
You’ll need to prepare the crab cakes first then allow them to chill in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. While you wait, prepare the heavenly lemon aioli. The aioli pairs perfectly with the crab cakes and these will be a new party favorite.
https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/mini-spicy-crab-cakes-with-lemon-aioli/965e0973-8748-443f-a5df-b55b39ef53be?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=party&crlt.pid=camp.d0jmpq2ipuhk PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: TABLESPOON
This exciting skewered appetizer has all the flavors of a traditional jambalaya dish. These skewers are layered with chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage, cherry tomatoes, red onion, green bell peppers, and cajun seasoning.
Additionally, this appetizer is a great option if you need dairy-free or gluten-free options at your party! Each bite will surely satisfy your palate and will put you in the party celebratory mood!
https://tonyinthehouse.com/jambalaya-cajun-kebabs/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: TONY IN THE HOUSE
This classic finger food gets a Creole twist. Devilled eggs are often a party-favorite. While guests may be expecting to see your basic deviled eggs on the table, they surely won’t be expecting these Creole crab-stuffed deviled eggs!
You’ll start out by making ordinary deviled eggs but what sets these apart is you’ll add crab meat, horseradish, sriracha, capers, apple cider vinegar, and shallot to the egg yolk mixture. They look gourmet but you’ll discover they’re quite easy to make!
https://hostthetoast.com/creole-crab-stuffed-deviled-eggs/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: HOST THE TOAST
Share an exquisite platter of Southern fried shrimp with your friends and family. This appetizer can come together in less than 20 minutes!
The shrimp are first tossed in a buttermilk and mustard bath and are then generously coated in a seasoned flour mixture. The crunchy fried batter will lure you in but the flavor will have you begging for more!
https://howtofeedaloon.com/southern-fried-shrimp-homemade-cocktail-sauce/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: HOW TO FEED A LOON
Revolutionize the ingredients of a muffuletta sandwich into a hot, steamy and delicious dip for your Mardi Gras party! This cheesy dip is made with provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, salami, giardiniera, and a few other intriguing ingredients.
You’ll need about 10 minutes to prepare it and 25 minutes to bake it. This hot-dip pairs wonderfully with crackers or French bread rounds.
https://www.gritsandpinecones.com/easy-mardi-gras-hot-muffuletta-dip/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: GRITS AND PINE CONES
Another excellent party dip idea is this hot Louisiana shrimp dip. The best part is you’ll only need 15 minutes to prepare it.
This dip pairs great with breadsticks, a baguette, or your favorite crackers. However, for a healthier option, it would also pair wonderfully with carrots or celery sticks too!
https://www.sprinklesandsprouts.com/hot-louisiana-shrimp-dip/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: SPRINKLE AND SPROUTS
We’ve talked about muffuletta sandwiches and muffuletta dip but now we’re sharing how you can transform those lovely flavors into an exciting pasta salad. Adding a dish like a salad is a great way to lighten up the table!
The muffuletta sandwich is iconic in New Orleans so there is no question that this pasta salad will be perfect for a Mardi Gras party. You’ll also be provided with a homemade vinegarette recipe that pairs perfectly with this pasta salad.
https://spicedblog.com/muffaletta-pasta-salad.html PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: SPICED BLOG
Chicken and waffles are a Southern classic and they too would make an awesome party appetizer. Aside from the fact that this appetizer looks adorable, it’s tasty and insanely easy to make!
For this recipe, you’ll use all store-bought ingredients. This includes frozen mini waffles, chicken tenders, maple syrup, and toothpicks. Simply toast the waffles, cook the tenders and stack together. Finish this appetizer with a drizzle of maple syrup and then serve!
https://thepreppyhostess.com/chicken-and-waffles/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: THE PREPPY HOSTESS
Who said you have to save dessert for last? Serve these delightful Mardi Gras king cakes with the rest of the appetizers and your guests will appreciate the delicious sweet flavors!
This recipe provides thorough instructions and correlating pictures to help make this recipe a breeze! They also provide 3 lovely suggestions on how can you fill the cakes.
https://ourbestbites.com/king-cake-happy-mardi-gras/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: OUR BEST BITES
These fluffy baked beignets are a great appetizer for a Mardi Gras party. Unlike traditionally fried beignets, these come out with just a hint of sweetness.
Like the king cakes, these would make a great addition to a savory table, giving a refreshing break from all the spicy dishes. Better yet, this recipes requires simple ingredients and can be ready in an hour!
http://www.eatliverun.com/oven-baked-beignets/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: EAT, LIVE, RUN
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