Embrace the carnival spirit as we delve into the vibrant world of Mardi Gras, from its rich cultural history to dazzling parades. Mardi Gras is the perfect excuse for a party, so prepare to indulge in a culinary feast with our curated food and drink ideas to try out this February and elevate your party atmosphere with our decoration tips. Get ready to let the good times roll as we unlock the secrets to a Mardi Gras celebration that's as stylish as it is spirited. We’ll cover:
What is Mardi Gras? | Food | Drink | Decorations
What is Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras, French for "Fat Tuesday", takes place on Shrove Tuesday and is an exuberant and festive celebration that marks the final day before Lent begins. It’s said that Mardi Gras arrived in the USA from French Catholic settlers in the South and has since evolved into a vibrant cultural phenomenon across the United States and is particularly renowned in New Orleans.
Mardi Gras traditions typically include colorful parades, lively music, rich and indulgent dishes, and a kaleidoscope of masks, beads, and costumes. Fat Tuesday embodies the spirit of joy, community, and uninhibited celebration, inviting people from all walks of life to join in the lively and unforgettable festivities.
Celebrations are usually adorned with purple, green, and gold — the purple representing justice, green symbolizing faith, and gold representing power. You’ll see these Mardi Gras colors everywhere from party decorations to costumes and more.
Mardi Gras food
The history of Mardi Gras is tied to its food traditions. Lent was historically a time when people couldn’t eat meat or fatty foods so Shrove Tuesday was a time to use up ingredients like eggs, butter, and lard before Lent began.
Today, the culinary traditions of Fat Tuesday have evolved and have taken on US influences as well as French. From the symbolic King Cake to Southern savory delights like gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish boils, the Mardi Gras menu reflects a celebration of life, community, and the pleasures of the table.
What’s even better about many of the most popular Mardi Gras dishes is that they can be prepared in one large cast iron pot, so you can spend more time enjoying the carnival celebrations. Some classic Mardi Gras food favorites include:
- Gumbo: Dive into a rich and hearty stew featuring a flavorful mix of meats or shellfish, all seasoned with a robust blend of spices. Gumbo is a soul-warming dish that embodies the essence of Cajun and Creole cuisine.
- Jambalaya: Enjoy this vibrant one-pot wonder combining rice with a variety of meats, usually including chorizo or andouille sausage, chicken, and sometimes crawfish or shrimp. The mix of spices gives it a distinctive Cajun taste. Creole cooks often add tomatoes to the mix, so feel free to add them if you like for a nod back to Mardi Gras’ French origins.
- Crawfish boil: Gather friends and family for a lively feast where crawfish, potatoes, corn, and sausages are boiled together and generously seasoned for a hands-on, flavorful experience.
- Dirty rice: A Louisiana Creole favorite, dirty rice combines ground meat with green bell pepper, onion, and celery, plus a combination of Cajun spices. The result is a hearty and flavorful celebration of spice and savory goodness that’s perfect for the occasion.
- Maque choux: Bold and colorful, this dish combines corn, bell peppers, onions and tomatoes, all sauteed in Cajun spices often with bacon grease, cream, or milk. Rich and delicious, maque chox is the perfect side dish for your Mardi Gras menu.
- Red beans and rice: A New Orleans staple, this simple yet flavorful dish typically features red kidney beans, smoked sausage, and seasoned rice.
- Muffuletta: Sink your teeth into a classic New Orleans sandwich featuring a round Italian bread filled with layers of deli meats, cheeses, and a tangy olive salad. Whip up a batch and lay them on a platter for guests to help themselves.
- Po' boy sandwiches: Another Louisiana classic, these sandwiches can be filled with fried seafood, roast beef, or other hearty ingredients, all served on crusty French bread. Fried shrimp po’boys are particularly popular for Mardi Gras, but you could also try fried chicken — they don’t call it Fat Tuesday for nothing!
- Deviled eggs: Whipping up a batch of deviled eggs is a great way to use up any remaining eggs before Lent. You can add a special Mardi Gras twist by boiling them with some red cabbage. The cabbage will dye the eggs purple, while the yolk forms the golden center. Finish off with a festive green sprinkling of chopped chives.
Mardi Gras desserts
As with other popular carnival dishes, Mardi Gras desserts are rich, buttery, and often fried. These are just some of our favorite Mardi Gras desserts that are perfect if you’re catering to a crowd:
- King Cake: A Mardi Gras must. Savor the sweetness of this traditional braided cake, adorned with colorful icing and sprinkles, and don't forget the hidden baby figurine inside — tradition holds that the person who finds the baby must host the next Mardi Gras party or provide the next King Cake.
- Beignets: Treat yourself and your guests to a big plate stacked with these deep-fried dough pastries, generously dusted with powdered sugar. These French-inspired treats are a staple in New Orleans and make for a delightful Mardi Gras indulgence.
- Pecan pralines: Lose yourself in the sweet and nutty goodness of these caramel confections, made by covering pecans with a mixture comprised of sugar, butter, vanilla, and cream. These beloved Southern treats are bound to go down well at your Mardi Gras party.
- Donuts: Also known as Polish paczki, donuts are a popular treat Mardi Gras treat in Poland (where they celebrate Fat Thursday). They’ve also become very popular across the US thanks to local Polish communities. Why not combine two desserts into one by adorning your donuts with purple, green, and gold sugar to make king cake donuts?
- Bread pudding: Hearty and delicious, a classic bread pudding makes the perfect finale to your Mardi Gras party celebrations. You’re sure to love our brioche bread and butter pudding recipe from @bakedbyjane. Better yet, you can prepare it in advance in an oven dish or individual cereal bowls and put it in the oven half an hour before you’re ready to serve.
Mardi Gras pancakes
In the USA, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated as Mardi Gras, but in the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia, they mark the day before Lent with pancakes. So, why not add a Pancake Day twist to your Mardi Gras food menu, creating a culinary celebration that transcends borders and traditions? Cook up a batch of delicious pancakes — or crêpes if you want to do it the French or UK way — and lay out some bowls of sweet and savory toppings for everyone to help themselves to, plus jugs of maple syrup. Lemon and sugar is the most popular pancake topping in the UK, but other tasty options include:
- Chocolate spread
- Bananas
- Berries
- Butter
- Bacon
- Nuts such as hazelnuts, pecans, or pistachios
- Ham
- Cheese
You can turn your Pancake Day party into even more of a celebration by hosting a pancake-flipping contest to see who can flip theirs without dropping or splitting it.
If you’re looking to add a special Mardi Gras touch, you could try making your pancakes purple! You can view our banana, walnut, and berry vegan pancakes from @fancyplantsfoodie, plus even more delicious options, in our Pancake Day recipes. Whether served as a decadent breakfast or a sweet treat throughout the day, Mardi Gras pancakes add a touch of carnival magic to the classic Pancake Day indulgence.
Mardi Gras drinks
A well-crafted drinks offering will elevate your festivities so take a look at our Mardi Gras drink ideas below. We’ve offered garnish suggestions, but feel free to get creative by reading our cocktail garnish and decoration ideas and use up what you have in your kitchen cupboards or on your home bar.
Alcoholic
- Sazerac: The official cocktail of New Orleans, and therefore a Mardi Gras classic. The key to this famous cocktail is in its preparation. Simply swill a lowball glass with a little absinthe then discard the liquid. In another glass, muddle a sugar cube with a few drops of water, then add 2oz of rye whiskey and three dashes of bitters. Stir, strain into your absinthe-lined glass, and garnish with a lemon peel.
- Hurricane: Another New Orleans classic, this sweet and fruity drink is bound to tantalize your taste buds this Mardi Gras. Combine 2oz each of dark and light rum, 1oz each of passion fruit juice and orange juice, and 1/4oz of grenadine. Shake well and add to a chilled hurricane glass or tall tumbler with an orange slice and cherry for garnish.
- Mint julep: The ultimate drink of the South, a mint julep is the perfect balance of sweet, fresh, and oaky flavors. To make it, add a handful of fresh mint to a highball glass with 1/2oz of simple syrup and muddle. Top with crushed ice and pour in 2oz of bourbon. Stir and top with more ice if needed, plus a spring of mint to garnish.
Non-alcoholic
Whether you're looking to join in the revelry without the spirits or create family-friendly drinks for everyone, there are so many Mardi Gras mocktails to enjoy. You can make non-alcoholic versions of your cocktails, or experiment with juices and fizzes to create something as exuberant as Mardi Gras itself.
- Hurricane mocktail: Make a non-alcoholic version of this tropical tipple by omitting the rum and adding a splash of soda before serving.
- Mint julep mocktail: To make a mint julep mocktail, simply switch the rum in your usual recipe for equal parts club soda and lemon-lime soda for a refreshing drink the whole family can enjoy.
- Mardi Gras sparkler: Combine the colors of Mardi Gras into one sweet and tasty mocktail. Pour equal parts purple grape juice, apple juice, and orange juice into a tall glass filled with ice and finish off with a splash of sparkling water. Garnish with an orange slice.
Mardi Gras decorations
With your Mardi Gras food and drinks sorted, it’s time to deck out your space in the spirited hues of purple, green, and gold. Whether you choose to keep it subtle with a few lively touches or go all out to create the full carnival atmosphere, let our Mardi Gras decoration ideas inspire you.
Party décor
Mardi Gras is all about color and spectacle, and with a few small touches you can transform your party space. Hanging banners and streamers can add an instant pop of color and you can make your own from purple, green, and gold or yellow craft paper if you feel like a bit of DIY.
Ribbons can also make great party decorations that you can reuse each year or recycle for gifts —even better if they’re already recycled from previous gifts you’ve been given. You can tie strips of purple, green, and gold ribbon around a piece of string and hang it to make a feature wall that’s perfect for party photos.
Finally, add some extra Mardi Gras finishing touches by hanging beads from any surface and dotting carnival masks around your space. You can buy Mardi Gras masks or make your own from paper mâché.
Tableware
Whether you’re enjoying a Mardi Gras dinner party or Fat Tuesday buffet, your tableware can add to the look of the celebrations. Purple, green, and gold tableware is the perfect choice for Mardi Gras, and you can choose to pull out all the stops with a full dinner set or add one or two individual pieces such as a serving bowl to mix with your current collection.
We have a wide selection of green tableware, including our classic Greenwich and bold Statements collections that would be perfect for your Mardi Gras party. With elegant gold accents, Porcelain Gold will add an extra lively spirit to your table settings.
Centerpieces
Beads and doubloons are Fat Tuesday staples, and you can scatter a few stings of beads and chocolate coins across the length of your table as décor. Alternatively, fill a couple of glass jars with beads and chocolate doubloons for a simple but effective Mardi Gras centerpiece idea. To add to the carnival atmosphere, place a few colored feathers in a tall vase.
Celebrate the exuberance and indulgence of Fat Tuesday with a fun-filled Mardi Gras party, immersing yourself in the lively spirit of this vibrant celebration. From flavourful Mardi Gras recipes to celebratory drinks and energetic décor, these tips will help you throw an exciting celebration for friends and family.
Amp up the visual appeal of your Mardi Gras decor with beautiful tableware, serveware, and glassware from Denby. You’ll find a choice of stunning collections that will mesh seamlessly with your Mardi Gras decorations, as well as being versatile enough to use every day.
If you’re looking for even more hosting tips to take you through your spring celebrations, be sure to check out our Super Bowl, Cinco de Mayo, and Easter ideas.