Healthy Mardi Gras Recipes

Find healthy, delicious Mardi Gras recipes including appetizers, drinks, dinner and dessert recipes. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Cajun Bean Soup

Rating: Unrated
1
This healthy Cajun-inspired bean soup recipe features black-eyed peas, collards and a bit of andouille sausage. Serve it with cornbread and pass the hot sauce.
By Hilary Meyer

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Rating: Unrated
3
The slow cooker makes easy work of this healthy jambalaya featuring brown rice and plenty of veggies. If you don't want to make your own seasoning, just skip Step 1 and use 1 1/2 teaspoons purchased salt-free Cajun seasoning in Step 2.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Rating: Unrated
2
This slow-cooker gumbo recipe skips the fat when browning the flour and swaps in turkey sausage and brown rice, resulting in a healthier dish with the classic Creole taste.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Creole Chuck Steak Etouffee

Rating: Unrated
2
In this steak étouffée recipe, boneless chuck is slowly cooked in a flavorful liquid full of aromatic vegetables, spicy sausage and broth. This beef étouffée recipe calls for a 2 1/2-pound piece of chuck, but if chuck steaks are available at your market, purchase eight 4- to 5-ounce steaks instead of cutting your own from the roast. Serve the steak étouffée with stone-ground grits, polenta or rice, and pass the Tabasco.
By Bruce Aidells

Cajun Pecan-Crusted Catfish

Rating: Unrated
1
Crunchy, battered catfish fillets have jumped out of the Louisiana backwaters to become a national favorite, thanks in large part to the Cajun cooking craze that started in the '80s. Here, the fillets are coated in a spicy mélange of cornflakes and pecans and baked for a traditional yet surprisingly healthy take on this bayou favorite.
By Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Corn Bread-Topped Chicken Enchilada Casserole

For a twist on the classic chicken enchilada casserole, this slow cooker recipe is topped with homemade corn bread.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Two-Bean Enchilada Casserole

Rating: Unrated
2
This classic and comforting Mexican dish is easy to make on a busy weeknight.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Louisiana Gumbo

Rating: Unrated
8
Chock-full of shrimp, chicken, sausage, okra and tomatoes, this flavorful stew is a staple in Louisiana. Make it a meal and serve with Real Cornbread (see associated recipe).
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Hurricane Cocktail

This hurricane cocktail is refreshing with less sugar and calories than the original. The fruit-forward flavor is amplified by passion fruit-flavored sparkling water, which adds effervescence and a sweet floral finish. Serve this drink for Mardi Gras or anytime you want a fruity cocktail.
By Karen Rankin

Blackened Salmon Sandwich

Rating: Unrated
1
Blackened salmon is great in a sandwich with a spread of mashed avocado and low-fat mayonnaise plus peppery arugula leaves, cool tomato slices and zesty red onion. We grill our Cajun-style salmon so there is no need for any added cooking oil. Catfish makes an excellent stand-in for the salmon but you'll want to use a grill basket if you have one to keep the fish from breaking apart.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sausage Gumbo

Rating: Unrated
5
To keep it simple, we've opted for just the essential ingredients in this rendition of the hearty Creole favorite: sausage, okra, rice and a little spice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Rating: Unrated
1
Prepare this dish the night ahead of time so all you have to do is pop it in the oven for an easy and delicious dinner.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Inspiration and Ideas

Grilled Redfish with Andouille & Shrimp

Grilled Redfish with Andouille & Shrimp

New Orleans chef Chuck Subra turns couche couche, a Cajun breakfast where cornmeal batter is browned in oil, into a savory stuffing for grilled redfish.
Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster

This famous New Orleans banana dessert recipe gets a kick from rum (we like dark). Impress your friends with this healthy fruit dessert tonight!
Shrimp Po' Boy

Shrimp Po' Boy

Shrimp & Cheddar Grits

Shrimp & Cheddar Grits

Rating: Unrated
8
Rosemary-Ginger French 75

Rosemary-Ginger French 75

Rating: Unrated
1
Smothered Green Beans with New Potatoes

Smothered Green Beans with New Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
2

Catfish Etouffee

Rating: Unrated
2

Although the classic Cajun stew, étouffée, is usually made with crayfish, it's also delicious with catfish. The cooked butter-and-flour mixture, also called a brown roux, gives the sauce a nutty flavor. We added a bit of reduced-fat sour cream and stewed tomatoes to make the sauce rich and flavorful without a lot of extra calories or fat. Serve with brown rice.

All Healthy Mardi Gras Recipes

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Rating: Unrated
1
Using a slow cooker makes this flavorful soup an easy meal for any night of the week.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Low-Sugar Mexican Flan

Rating: Unrated
2
This inverted caramel custard dessert is often found on Mexican dessert menus. This recipe is low in calories and fat.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Real Cornbread

Rating: Unrated
13
This traditional cornbread is made without flour, isn't sweet and has a crumbly texture. You can change the adaptable recipe to suit your cornbread preference. For a variation, substitute 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for the baking powder and use buttermilk instead of milk. If you're looking for a more muffinlike texture, substitute flour for half the cornmeal.
By Sarah Fritschner

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Rating: Unrated
17
This zesty Cajun-style pasta is full of lean chicken, peppers and onions. Serve with sautéed green beans.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Seafood Gumbo

Rating: Unrated
1
Gumbo, a hearty stew made with anything from sausage or duck to rabbit or seafood, starts with a roux cooked until it turns dark and nutty, giving the stew recipe its signature earthy flavor. This crab and shrimp gumbo recipe comes from Eula Mae Doré, who was the cook at the Commissary on Avery Island, home to the Tabasco company. She learned Cajun cooking by watching, rather than from cookbooks. Serve with brown rice. (Recipe adapted from Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen by Eula Mae Doré and Marcelle R. Bienvenu; Harvard Common Press, 2007.)
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Southern Kale

Kale becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender in this recipe. Assertive garlic and salty country ham stand up to kale's bold flavor.
By Sarah Fritschner

Crawfish Etouffee

Literally translated as “smothered” and pronounced ay-TOO-fay, the crawfish recipe is typically a saucy stew served over rice. In this healthy recipe from chef Patrick Mould, the tasty crustaceans (use shrimp if you can't find crawfish) are smothered in a sauce made with plenty of onions, garlic and Cajun seasoning.
By Patrick Mould

Dirty Rice

Rating: Unrated
3
A Louisiana favorite, our version of this spicy dish uses whole-grain Wehani rice. Long-grain brown rice also works. Traditionally made with chicken liver, which gives it a “dirty” color, we use healthy lean chicken sausage instead.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Catfish Courtbouillon

Cajun courtbouillon (pronounced koo-bee-yon) is a vegetable-and-fish stew recipe. In this healthy catfish recipe from Louisiana native chef Donald Link, the catfish and stew are combined at the end, making for a pretty presentation and keeping the catfish nice and crispy.
By Donald Link

Gateau de Sirop

This easy cake recipe by Cajun food authority Marcelle Bienvenu is studded with pecans and is typical of Cajun cooking--it's rustic, humble and made with ingredients that are always on hand. Serve this easy cake recipe for breakfast with cafe au lait or as a simple dessert accompanied by whipped cream or ice cream. Cane syrup comes from cane juice that has been cooked until it's golden and toasty-flavored. You can use molasses or honey in its place.
By Marcelle Bienvenu

Cajun Crab Croquettes

Rating: Unrated
2
Crab cakes get a Louisiana spin with Cajun spice and corn. Although any type of crab works here, we prefer the texture of lump crabmeat. Serve with Zesty Rémoulade Sauce. Make it a meal: Serve on arugula salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Smokin' Jambalaya

The spicy Cajun favorite is lightened up with turkey sausage, chicken, shrimp, and plenty of vegetables.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Shrimp Po' Boy

Rating: Unrated
5
This twist on the Louisiana favorite piles grilled shrimp and creamy-dressed cabbage onto a crusty bun. Bread that's soft on the inside and crusty on the outside is perfect for a Po' Boy sandwich. We grill both sides of a whole-wheat bun for that added crunch. You may need a few extra napkins to enjoy it, but this quick and easy sandwich is well worth it. Serve with: Sauteed corn and bell peppers.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Express Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya

Rating: Unrated
4
You don't have to sacrifice the traditional smoky punch of this Cajun favorite just because you're short on time. All you need is some purchased sausage and quick-cooking brown rice to create a rich, satisfying dinner on any weeknight. Have some sliced berries for dessert to cool off your palate!
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Stewed Okra & Tomatoes

Rating: Unrated
1
Stewing okra with onion and tomatoes is absolutely traditional all through the South. Small amounts of meat are often added for seasoning. Add corn to this, too, if you like, and serve it over rice, hot cornbread or grits.
By Sarah Fritschner

Shrimp Cakes with Spicy Cajun Mayo

Rating: Unrated
4
Shrimp cakes are common all over the Gulf Coast, but this recipe is healthy because they're made with whole-wheat breadcrumbs, packed with fresh vegetables and are delectably crisp without having been deep-fried. Serve these shrimp cakes as a first course, on top of a salad or like a burger on a whole-wheat bun with the Cajun mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato.
By Carolyn Casner

Braised Chicken Gumbo

Rating: Unrated
3
Leftovers make this chicken gumbo an absolute breeze. The only prep you'll need to do is to dice a bell pepper and slice some okra if you're using fresh. That's it! If you don't have leftover chicken and sauce from Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken, you can use 2 cups shredded cooked chicken and 2 cups canned diced tomatoes instead of the leftover sauce.
By Judith Finlayson

Vegetarian Muffalettas

Muffaletta sandwiches, named for a Sicilian bread brought by immigrants to New Orleans, are usually loaded with cured meats, pickles and cheese. Our healthy vegetarian recipe has a trio of smoky grilled veggies. Chopped olives and banana peppers deliver the signature flavor of the classic.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Grilled Redfish with Andouille & Shrimp Couche Couche

New Orleans chef Chuck Subra turns couche couche, a Cajun breakfast food where a cornmeal batter is cooked in oil until browned, into a savory stuffing for grilled redfish. If you prefer not to make cornbread from scratch, use 4 cups diced prepared cornbread.
By Chuck Subra

Two-Pepper Shrimp with Creamy Pecorino Oats

Rating: Unrated
1
Oats are not just for breakfast! In this play on shrimp & grits, we simmered oats with scallions and cheese for a savory, creamy dish reminiscent of risotto. You'll even get your veggies with the sautéed baby spinach on the side. Serve with hot sauce and a glass of unoaked Chardonnay.
By Lia Huber

Homemade Salsa

If you like mild salsa, use banana peppers in this recipe. For a hotter version, try jalapeño or one of the alternate pepper choices.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Louisiana Red Beans & Rice

This quick version of red beans and rice gets its smoky goodness from super-lean Canadian bacon and a hit of ground chipotle pepper. It's delicious as a leftover but will thicken as it stands. To keep it properly syrupy, just thin with a little water and reheat.
By Susan Herr

Cajun Catfish Salad with Crispy Polenta

Catfish has a sweet, mild taste, so we flavor it with Cajun seasoning and pair it with crispy polenta. This is one unique meal you'll want to make over and over again.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Stuffed Mini Peppers

This fun side-dish is easy to make and wonderfully compliments any main dish.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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