Healthy Mardi Gras Dinner Recipes

Find healthy, delicious Mardi Gras dinner recipes including Creole dinners, gumbo, jambalaya and po'boy recipes. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Two-Bean Enchilada Casserole

Rating: 4.67 stars
2
This classic and comforting Mexican dish is easy to make on a busy weeknight.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Rating: 5 stars
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

Louisiana Gumbo

Rating: 4.58 stars
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

Blackened Salmon Sandwich

Rating: 4.94 stars
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: 4.14 stars
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

Jambalaya Sausage Kebabs

The classic flavors of jambalaya come together in these easy-peasy smoked sausage kebabs. Celery is one of the classic flavors in traditional jambalaya, so we included a pinch of celery seed in the marinade.
By Katie Webster

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

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Rating: 4.06 stars
17
This zesty Cajun-style pasta is full of lean chicken, peppers and onions. Serve with sautéed green beans.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Two-Pepper Shrimp with Creamy Pecorino Oats

Rating: 5 stars
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

Shrimp & Cheddar Grits

Rating: 4.67 stars
8
The South's version of creamy polenta, grits are easy to make on a weeknight--especially when topped with quickly broiled shrimp and scallions. Use the sharpest Cheddar you can find for these cheesy grits. Serve with: Sautéed greens and a tall glass of iced tea.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Louisiana Catfish with Okra & Corn

Rating: 4.54 stars
3
Purchased Cajun or Creole seasoning flavors both the catfish and vegetables in this 30-minute dinner. This dish is best with fresh vegetables, but we were pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out with frozen okra and corn. Serve with cheese grits and a green salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Catfish Etouffee

Rating: 5 stars
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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Inspiration and Ideas

Tilapia Po'Boy

Tilapia Po'Boy
Rating: Unrated
1
Forget deep-fried fish--the tilapia in this healthy po'boy recipe, a classic Cajun sandwich recipe, is coated in cornmeal and cooked in just 2 tablespoons of oil. The result? A healthy, crispy fish sandwich without extra calories. Serve with coleslaw and sweet potato fries.
Dirty Rice

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.
Shrimp Cakes with Spicy Cajun Mayo

Shrimp Cakes with Spicy Cajun Mayo
Rating: Unrated
4
Cajun Crab Croquettes

Cajun Crab Croquettes
Rating: Unrated
2
Vegetarian Muffalettas

Vegetarian Muffalettas
Shrimp Po' Boy

Shrimp Po' Boy
Rating: Unrated
5

Seafood Gumbo

Rating: 4 stars
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.)

All Healthy Mardi Gras Dinner Recipes

Cajun Pecan-Crusted Catfish

Rating: 3.33 stars
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

Spicy Rice

From the Deep South comes this spicy rice full of vegetables and chicken. Feel free to adjust the amount of hot sauce and cayenne pepper according to taste.
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

Cajun Tilapia Po'Boy for Two

Forget the deep fryer--the tilapia in this healthy po'boy recipe, a classic Southern sandwich, is coated in cornmeal and cooked in just 2 tablespoons oil. The result? A healthy, crispy fish sandwich with little added fat. Cajun spice blends can be surprisingly high in sodium. Check the ingredients to find one without added sodium.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Grilled Shrimp Remoulade

Rating: 4.5 stars
4
An updated and untraditional rémoulade makes a tangy sauce for these spice-rubbed shrimp. While this is a warm-weather favorite on the grill, you can also cook the shrimp under a preheated broiler. Cook shrimp on a lightly sprayed broiler rack, about 4 inches from the heat, for a winter warmer any night of the week.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

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

Moyo de Poulet Fume

Combining smoke and heat, this dish is easy and quick to assemble. If you like fiery food, cut long slits in the peppers to release their juices. Four jalapeños, which are more readily available, may be substituted for the habaneros (also called Scotch bonnets), but the habaneros contribute a flavor all their own. Smoked chicken is available in specialty meat shops. Serve hot over rice.
By Jessica B. Harris

Shrimp Creole

Rating: 3.5 stars
3
We adapted a favorite recipe for conch creole to shrimp because conch can be hard to find in the U.S. You can also use scallops.
By Steven Raichlen

Quick Cajun Catfish

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
Ready in a mere 20 minutes, these delicious cornmeal-crusted catfish fillets will soon become a family favorite. Serve with oven roasted potatoes and steamed green beans.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Peppers Stuffed with Mirliton, Shrimp, and Turkey Sausage

Mirlitons are gourdlike fruits that taste similar to squash; they are sometimes called chayote. Try them in this diabetic-friendly turkey and vegetable stuffed pepper side dish recipe.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Jumpin' Jimmy's Gumbo

Rating: 4 stars
1
Lean chicken breast and a small amount of spicy andouille sausage along with okra and plenty of other vegetables are at the heart of this version of gumbo. With significantly less fat and sodium plus loads of vegetables, you can feel good about eating this Cajun gumbo any day of the year.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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