Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday, held the final Tuesday before Lent (this year, on March 1), calls for parades, bead throwing, general revelry and yes, food. Lots and lots of Cajun- and Creole-inspired food.
Celebrating the holiday outside of New Orleans? Bring a slice (or bowl) of the Big Easy right to your front door with a slew of Mardi Gras-themed offerings from Goldbelly, a website that assists local restaurants in shipping their food anywhere in the nation. King cakes and beignets, jambalaya and gumbo, po’ boys and muffalettas, shrimp and grits and red beans and sausage — there’s a menu item to get you and your guests in the Mardi Gras spirit. As the Cajun French say, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” (let the good times roll!).
Mardi Gras main dishes
Parkway Bakery & Tavern Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
$79 at Goldbelly
A New Orleans landmark founded in 1911, Parkway Bakery & Tavern whips up a mean jambalaya. Order this package that features two 2-pound containers of its famous chicken and sausage version made with Louisiana spices, local smoked sausage and yummy chicken thighs. Serves four to six.
Commander’s Palace Wild Shrimp and Cognac with Creole Cream Cheese Grits
$89 at Goldbelly
With naturally briny wild shrimp caught in Southern Louisiana and house-made Creole cream cheese grits (are you serious?) and Cognac sauce, it’s no wonder this dish from the James Beard Award-winning Commander’s Palace restaurant in New Orleans is a menu staple. Serving two, you’ll receive 10 shrimp, plus sauce, grits and two loaves of garlic bread for an additional $20. Our advice: Get the bread.
Cochon Butcher Mardi Gras Red Beans & Sausage Meal Kit for 4
$129 at Goldbelly
Make dinner stress-free—and oh, so tasty—when you order this meal kit for four that contains 2 quarts of red beans with smoked pork and sausage, 1 quart of cooked rice, 1 pound of smoked country sausage, four bacon pecan praline cookies and even some Mardi Gras beads. The James Beard Award-winning chefs from the restaurant/butcher counter make their sausages in-house and old-world style. Let the revelry commence!
Louisiana Crawfish 10-Pound Boiled Cajun Crawfish Pack
$99 at Goldbelly
Nothing says Mardi Gras party like a crawfish boil! Order up this pack from Louisiana Crawfish Company out of Natchitoches, Louisiana, and receive 10 pounds of large, boiled and seasoned crawfish, enough to serve three to six. Add some corn and potatoes and settle in for a super-fun feast.
Mother’s Restaurant Seafood Specialty Dinner Kit
$179 at Goldbelly
Those who love to sample and share will be smitten with this dinner kit that serves six to eight guests. From Mother’s Restaurant, an iconic Big Easy eatery since 1938, you’ll receive 2 pounds each of crawfish étouffée, seafood gumbo and shrimp creole (think Louisiana shrimp poached in a light tomato Creole sauce with wine and hot sauce), 3 pounds of cooked rice, 16 ounces of brandy sauce and even a 2-pound pan of bread pudding. Yes, please.
Mardi Gras sandwiches
Central Grocery Muffuletta Sandwich, 2-Pack
$109 at Goldbelly
Operating in the French Quarter since 1906, this New Orleans mainstay gave the iconic muffuletta sandwich its start—and now you can have it delivered right to your door. Each order includes two 10-inch round muffulettas (enough to serve six to eight), served on Sicilian sesame bread filled with salami, ham, mortadella, Provolone, Swiss and marinated olive salad.
Parkway Bakery & Tavern BBQ Shimp Po’ Boys for 4
$109 at Goldbelly
Exclusive to Goldbelly, this version of the famous po’ boy from Parkway Bakery & Tavern (founded in 1911) features fresh Louisiana gulf shrimp that’s been sauteed in New Orleans barbecue sauce and served on toasted French bread with extra dipping sauce. Feed four and make two shrimp po’ boys with 24 ounces of shrimp, 16 ounces of barbecue shrimp sauce, a lemon and two loaves of fresh-baked French bread.
Lasyone’s Meat Pies Mini Cajun Pies Best-Sellers, 24-Pack
$139 at Goldbelly
They’re probably more of an appetizer than a sandwich, but we’d be happy to make a meal of these hand-held meat pies from Lasyone’s, a must-visit spot in Natchitoches, Louisiana. You’ll get 24 mini pies in three varieties: beef and pork, crawfish and mushroom, sun-dried tomato and asiago that serve 12 (two per person) and require frying (but that’s what makes them extra good).
Parkway Bakery & Tavern Roast Beef Po’ Boys for 8
$139 at Goldbelly
Invented in 1929 during the New Orleans Streetcar Strike, po’ boys have become synonymous with the city. At Parkway Bakery & Tavern, the best-known version includes roast beef with gravy, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo all piled on soft French bread. Serve eight with this package that’ll have you constructing four sandwiches with 64 ounces of roast beef in gravy, Swiss cheese, lettuce/pickle/mayo dressing and four loaves of freshly baked French bread.
Napoleon House “Hot” Muffuletta Kit, 2-Pack
$99 at Goldbelly
A French Quarter landmark for 200 years, Napoleon House serves a warm version of the iconic muffuletta. Whip up two of the sandwiches (each serves four) at home with this kit the comes with two 10-inch housemade muffuletta rolls, olive salad, extra virgin olive oil, provolone and Swiss cheeses, pastrami, Genoa salami and chisesi ham.
Mardi Gras desserts
Gambino’s Bakery Choose Your Own King Cake, 2-Pack
$69 at Goldbelly
Oh, baby! As if a delicious buttery, cinnamon, purple, green and gold king cake wasn’t reason enough to celebrate, the tradition of the title of king or queen for the day going to the person who finds a baby figure baked inside makes this treat extra sweet. Gambino’s Bakery, a fave of celebs and Big Easy locals alike, ships a two-pack of cake kits, fit to feed 15-18 guests. Each kit includes a cinnamon king cake with your choice of filling (add our fave, praline, for $5 more), fondant icing, purple, green and gold colored sugar for decorating, a small doll in the cake and an official Mardi Gras poster and brochure on the history of the dessert.
Aunt Sally’s Creole Pralines Classic Pralines, Box of 12
$39 at Goldbelly
Mix Louisiana pecans with cane syrup, butter, heavy cream and vanilla and you get Aunt Sally’s famous pralines. Cooked in copper pots, hand-poured and cooled on marble slabs, the 3-inch diameter pralines come in a box of 12. And for those feeling guilty, feel free to remind yourself that they’re gluten free.
Cady’s Cakes Mardi Gras King Cake Guts, 4 Jars
$69 at Goldbelly
We’re not exactly sure why, but, food is just cuter when served in a jar. Exhibit A: This deconstructed king cake from Cady’s Cakes featuring cinnamon swirl vanilla cake, chopped pecans, homemade cream cheese frosting, Mardi Gras sprinkles and, naturally, a plastic baby. Sending as a gift? For an extra $10, add a personalized handwritten card, tissue paper and holiday-themed tape. We recommend Instagramming before digging in.
Debbie Does Doberge Cream Cheese Doberge King Cake
$119 at Goldbelly
Looking to truly impress your guests? Pull out a doberge (a traditional New Orleans birthday cake). This 8-by-4-inch beauty features seven cinnamon cake layers, six cream cheese pudding layers and a poured cream cheese fondant icing, not to mention Mardi Gras sprinkles and a baby on top to make it extra festive. Serves 16.
Gourmet Butcher Block Cajun Bread Pudding Kit
$79 at Goldbelly
Made famous for its turducken (yo know, a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey), Cajun meat market the Gourmet Butcher Block also serves up Cajun bread pudding that is not to be missed. Homemade with New Orleans French bread, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and whole milk with a decadent vanilla cream sauce, this package includes two bread pudding mixes, sauces and baking pans. We’ll be having one pan for breakfast and the other for dessert, thank you very much.
Brenda’s French Soul Food Beignet Sampler Kit, 12-Pack
$79 at Goldbelly
Raised in Harvey, Louisiana, Brenda Buenviaje’s San Francisco-based restaurant, Brenda’s French Soul Food, brings a taste of Creole to California. Get it anywhere with this ready-to-ship 12-pack that includes six ready-to-fry Granny Smith apple beignets and six Ghiradelli chocolate beignets along with powdered sugar and a sugar shifter. Brew up a pot of coffee and thank us later.
Mardi Gras soups and stews
Commander’s Palace Legendary Seafood Gumbo
$89 at Goldbelly
Warm your body and soul with a steaming bowl of Creole gumbo from the legendary Garden District restaurant Commander’s Palace that has counted Emeril Lagasse, Paul Prudhomme and Jamie Shannon among its iconic chefs since it opened way back in 1893. Known for its seafood gumbo and garlic bread, Commander offers this package, serving four to six, that includes two quarts of the gumbo and two loaves of the crispy, cheesy bread. If you needed an excuse to host a Mardi Gras meal, this, most definitely, is it.
Cochon Butcher Chicken & Andouille Gumbo
$89 at Goldbelly
Kick your Mardi Gras meal off right with a steaming bowl of Cochon Butcher’s delicious chicken and andouille gumbo (the andouille is made in-house at the New Orleans restaurant/butcher shop). You’ll receive half a gallon of gumbo—plenty to serve eight (but we won’t blame you a bit if you choose to double up your portion size).
Hebert’s Specialty Meats Louisiana Étouffée Choose Your Own, 2 Pack
$79 at Goldbelly
Serve a hearty meal of Cajun-Creole stew with this étouffée (opt for shrimp or crawfish for an additional $7) that’s meant to be served over rice. Established in Marice, Louisiana, in 1984, Herbert’s family recipe serves six to eight.
Gourmet Butcher Block Stuffed Chicken, Soup and Gumbo Combo Pack
$119 at Goldbelly
Can’t decide between gumbo or soup for your Mardi Gras festivities? Get both with this combo pack from Gourmet Butcher Block, a Cajun specialty meat market out of Gretna, Louisiana. You’ll receive a deboned chicken with shrimp stuffing, a quart of chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, a quart of seafood gumbo made with Louisiana shrimp and crab meat and a quart of shrimp and corn soup. Now, the big decision: which to sample first?