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If you can’t make it to New Orleans for Carnival, there’s only one logical solution: recreate the indulgence at home. Fat Tuesday is not the day for restraint, half-measures, or “maybe just a small bite.” This is the holiday where excess is the entire point — and your menu should absolutely reflect that energy.
We’re talking bold flavors, unapologetically rich textures, and the kind of dishes that feel like a celebration before you even take a bite. These sweet and savory recipes bring all the festive, over-the-top joy of Mardi Gras straight to your kitchen, from sugar-dusted treats to comfort-food classics that fully embrace the spirit of the ultimate cheat day.
Nothing here is light. Nothing here is pretending to be healthy. And honestly? That’s exactly how Fat Tuesday should be. Save the sensible swaps for literally any other day — today is about fun, flavor, and leaning all the way into the party!
Here are 11 sweet and savory recipes for your Fat Tuesday celebration!
Half Baked Harvest
Classic Fried Italian Pizza
Rounds of dough are first fried in hot oil until puffy before getting slathered with sauce and cheese. All of that is followed by a blitz in a hot oven until the whole shebang is bubbly, melty and downright irresistible. As if pizza wasn’t awesome enough already… (via Half Baked Harvest)
Pinch of Yum
Spicy Sofritas Veggie Bowls (Vegetarian)
Smothered in smokey chipotle sauce, tofu is transformed into a crave-worthy meat replacement for your next burrito bowl. Our forks are ready to dig right in. (via Pinch of Yum)
Malibu Kitchen
Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Loaded with cream, cheese and all of the usual baked potato toppings, a bowlful of this soup is sure to take the chill right out of your bones. Enjoy it beyond Fat Tuesday as part of your next snow day or après ski menu. (via Malibu Kitchen)
Half Baked Harvest
Big Popper Hot Buffalo Chicken Bacon Grilled Cheese
When jalapeño poppers, crispy buffalo strips, bacon and grilled cheese combine, you know it’s gotta be good. (via Half Baked Harvest)
Life As A Strawberry
Black and Blue Mac and Cheese
Guinness (or your fave dark brew), cheddar and blue cheese team up to create a rich, velvety sauce for this homemade mac and cheese. Don’t be surprised if it makes an encore appearance on St. Patrick’s Day. (via Life as a Strawberry)
ZagLeft
Fried Bowtie Pasta
Set out bowlfuls of these crispy snacks for folks to nibble on while they sip their Mardi Gras cocktails. (via ZagLeft)
Sweet Indulgences
Pink Owl Kitchen
King cake is a full Mardi Gras mood. Bright, festive, and unapologetically joyful, this New Orleans classic instantly makes your kitchen feel like Bourbon Street during carnival season.This traditional Mardi Gras King Cake recipe starts with a soft, lightly sweet brioche dough wrapped around a rich, buttery cinnamon-sugar filling (yes, it smells as incredible as you’re imagining). Once baked to golden perfection, the cake gets draped in a powdered sugar glaze and showered with vibrant colored sugars for that Mardi Gras celebration finish. (via Pink Owl Kitchen)
Pink Owl Kitchen
Fat Tuesday and deep-fried joy go hand in hand — and nothing captures that celebratory, powdered-sugar-covered magic quite like a fresh batch of beignets. Crisp on the outside, cloud-soft on the inside, these New Orleans-style treats are basically edible happiness. (via Pink Owl Kitchen)
B+C
Ice Cream Sundae Cups
Why choose between ice cream and cookies when you can enjoy the best of both worlds in a few bites? (via Brit + Co)
Momofuku Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cake
This Momofuku original features four alternating homemade elements layered sky-high, so you’ll want to start making all the pieces several days ahead of time. Trust that your effort will be rewarded BIG time. (via Hummingbird High)
Veggie The Beast
Salted Caramel Lava Cakes for Two (Vegan)
You just may be tempted to make these gooey-centered cakes for two a recipe for one; they’re undoubtedly hard to resist. (via Veggie the Beast)
