Mardi Gras: that one holiday of the year devoted to entirely to excess. We love it so much that we spread that decadence out over a full weekend of gastronomical indulgences. So before you commit to Lenten promises that will torture you until Easter, here are 13 decadent dishes worth the guilt.
1. Combining Creole seasoning with dark beer, this Everything-in-the-Crisper Jambalaya is perfect for a Mardi Gras-themed meal or a stick-to-your gut dinner before an evening of drinking.
2. Surely one pound of sprouts is enough to redeem this Parmesan-garnished Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Pasta, right?
3. Three ingredients make the Peanut Butter Bacon Sandwich of your drunken dreams.
4. Southern Fried Chicken takes a three-day process to complete, but that crispy, Creole-spiced skin is so worth it.
5. Too lazy to butcher? Try a Deep-Fried Whole Chicken. 6. St. Louis weather is still a far cry from spring. Warm up with these tender Braised Short Ribs served over savory hominy stew.
7. True, this creamy Fonduta Mac-n-Cheese made with Riesling and lobster meat is not your mom’s mac-n-cheese. It’s better.
8. Go ahead, have a beer with dinner … then a slurp a Budweiser Milkshake for dessert. 9. Spice up your after-dinner indulgence with a peanut-butter Oreo treat that features a kick of cumin, cayenne and spicy toppings like chocolate-chipotle sauce. This PBJ Blaster Pie may blast a hole in your diet, but you’ve got 40 days to make it up to yourself.
10. Challenge yourself to make a dessert of Caramelized Apples with Foie Gras Ice Cream and spiced walnuts, then reward yourself with sweet, spicy, creamy, crunchy seconds.
11. Brownie mix, booze, bacon and caramel make for a Bacon-Bourbon Brownies for the novice baker. Do you really want to give up chocolate for Lent?
12. If Serendipity’s house-made toasted marshmallow ice cream isn’t enough to convince you, indulge in a Gimme S’mores St. Louis Sundae topped with oatmeal cookie crumbles, hot fudge and vanilla toasted marshmallows. I see you reaching for your spoon.
13. We can’t promise you won’t regret this Cinnamon Bread Pudding chock-full of raisins and cranberries and topped with a glaze of maple syrup and Jack Daniels. But after all, isn’t that the point of Mardi Gras?
-Jambalaya, fried chicken, caramelized apples and mac-n-cheese photos by Carmen Troesser; s’mores sundae photo by Greg Rannells
This article appears in February 2014.