Fat Tuesday, February 5, marks the end of New Orleans' two-week-long Mardi Gras celebration. Revelers crowd the streets and let loose in preparation for Lent.

With the help of these Cajun and Creole recipes I created especially for Mealtime.org, you can make the journey to the Big Easy without ever leaving your kitchen. Canned ingredients make preparing meals a cinch, and with February being Canned Food Month, just pop open a can and "let the good times roll!" 

For more reasons to fit canned food into your mealtime, check out these Canned Food Facts.

Chef Andrew Schloss

Mardi Gras Catfish Gumbo
The flavor of New Orleans, served over fresh-cooked rice — a delicious way to celebrate! Made with convenient canned tomatoes, okra and corn, along with onion, bell pepper and celery, this gumbo provides a nourishing way to serve an array of six nutrient-rich, colorful vegetables to your family.

Big Easy Spicy Shrimp
Big in flavor, easy to prepare! This spicy shrimp dish, served over brown or white rice, brings the festive spirit of the "Big Easy" to your Mardi Gras table. The delicious blend of canned tomatoes with green chilies and canned spaghetti sauce add plenty of vitamins A and C and lycopene in any season — in a big, easy way!

Red Beans and Rice
Celebrate Fat Tuesday in style — N'awlins style, that is! This Mardi Gras staple uses classic Louisiana ingredients like andouille sausage and Creole seasoning, combined with canned red beans and served over steaming hot rice.