The celebration is getting started; how are you going to celebrate Mardi Gras? This celebration of Fat Tuesday is all about indulging in great, rich food before the fast leading up to Easter. Each year, while we may far away from the party on Bourbon Street, we like to celebrate the way we know best – cooking up some delicious Cajun recipes.

Beans, particularly kidney beans, are a fixture in creole dishes from gumbo, jambalaya, and even simple rice and beans. We gathered up some of our favorite bean recipes from our collection as well as a few from some of our favorite recipe developers.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Cajun-Style Sausage & White Beans

While it is no secret that kidney beans are the king bean in creole cuisine, our famous great northern beans are too good not to include on this list! White beans add a rich and creaminess to Cajun cooking that balances the powerful spices it is cooked with. Besides all the great flavors and how easy it is to prepare; this is also an awesome dish for those cooking on a budget!

Skillet Cajun Chicken with Red Beans & Rice

The classic chicken and fish preparation down south is definitely a blackened-style preparation. Utilizing the bevy of aromatic and delicious spices, the meat is given a crispy sear that gives “blackened” its name. This recipe from No Spoon Necessary shows us how to prepare some mouthwatering blackened crispy chicken thighs alongside hearty red beans and rice. This recipe IS New Orleans cuisine.

Louisiana Red Beans & Rice Stew

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a recipe that is more synonyms with the food on Bourbon Street than a hearty Cajun stew with Abdoulie sausage and plump red kidney beans. Toss all these ingredients in a pot to cook together and serve it over rice. It’s as easy and as simple as that. This classic recipe doesn’t try to do anything fancy, simply because it doesn’t need to! All of the simple ingredients we use in this recipe come together to perfection, and in a surprisingly short amount of time.

Vegan Jambalaya

One downside to the food of the creole is that it can sometimes be lacking on vegan-friendly recipes. The food of New Orleans always tends to feature sausage, chicken, and seafood, so for those with dietary restrictions, it can be hard to enjoy many classic recipes. Fear no more! The Stingy Vegan has a fantastic and simple recipe for a vegan jambalaya that makes us want to get up and dance! Heaps of delicious mushrooms, peppers, and kidney beans all but make up for the absence of meat protein.

We love embracing bean recipes from cultures all across the world.