Mardi Gras for Kids: Food, Recipes & Party Activities

Easy Mardi Gras King Cake

By Kids Cooking Activities

• Category: Dessert
• Oven: 375°F
• Skill Level: Intermediate

Prep: 25 minutes | Rise: 60 minutes | Bake: 15 minutes | Yield: 1 king cake

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 oz dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar (for yeast)
• 6 1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• Icing (for drizzling)
• Purple, green, and gold colored sugar (or matching frosting)
• Optional: plastic baby/trinket (insert after baking; see note)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, heat sugar, sour cream, butter, and salt until butter melts. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a small bowl, mix yeast with warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit 5 minutes to activate.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour and eggs. Add sour cream mixture and yeast mixture; beat well.
4. Knead dough for about 10 minutes. Cover and let rise about 1 hour.
5. Shape dough into a large oval ring and place on a baking sheet.
6. Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes (or until lightly golden and baked through).
7. Cool completely. Drizzle with icing and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugar.

Mardi Gras Fun Fact

• Purple = Justice
• Green = Faith
• Gold = Power

Kid-Friendly Tips

• Kids can help sprinkle the colored sugar and drizzle icing (use a spoon or zip bag with the corner snipped).
• Let kids "paint" icing on in stripes: purple, green, then gold.
• Turn it into a math lesson: count how many stripes or sections you decorate.

Safety Note

Choking hazard: If you include a baby/trinket, insert it into the bottom of the cooled cake after baking and clearly warn everyone before serving.

Cajun Dirty Rice

By Kids Cooking Activities

• Category: Side Dish
• Stovetop
• Skill Level: Intermediate

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• Olive oil (to drizzle)
• 1/2 cup chicken livers
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 3 slices bacon
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (to stir in at the end)

Instructions

1. Cook the rice in 1 cup chicken broth and 2 cups water according to the rice package directions. Set aside.
2. Drizzle a little olive oil over the cooked rice and set aside.
3. Puree chicken livers in a blender.
4. In a large pot, cook ground pork, bacon, onion, celery, green onions, bell pepper, Cajun seasoning, and pureed chicken livers until cooked through.
5. Stir in cooked rice and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Mix well and serve warm.

Kid-Friendly Tips

• Kids can help measure rice and stir (with supervision).
• Let kids shake in Cajun seasoning- start small and taste together.
• Teach "mise en place": have kids put chopped veggies into bowls before cooking starts.

Swap Option

If you prefer to skip chicken livers, you can leave them out and still enjoy a tasty seasoned rice dish.

Shrimp Po’ Boys

By Kids Cooking Activities

• Category: Main Dish
• Stovetop
• Skill Level: Intermediate

Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes | Yield: 6 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 lbs shrimp, cleaned and deveined
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Seafood seasoning
• Oil for frying (about 1 inch in pan)
• Rolls for sandwiches
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Pickles
• Mustard
• Hot sauce
• Lemon juice

Instructions

1. Whisk egg and milk together in a bowl.
2. Soak shrimp in the milk mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, breadcrumbs, and seafood seasoning.
4. Coat shrimp in the breading mixture.
5. Have an adult fry the shrimp in about 1 inch of hot oil until golden, opaque and cooked through. Shrimp should reach 145°F. Drain on paper towels.
6. Serve shrimp on rolls with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Kid-Friendly Tips

• Kids can help set up a "breading station" and assemble sandwiches.
• Adults handle frying; kids can do toppings and squeezing lemon.
• Make it milder: skip hot sauce and use a little mayo + mustard instead.

Party Serving Idea

• Serve as mini sliders for kids- use smaller rolls and fewer toppings.