Gumbo, hurricanes, and king cake cupcakes served in a colorful dining room

I’ve always wanted to throw a Mardi Gras-themed party! I invited my friends over for a causal game night and because I just couldn’t resist, I turned into a little Mardi Gras dinner. I served my favorite chicken and sausage gumbo and hurricanes before diving into board games and King Cake Cupcakes. Read all about it!

Thank you to my grocery partner Tom Thumbfor supporting The Rose Table and this recipe! It’s partnerships like this that keep The Rose Table ad-free. Want a classic king cake? They’ve got you covered!

The Ambiance

I used my LED flood lights seen at my Cinderella Ball to splash the walls with purple and green. Even for a causal game night, I couldn’t resist! It takes two seconds to plug in the lights, select your color, and BAM, it’s one magical Mardi Gras game night.

I’ve also kept my twinkle light curtain hanging from my dining room window for months and I just love it. It twinkles likes the stars!

The Table

For those Mardi Gras vibes, I used my purple tablecloth (first seen at Disney Dinners: Aladdin) and tossed a bunch of Mardi Gras beads as a makeshift runner. I used the cupcakes as decor plus a black feathered mask that I had laying around and a couple of green votive candles.

The Flowers

I went with a simple, inexpensive bouquet of mini green carnations. I love the informal look and the way the green pops against the tablecloth.

The Place Settings

Part of the reason I wanted to host a Mardi Gras-themed party was to show you different ways that decor can be reused. I used my gold chargers (first seen at Disney Dinners: Princess and the Frog) with my Emma bowls for the gumbo along with my gold flatware (from Disney Dinners: Hercules) with my forest green napkins (from Disney Dinners: Snow White) and my gold cuff napkin holders (also from Disney Dinners: Hercules). Isn’t it funny how different each of those things looked when paired with different items?

The Music

Jazz, of course! I turned on my favorite jazz channel (Jazz Vocal Hits, 850 on DirectTV if you’re interested) and let the good times roll.

The Drinks

I finally made hurricanes! I was inspired by Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop in New Orleans, which serves up a mean hurricane in their historic bar. (Literally – it’s the oldest bar in the United States!) Lafitte’s uses a unique juice blend of pineapple juice, orange juice, passion fruit juice, and cranberry juice so I did the same.

My hurricanes have mostly light rum plus dark rum floated on top. Plus they’re super easy to make! Get the recipe here.

The Food

I wanted something that could be ready when my guests arrived so that we could catch up over a quick dinner and then get straight to board games while we noshed on cupcakes. My chicken and sausage gumbo is one of my favorite recipes of all time and it’s perfectly on theme. I prefer it made ahead of time, pull it out of the fridge about an hour before the party, then heat it back up. So easy for entertaining!

Menu:
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
served with white rice and french bread
King Cake Cupcakes