With Mardi Gras festivities and parades cranking up today, Friday,  Feb. 28, I thought we would celebrate Mardi Gras and Louisiana cooking, (pronounced LOO-zee-an-uh with the accent on LOO as per Tony Joe White’s song   “Polk Salad Annie”.

“Down in Loosiana Where the alligators grow so mean There lived a girl that I swear to the world Made the alligators look tame

Polk Salad Annie “

In a previous Tailgating On The Bayou post,  I watched many LSU fans cooking up Gator Tail, Louisiana style.

This fan stirred a pot of Gator Picadillo, a Cuban/Spanish comfort food, usually including raisins and green olives.

After testing several recipes from some of my favorite cookbooks,  “River Road Recipes IV”  from the Jr. League of Baton Rouge and The Columbia Restaurant Spanish Cookbook , I devised this recipe.

Picadillo

 I add Louisiana Hot Sauce.  Or choose your favorite one from the state you love!   I love Tennessee Sunshine Hot Sauce.

Another tailgating favorite is the hammie or slider; that famous ham, swiss cheese, and poppy seed sandwich.  I always change up the ingredients, based on the schools playing each other.  I like to use local ingredients or food indigenous to the area.

In honor of Mardi Gras and LSU I created a Muffuletta slider.  This one is very similar to my Cuban slider.  The difference is in the olive salad verses pickles.

MUFFULETTA SLIDERS

Serving Size: 12

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 Hawaiian rolls
• olive oil
• 1/2 pound ham, sliced
• 1/2 pound Genoa salami, sliced
• 1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced
• 1/2 pound Provolone cheese, sliced
• 6 tablespoons of your favorite olive salad (like Central Grocery's olive salad)

Homemade Olive Spread

If you prefer to make your own...

• 1/2 cup giardinera mix (Italian pickled vegetables usually including cauliflower, celery and carrots
• 1/4 cup black olives
• 1/2 cup green olives
• 1 T. dijon mustard
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Slice the rolls in half. Brush with olive oil.
2. Tear or cut slices to fit the rolls and layer starting with the ham, salami, Swiss cheese, and Provolone cheese.
3. Top with the olive salad. Replace roll tops. Top each slider with a little melted butter.
4. Wrap in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Notes

These can also be served cold as is the original sandwich. If you would like to try making your own olive salad the above recipe adapted from A Fork's Tale.  

By KathyMillerTime
Home made Olive Salad from A Fork's Tale

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

In New Orleans, the parades will be happening.  The food will be delicious.  The spirits will be flowing as The Carnival Season moves towards Fat Tuesday.  The Day before Ash Wednesday.

Louisiana, Florida and Gators.  Polk Salad Annie! My favorite song.  The absolute best lyrics..Please listen to the song and think of me…and Laura…(1:50 mark)

Gator got your Granny, Chomp, Chomp, Chomp!

Watch for upcoming stories from my tailgating travels.  I welcome your comments, recipes and any inside information on your favorite tailgating spots.

Come celebrate with me.  I’ll save you a seat at the table.