Our Recipes

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Looking for supper, something sweet, or a little Louisiana flavor? Pick a spot below, or scroll for every recipe.

Dinner & Main Dishes · Louisiana & Cajun · Desserts & Baking · Appetizers & Game Day

From Joy’s Louisiana kitchen

Come find something good.

Looking for supper, something sweet, or a little Louisiana flavor? Pull up a chair. Let’s open the recipe box.

A few good places to start

11 recipes · featured first

At the table this season

Game day. Full plates.
Good company.

Football season around here isn’t just a sport—it’s a full-blown event. Start with a snack, make a plate, and leave room for something sweet.

Fried Feta Stuffed Olives ↗Smoked Brisket Salad ↗Dat Football Spread! · the story ↗

A Bayou Belle signature

From scratch
or shortcut?

Some days you’re making it all. Some days a ready-made pie crust is doing its part. There’s room for both at this table.

Make the tzatziki yourself, or use Joy’s shortcut: buy it ready-made. Her Apple Crumble Pie puts a store-bought crust to work, too.

Make it or buy it: tzatziki

From scratch

Cool, creamy, and just enough Cajun to keep it interesting.

  • 2 cups Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp grated cucumber (strain well—then strain again)
  • Fresh dill, to taste
  • 1/2–1 tsp Slap Ya Mama white pepper blend
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1/2 tsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill for a few hours—or overnight—to let the flavors develop.

Shortcut

Buy ready-made tzatziki at the store and serve it alongside your chicken pitas. Follow the package directions for keeping and serving it.

A note from Joy: I have a hard time finding it here! The last few times I’ve used Cedar’s. Use what you can find and enjoy—no particular brand required.

Read the original Summer Eatin’ story and chicken-pita recipe ↗

More from the kitchen

The stories belong here, too.

My first homemade baconA kitchen diary, a little smoke, and a first try.Summer Eatin’Chicken pitas, pretty sides, and a table full of ideas.
Kitchen Diaries, Behind the Blog Joy Monnerjahn Kitchen Diaries, Behind the Blog Joy Monnerjahn

1st time bacon

I finally did it—I smoked my own bacon. This was my very first attempt at homemade smoked bacon, and let me tell you… there’s no going back. From curing pork belly to low-and-slow smoke, this little backyard experiment turned into some of the most flavorful bacon I’ve ever tasted. It wasn’t perfect (because first tries never are), but it was fun, smoky, and a whole lot better than anything store-bought. Consider this the beginning of my bacon era. 🥓🔥

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