Mardi Gras is in full swing over at Disneyland, and the park is celebrating with foods prepared especially for the New Orleans Bayou Bash. I got some great photos of some of the specialty items! Take for example, this fine cheesecake. We’ll discuss it in a bit.

Bayou Bash Specs

A quick visit to the French Market proved to be well worth my while. I had already eaten dinner (Plaza Inn Fried Chicken trumped French Market), but I did want to visit New Orleans Square for a special Bayou Bash dessert. 

While in the French Market, I was able to check out their special menu for the event, which runs this weekend and continues March 2-4 and March 9-11.

Eats

There were two special entrees featured on the night I was there. The Creole Mustard French Style Sausage Sandwich, which was described as Chicken-pork sausage seasoned with cognac, creole mustard, and remoulade sauce served on a brioche roll with homemade apple carrot slaw.

The second entree was the Mardi Gras Southern Meat Loaf.  Described as a blend of ground chuck, turkey, pork, and andouille sausage served with red potatoes, Worcestershire cream sauce, and market vegetables.  It also comes with a side of the French Market’s yummy corn bread (which I love)!

Both of these meals looked absolutely fabulous, and I hope I get a chance to pop by and try them before they are gone.  BUT, who am I kidding? I want to check out the desserts! There were three to choose from: two different types of cupcakes and the new Bananas Foster Cheesecake. The cupcakes were awfully beautiful, but I am more of a banana cheesecake type of gal. 

The first cupcake was a chocolate raspberry-filled deal with a huge mound of what appeared to be a ganache-type topping that covered the mound of frosting underneath. I asked a cast member what the cupcake consisted of and he told me “lots of frosting with a raspberry filled center.” Topped with a fancy cookie mask, edible gold foil, glittery green and purple gel frosting, and a fresh raspberry, this cupcake is a work of art!

The second cupcake was the Red Velvet Mardi Gras Cupcake that our buddy and WDW Mom’s Panelist, Amanda Ficili, shared with us last weekend. 

Red velvet cake featuring a cream cheese frosting center, topped with a mound of purple and green whipped frosting.  The day Amanda was there, the cupcake had a bit more flare to it (an extra chocolate curl and a cookie mask). The night I was there, it was just the sparkly gold dusted white chocolate ball.

Although both cupcakes were beautiful and I’m sure delicious to boot, I grabbed the Bananas Foster Cheesecake and dug in.

The cheesecake was creamy and tasted like fresh bananas. The crust was sweet and moist, not at all dry.  My favorite part though? The caramel rum sauce. The sauce was thick, gooey, and had a hint of cinnamon in it. I really wish there was a bit more on the plate to sop up the cheesecake with! 

Apparently this dessert has been such a hit during the Bayou Bash that it is being considered as a possible permanent menu item at the French Market. A great idea in my opinion. At just $4.99, it’s perfect for an after dinner treat; generously sized and plenty for two people to share.

After we finished up our cheesecake, I went on a mission to find the snack carts that were serving up some other Bayou Bash treats. 

I stumbled upon them right outside of the Haunted Mansion. First up was the Bacon Cheddar Popcorn that I’d already heard about. My family loves popcorn, my family loves bacon, so of course I was ready to purchase a batch of this never before seen at Disneyland treat. 

As I walked up to the cart smiling, I immediately told the Cast Member we’d like a $5.00 scoop. He looked at me like, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” and said, “Why don’t I give you all a sample before you purchase. This popcorn is sort of hit and miss with people.” 

All I can say is thank you to this dear dear man. The popcorn was fun to try, but it was very artificial tasting. Instead of actual bacon taste, it was more “smoke” flavor with a hint of bacon. It was by no means disgusting, but I probably could have handled no more than a small handful of it. As for my bacon-loving boys and husband, it was for sure a no-go. Still though, super fun to try something new.

I was very impressed that Disney was offering samples to guests. It would have been such a waste to purchase a scoop of this for my family if everyone was just going to try a few pieces and be done with it. So thankful for the sample!

And finally, across the way from the Bacon Cheddar Popcorn Stand, there was the specialty Churro Stand. The Bayou Bash is featuring the same Strawberry Filled Churros that were available during Dia de Reyes and the Chinese New Year celebration. In addition to the Strawberry Churros, there was also Chocolate Dipping Sauce available for an extra .50 cents.

Overall, I found the Bayou Bash menu items to be a great addition to the celebration. I love that Disneyland can be creative in the kitchen and concoct items that enhance the overall enjoyment of an event. I mean, Mardi Gras is way more fun when you can party with banana cheesecake, right?

Haven’t had a chance to try out any of these yummy eats? Don’t worry, you still have some time. I was told by the Cast Member on duty at the French Market, that the “special” menu items will be there daily through the end of the Bash, even if the date isn’t a select “Bayou Bash” date.

Have you had a chance to get over to the New Orleans Bayou Bash? Did you check out any of the special menu items? Tell us about it, we want the deets!

Heather Sievers is the Disney Food Blog’s Dining in Disneyland columnist. See more of her columns here!