Ahhh, the holiday season. So full of hope! So full of joy! So full of stress!
At no other time during the year are expectations higher and the to-do list longer. But never fear. One way to lower your anxiety is by supplementing cooking obligations with scratch-made sides and desserts from Baton Rouge’s many culinary purveyors.
Local bakeries, gourmet shops, restaurants and independent supermarkets are all great sources for dishes that will make your meals and parties shine. Adding the handiwork of local vendors to your table is a smart way to quell the insanity—and the good news is there’s still plenty of time to place orders. Here are a few of our favorites. Where do you like to order holiday sides and desserts? Tell us at [email protected].
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Gourmet Girls
1660 Lobdell Ave.
Watch your guests’ eyes pop with the addition of luxe, detailed desserts and sides from this high-end caterer. The Christmas menu includes stunning sweets like the Merry Merry Cake, a French vanilla cake filled with chocolate mousse and decorated with hand-piped rosettes, gold-dipped cherries and an acrylic Santa. The Bocage shop’s many other desserts also include a Christmas Wreath King Cake. Made-from-scratch sides feature thyme scalloped potatoes, green bean and mushroom casserole, and creamed spinach with jumbo lump crabmeat, among others. Find breakfast items, too, like homemade plain or pistachio croissants and breakfast casserole with grits, sausage and pepper jack cheese.
Cannatella Grocery
3869 Government St.
A classic neighborhood Louisiana-Italian grocery with modern sensibilities, Cannatella in Mid City features Cajun and Creole sides and homemade pasta dishes. The holiday menu includes eggplant and shrimp casserole, spinach Madeleine, squash and cornbread casserole, green bean and artichoke casserole and more. For a spectacular final flourish, serve Cannatella’s candied yam bread pudding with rum sauce. The shop also stocks gourmet speciality items, wines, fancy pastas, sauces and sweets.
Bergeron’s City Market
8200 Jefferson Highway
From gumbo and turtle soup, to grillades and cocktail shrimp, the Christmas menu at Bergeron’s City Market ranges far and wide. (In fact, if you want to forego cooking outright, it’s an excellent resource.) Pick up party appetizers, main dishes and sides like mascarpone mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, and broccoli and cauliflower au gratin. Homey desserts include Mississippi Mud Pie, red velvet Bundt cake and praline cheesecake.
Maxwell’s Market
6241 Perkins Road; 18135 E. Petroleum Drive; 7620-A Corporate Blvd.
Maxwell’s Market’s holiday menu features side dishes like sweet corn casserole, bourbon sweet potatoes and spinach Maxwell, a riff on spinach Madeleine with artichoke hearts. The three-location gourmet grocery and butcher also includes a full New Year’s Day catering meal with roast pork tenderloin, steamed cabbage, black eyed peas, cheddar cornbread, apple pie and bread pudding. That has to bring good luck.
Elsie’s Plate and Pie
3145 Government St.
The beauty of Elsie’s is that it not only features a bedrock list of homemade pies, but also spontaneous flavors made daily. Call ahead to find out what’s available, or place an order for favorites like chocolate cream, coconut cream and s’mores. Oh, and despite the vast number of pies the restaurant prepares every day, the pastry crust is still made by hand.
Alexander’s Highland Market
18111 Highland Market Drive
Spiff up your holiday table with side dishes like andouille cornbread dressing, shrimp and mirliton dressing, rice dressing, bacon roasted Brussels sprouts, crawfish and poblano pepper casserole and lots more. Alexander’s holiday menu also includes classic entrees, desserts, rolls and seafood or chicken and andouille gumbo.
Rouses Markets
Various locations
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Looking for wedding cake bread pudding? How about dirty rice, crawfish cornbread dressing or oysters Bienville dressing? No surprise, south Louisiana-born chain Rouses offers a holiday menu rife with the bold flavors of the Pelican State. Order a spiral cut ham or a roast turkey, too, and pay a little extra to have it deboned.
City Pork
7327 Jefferson Highway; 18143 Perkins Road, E
City Pork’s holiday catering menu features a whole category dedicated to sides and pie. Sink your teeth into boudin rice dressing, cauliflower au gratin and smoked corn grits, all delectable foils for the smoked turkey and ham also on offer here. For dessert, pick up apple, pumpkin, pecan or chocolate cream pies—or make that one of each.