Late April in New Orleans means one thing: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. For two weekends, the Fair Grounds fill up with brass bands, Mango Freezes, and the kind of food lines that move slow because every single thing is worth the wait. Crawfish bread, cochon de lait po’boys, jambalaya, and of course, red beans and rice. The music may be the headline, but the food is right there with it.

And no Jazz Fest dish has more history than the red beans. In 1970, legendary French Quarter restaurateur Buster Holmes, the undisputed “King of Red Beans,” sold his beans from a truck at the very first Jazz Fest. A few years later, Judy Burks took up the torch and became the festival’s beloved “Red Bean Queen,” cooking for over 50 years and going through 1,200 pounds every single festival.

Whether you’re heading to the track this year or catching the live stream at home with a few good friends, the food is half the fun. We pulled together eight of our favorite bean recipes that capture the spirit of festival season: dishes that feed a crowd, fill a porch, and taste like New Orleans in spring.

Buster Holmes’ Red Beans & Rice

The original Jazz Fest red beans, adapted from the New York Times and the Buster Holmes Restaurant Cookbook. Our Red Kidney Beans simmer with a smoked ham hock, the trinity, garlic, and a half stick of butter. Holmes was famously light on the spices, preferring to let his diners season their beans to taste.

Devin’s “Feed the Krewe” Red Beans

From Devin Meyers, who leads the Red Beans Parade in New Orleans, this is red beans built for a crowd. Two pounds of our Red Kidney Beans cooked down with smoked ham, smoked sausage, bacon, and a generous hit of cayenne. The name says it all: this one feeds the krewe.

Red Beans and Rice Boudin Balls with Dipping Sauce

A handheld festival classic, made for sharing. Ground pork, smoked sausage, cooked rice, and our Red Kidney Beans get rolled into bites, breaded in corn flour, and fried golden.

Easy Crawfish & Red Bean Dip

From Chef Jayda Atkinson, this creamy, smoky baked dip blends our red beans and Red Bean Flavor Infusion with crawfish tails, a melty mix of mozzarella and sharp cheddar, and a Creole-spiced kick.

Zydeco Chop Chop Red Beans & Rice

A streamlined take on the classic, using Zydeco Chop Chop, a dried blend of Cajun cooking vegetables, in place of fresh trinity. Our Red Kidney Beans simmer with butter and smoked sausage, then get finished with a final hit of Zydeco Chop Chop sautéed with the meat.

Camellia’s Shrimp, Andouille and White Bean Cassoulet

A New Orleans take on a French classic, made for festival season. Our Navy Beans get cozy with andouille and Gulf shrimp in a Creole-spiced base, then finished under the broiler with a Parmesan-Panko crust. Serve it bubbling hot from the Dutch oven with French bread for sopping. Pure Louisiana, top to bottom.

Stovetop Cajun White Beans

A no-fuss white bean classic. Our Great Northern Beans simmer with our White Bean Flavor Infusion, a tried-and-true blend of Cajun spices and vegetables. Add smoked sausage or ham if you want to make it meaty, serve over rice with French bread, and you’ve got dinner.

Cajun Caviar

A chilled, scoopable bean salad that earns its place at any festival spread. Green Baby Lima Beans, Crowder Peas, and Lady Cream Peas toss with poblano, corn, red onion, cilantro, and a Cajun-spiced lime dressing. Served cold with tortilla chips, it’s bright, fresh, and built for porch weather.

However festival season finds you this year, on the grass at the Fair Grounds or on the porch with the speakers up, the best part is always the same: good food, good music, and the people you love crowded around the table.