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| Hard-Shell Taco |
Loads of tasty ideas for a Mexican-style feast
No new recipe this week. We have spring fever, and are playing hooky.
But we can’t let our readers go hungry. So we’ve collected some past recipes that are appropriate for Cinco de Mayo.
Get ready to fiesta like there’s no mañana.
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| Plum Salsa |
Appetizers and Snacks for Cinco de Mayo
- Velveeta Tex-Mex Dip. OK, there’s nothing junkier than processed cheese. But in this dish, it’s weirdly compelling. Here’s the chile con queso we all crave.
- Salsa and Picante Sauce. If you want something healthier than Velveeta-based dip (we don’t blame you), what’s better than your own homemade salsa or picante sauce? Easy to make, and better than you’ll ever find at the supermarket.
- Chipotle Cherry Salsa. This one’s out of the ordinary. And it’s great with chips. Or use it as a sauce to accompany pork, fish, or chicken.
- Peach Salsa. Peaches and spice love to play together. Again, this is great with chips, or as a side with grilled fish or chicken.
- Plum Salsa. Same story—great with chips or as a side to accompany grilled foods. This one is just plum fun.
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| Tex-Mex Shredded-Beef Enchiladas |
Mains and Sides for Cinco de Mayo
- Quick and Easy Tacos. A classic hard-shelled taco, the kind you can find in any Mexican restaurant. We like to make ours with beef, but substitute chicken if you prefer. Or just set out the ingredients and let everyone assemble their own tacos. Easy!
- Shredded-Beef Soft Tacos. If you prefer soft tacos, we’ve got you covered with this recipe. Again, easy to let your guests assemble these babies themselves.
- Tex-Mex Shredded-Beef Enchiladas. Melted cheese and red-chile sauce liven up this dish. What can be better?
- Homemade Corn Tortillas. These are easy and fun to make. Use them for tacos and enchiladas.
- Shrimp in Chipotle Sauce. This popular Veracruz dish is spicy and colorful. And it’s a perfect break from the usual tortilla-based dishes.
- Taco Salad. A main-course salad that lets you feel all virtuous and diety while enjoying that taste of taco.
- Frito Pie with Chili. Yeah, we know. But when you want it, you want it.
- Mexican Charro Beans. What’s a Mexican meal without beans? Use black beans or pintos in this cowboy-inspired dish.
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| Rosita Cocktail |
Drinks and Desserts for Cinco de Mayo
- The Classic Margarita. What we’ll be drinking. One of the best cocktails ever.
- The Rosita Cocktail. This one tastes like a tequila Negroni. Enough said.
- The Tequila Sunrise Cocktail. A 70s drink with far-out flavor. Not really Mexican, but it goes well with Mexican food.
- Mexican Wedding Cookies. AKA Russian tea cakes, these are addictive no matter what you call them.
- No-Churn Cherry Ice Cream with Chocolate. This tastes kinda like Cherry Garcia. And Mexico produces great chocolate!
- Boca Negra Cake. This one isn’t really Mexican (though it has that chocolate thing going for it). But it’s the best chocolate cake we know, so had to include it.
88 comments:
Great zesty line up, John! I'm eyeing the Frito Pie, all that time in Texas and I never once had or made it. I think it's about time. Like you said, "....when you want it, you want it" :)
Enjoy playing hooky!
Well of course, I will have one of each!!! You have quite the spread here and thanks so rounding it up and putting it in one convenient spot!
The enchiladas have caught my eye but that taco sure looks wonderful too. I have a bit of my first attempt at chicken mole with some home made tortillas, may have to get them out for the fifth!
Eva
Hi Nazneen, Frito pie is really junky but really, really good! You owe it to yourself. :-) Thanks for the comment.
Hi Bobbi, we've never done a recipe roundup before, so this is a bit of an experiment. I always like the ones I see other people do, though, so thought we'd give it a try. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Eva, mole is great stuff, isn't it? Love it! And haven't made a mole in, well, forever. Or so it seems. I may need to try that for the 5th too! Thanks for the comment.
They all look terrific but those enchiladas are screaming my name.
Are we already in May?!!!!, I was really shocked when I read the title of your post- as if I did not know that May follows Aprilhahahaha. Thanks for the great round up.
Hi Pam, we can never resist enchiladas either! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Amira, hard to believe that May 5th is just a week away! Time to start planning the feast. :-) Thanks for the comment.
That is a very nice looking Cinco de Mayo spread! Yum :)
Hi Pat, we love Mexican and Tex-Mex food. Always fun to celebrate Cindo de Mayo (even though in Mexico it's a very minor regional holiday!). Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for rounding up these wonderful recipes. Each one is worthy of a fiesta in itself.
Enchilada is my favorite food and I order most of the time at Mexican food restaurants. Loved your enchilada and the sauce looks amazing
A great roundup John - I want to make them all but will start with that plum salsa - all creative and perfect for Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Gotta try your Margarita too!
Playing hooky! Shame on you ;-) I know the feeling. great recipe roundup for Cinco de Mayo. OK so what do you use as a shiny black surface for your photography?
Hi Karen, we always love a fiesta around here! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Rahul, enchiladas are wonderful, aren't they? And you've got fantastic ones in Texas! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Tricia, that plum salsa is really good! And a bit different. Try it with grilled chicken. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Evelyne, gotta play hooky every now and then. :-) That's black acrylic that I'm using on those reflective photos. Keep your camera low, and have your light at the side (or anyplace that lights the food well, but doesn't reflect back into the lens of the camera). It's a fun technique, and neat to experiment with. Thanks for the comment.
I am really off my rocker - I cannot believe it's already MAY!
Hi GiGi, well, not yet quite May, but almost! Thanks for the comment.
Great round up, but I still can't get my head around the celebration. Must make a point of googling it!
Hi John, great line-up of recipes. Living in Arizona we have access to great Mexican food, though we sometimes make our own.
With a list like this, you could play hooky for weeks. My mouth is watering. I'm thirsty and I'm getting hangry. And that shrimp with chipotle is calling my name! Have a good break!
Hi Lizzy, Cinco de Mayo is a minor regional Mexican holiday that for some reason has become an excuse in the US to eat Mexican food and drink tequila. Good enough reason for me! :-) Thanks for the comment.
Hi Cheri, Arizona has wonderful Mexican food! But making it at home is always a fun thing to do. :-) Thanks for the comment.
HI Abbe, that shrimp dish is a winner. Really good. :-) Thanks for the comment.
I want it all! Mexican food is my favorite type of food so I love cinco de mayo!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! A great round-up John! Your velvetta queso takes me back to college days. Velvetta and Rotel tomatoes with green chile...so good! Now I've got a craving for it. I'm also craving that Taco salad of yours. Haven't had one in ages. Looks like you've got everything I need for Cinco. Thanks!
Good for you John (and hopefully Mrs. K.R. too:) I guess that touch of Spring Fever is contagious. I played hooky today also. (you may have noticed my Wednesday post went up late Tuesday:)
I had a wonderful day, however, coming home to this fantastic round-up of Cinco de Mayo recipes absolutely takes the cake!!! I'm really eyeing up that Chipotle Cherry Salsa and of course a classic Margarita is a must!
Hi Ashley, we love Mexican too! So good, isn't it? Thanks for the comment.
Hi MJ, that Velveeta dip was the first "Mexican" I ever made. Still love it, although we rarely have it these days. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Louise, yup, we both played hooky! Gotta do it sometimes, right? Glad you had a fun hooky day, too! Thanks for the comment.
Yum, with all those beans and the Cherry Ice-Cream recipe (which really looks good), I'll really be tootin' tonight (in more ways than one)! Nice photos John..
Hi John,
Fantastic! What a menu to choose from. Love the idea of playing hooky..you deserve it. Hope that your day was fun. Love all the recipes, but I think my favorite is the Tex-Mex Shredded Beef Enchiladas. Great cocktails for Cinco de Mayo as well. Fun post to see all of your creations. Thanks for sharing...Enjoy the rest of the week..
Dottie :)
Oh my goodness. I don't even know where to start?! Your Plum Salsa, Shrimp in Chipolte Sauce and a Margarita seems like a place though!! All sounds amazing :)
I love those Tex-Mex dishes specially enchiladas, tacos and nachos. With ice cold Corona or Sol that would be my perfect snack!
Nice roundup with delicious foods and drinks to celebrate 5 de Maio... Viva!
Hi Fran, that ice cream recipe is really good. And really easy! Thansk for the comment.
Hi Dottie, pretty hard to resist enchiladas, isn't it? Love them! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Marcelle, we always recommend starting with a margarita! :-) Thanks for the comment.
Hi Raymund, beer and Mexican go really well together, don't they? Great combo! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Denise, this was a fun roundup to put together. We haven't done one of these before, but probably will do a few more in the future -- they're fun! Next I have to do a best of the web. :-) Thanks for the comment.
This is a great round-up for Cinco de Mayo...and yes, I would love to have one of each...they all look so tasty.
Enjoy the rest of your week John :)
All great recipes! I love making tacos to celebrate just about any day but especially on Cinco de Mayo!
Hi Juliana, we'd like to have one of each, too! But we shouldn't. :-) Thanks for the comment.
Hi Laura, every day should be taco day! Love those things. :-) Thanks for the comment.
I'll take one of each. Do you deliver? ;)
Great collection. GREG
Hi Carolyn, one of each coming right up! :-) Thanks for the comment.
Hi Greg, definitely a tasty one. :-) Thanks for the comment.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! I completely forgot about it (what, already May?!?!). I love your roundup. So many recipes to try here. Roundups are so helpful!
Hi Nami, amazing that it'll be May on Sunday, isn't it? Time does fly! Thanks for the comment.
Happy Cinco De Mayo!! How is it that it's almost May?! Mind boggling :D
Hi Kiran, this year has flown by, hasn't it? Happy Cinco de Mayo! And thanks for the comment.
Yum!
I could eat Mexican food everyday of the week!
Hi Julie, we could too! Thanks for the comment.
Yes - now I'm "ready to fiesta like there’s no mañana" awesome line-up - I've got a bad case of spring fever too! Happy Cinco De Mayo!
Hi Shashi, spring fever is a terrible thing, isn't it? Well, maybe not. :-) Thanks for the comment.
I'm such a bad food blogger---thanks for reminding me that Cinco de Mayo will be here in less than a week! I will try to revive a few old recipes. But what I really want is to try a ton of yours!
Hi Liz, Cinco de Mayo always creeps up on me! Not this year, though. :-) Thanks for the comment.
Yum. I freakin LOVE Mexican food, ill take one *cough* three of all of your delicious roundup please, also, some of that spring flinging too please. :)
Hi Anna, one can never have enough spring flinging! Thanks for the comment.
Wow, I'm impressed that all those recipes came from your blog, John. You are quite the diverse chef! I love Mexican food too and the hotter the better. Your Rosita cocktail is going on my Friday night happy hour list. Cheers!
Hi Robyn, the Rosita is a wonderful drink! You'll enjoy it. :-) Thanks for the comment.
Swoon worthy line up here, might have to make Cinco De Mayo the entire month! :P
Loving those shredded beef soft tacos, total yum!!
Hope you're enjoying their spring fever break. The weather here makes me want to get outside and enjoy the lake for a change. You have a great lineup of tasty dishes for Cinco De Mayo. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Pamela, definitely need to make a month of our these dishes! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Mary, soft tacos are great, aren't they? Love them! Thanks for the comment.
Hi SG, we love Mexican food! So of course we love Cinco de Mayo. :-) Thanks for the comment.
Hmmm, wondering what Cinco de Mayo is. Obviously it's Mexican. Is it something to do with 'Day of the Dead' or is that something else? But...it sounds like the occasion creates opportunities for wonderful Mexican cuisine. I do love the look of that pretty cocktail. Enjoy your spring break xx
Hi Charlie, Cinco de Mayo is a pretty obscure holiday in Mexico (celebrates a military victory). In the US we often think it's the equivalent of our 4th of July (Independence Day). But we're wrong. :-) It's really a more or less made-up holiday, an excuse to drink margaritas and eat Mexican food. I'll take it! Thanks for the comment.
Great round-up!! I am in the mood for Mexican food now :D
Hi Kristi, Mexican is great, isn't it? We're often in the mood for it! Thanks for the comment.
Have fun playing hooky! I love all your recipes for Cinco de Mayo!
Hi Dawn, hooky is fun! :-) Thanks for the comment.
Hi John,
Great recipes! I love the happy feeling of welcoming Spring. You must have had a wonderful time celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
Zoe
I am a total sucker for Mexican and I love all the choices you give here! Especially the enchiladas!
Too much good stuff for just one celebration -- what a great line-up! Thanks for the beverage suggestion too, I can certainly get stuck in a margarita rut. :)
Hi Zoe, always fun to have an excuse to eat Mexican food! :-) Thanks for the comment.
Hi Katerina, Mexican food is good stuff, isn't it? Love its spicy flavors! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Judy, pretty easy to get stuck in a margarita rut -- they're so good! Thanks for the comment.
Wow, they all look so good. I loved the plum salsa. It looks super yummy!
Hi Shibi, the plum salsa is really good! And a bit different -- always nice. Thanks for the comment.
Holy Guacamole! I need more than a 1-day holiday to sip my way through your tempting beverage suggestions, let alone the solid food items. Sigh, too many choices, too little time.
Hi SeattleDee, Happy Cinco de Mayo! You're right -- we need to turn this into a week-long festival, at least, so we have time to eat and drink all the goods things we'd like to! :-) Thanks for the comment.
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