Cinco de Mayo Fiesta en la Casa
Celebrating Mexican independence and history reminiscent of Cinco de Mayo (May 5, 1862) with gatherings and great food has become a May tradition throughout Mexico and the United States. Here are some ideas for celebrating at home with family and friends.
Coconut Margarita
6 oz. tequila (gold or silver)
4 oz. cream of coconut
2 oz. Cointreau
Fresh limes for garnishing
Toasted coconut for rimming the glasses
Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glasses and roll them in the toasted coconut. In a large cocktail shaker or pitcher filled with ice, combine tequila, cream of coconut, cointreau and lime juice. Shake to combine. Add ice to the prepared margarita glasses, divide cocktails evenly among the four glasses. (Note: if pouring from a pitcher, use a wooden spoon to dam the ice as you pour.)
Pollo Pizza
1 premade pizza crust (11″ round) or 2 flatbreads (Flatout flatbreads)
¾ cup enchilada sauce or Mateo's Gourmet Salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar or Colby Jack
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1 ½ cup shredded chicken breast
¼ cup red onion
⅔ cup corn kernels
Toppings (after baking)
3 Tbsp. queso fresco or Cotija cheese
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro or spinach
For the elote sauce
3 Tbsp. mayo
Juice of 1 lime
⅛ tsp. chili powder
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place flatbread or prepared pizza crust on a large baking sheet. Top flatbread or crust with enchilada sauce or salsa, and spread with a spoon. Top with shredded cheeses, red onion, corn and shredded chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and just beginning to brown. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to cool for five minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro or spinach and queso fresco or Cotija. In a small bowl, make the elote sauce. Add mayo, lime juice and chili powder. Stir to combine. Cut pizza and drizzle with elote sauce. Serve immediately.
Margarita Cheesecake Bites
10 graham cracker sheets, finely crushed
¼ cup sugar
½ cup salted butter
12 cups cream cheese (room temp)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. premium silver tequila
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest
½ tsp. vanilla
Caramel topping (to drizzle on top)
In a large plastic bag, crush graham crackers, sugar and melted butter. Stir mixture well and dump into a 9x9 baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper. Press down with the back of a measuring cup. Freeze for 15 minutes. Note: zest the lime prior to juicing it.
In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, tequila, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust. Lightly drizzle caramel topping over the top of the cheesecake, and freeze for one hour. Once frozen, transfer onto a cutting board. cut into 1x1” squares. Peeling away from the parchment paper, carefully transfer onto a serving plate or tray.
Strawberry Margarita
1 cup sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup tequila (blanco or silver)
¼ cup cointreau
¼ cup simple syrup
¼ cup fresh lime juice
Lime zest for the rim
Fresh lime slices and strawberries for garnish
Add strawberries, tequila, cointreau and lime juice to a blender and blend until smooth. Mix salt and lime zest together in a shallow dish. Rub the rim of two glasses with a slice of lime and dip in lime salt. Fill glasses with ice and pour in the strawberry margaritas. Garnish glasses with fresh lime slices or strawberries.
Five Layer Fiesta Dip
16 oz. refried beans
½ of a 1 oz. package of taco seasoning
8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
8 oz. sour cream
16 oz. jar of Mateo’s mild or medium salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 ¼ oz. sliced black olives
¼ cup thinly slice jalapeños (optional)
1 tsp. butter
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 9x9 or 8x8 pan, begin by spreading out the refried beans. In a bowl, blend softened cream cheese, sour cream and the taco seasoning and smooth over the bean layer. Then pour the salsa over it to cover completely. Sprinkle cheddar over the salsa. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Once out of the oven, top with black olives and jalapeños.
Elote in a cup
3 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
3 Tbsp. mayo
3 Tbsp. sour cream
4 Tbsp. Cotija cheese (extra for garnish)
1 tsp. chili powder (extra for garnish)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 lime divided, ½ juiced and ½ cut into wedges
2 green onions thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. chopped spinach or parsley
2 cup Frito chips (some for topping)
*4 oz. clear plastic cups
Saute fresh corn or thawed frozen corn in a skillet with 1 tsp. butter for 5–7 minutes. In a bowl, stir together mayo, sour cream, 3 Tbsp. of the Cotija cheese, chili powder, garlic powder, the juice from half a lime, green onion, and parsley or spinach. Once cooled, add corn and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into four individual cups. Optional — add a layer of Fritos in the middle like a parfait (if serving immediately). Otherwise, add Fritos on the top just before serving. Top the cups with the remaining cheese and parsley or spinach and a sprinkle of chili powder. Cut a slit in each lime wedge and place on the rim of each cup.
Street Tacos
⅓ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. of brine from jalapeños (jar)
5 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. oregano
1 ½–2 lb. flatiron steak
12 flour tortillas (street taco size)
1–2 cup shredded cheese (Mexican or Colby Jack)
Salsa or hot sauce
Mix all ingredients except the steak in a gallon ziplock bag. Pour half of the mixture into a crockpot. Place the flatiron steak on top of this marinade and cover with the rest of the mixture. Cook on low for 7–8 hours. As the meat cools slightly, use two forks to shred the meat. It will be incredibly tender. Use tortillas to assemble the tacos. Begin by using a slotted spoon to place steak into the tortillas. Then layer with flavor (salsa or hot sauce) and top with shredded cheese and any other ingredients you enjoy with tacos.