Cinco de Mayo Recipes for Festive Fun!
May is always a hopeful month, this year more than ever. The festive, fun, family-centric holiday of Cinco De Mayo at the beginning of the month is sure to lift everyone’s spirits! Here are a host of delectable Mexican recipes you can make at home with your family, along with some refreshing libations—margaritas, anyone?
More Than Taco Tuesday
It only comes once a year, so explore some new and different south-of-the border recipes for your Cinco de Mayo celebration! Taking a cue from traditional street food in various parts of Mexico, you may even find a new favorite! The recipes here are authentic, festive, and fabulously-fun finger food—perfect for a backyard fiesta!
Elote – Corn on a Stick
Tasty and oh-so-fun to eat! This favorite street food starts with grilled skewered corn-on-the-cob that’s then rolled in mayonnaise and cotija cheese (Gourmet Sleuth says you can substitute feta cheese), and flavored with colorful spices! The Kitchn has an authentic recipe and lots of helpful hints!
If you’d rather have the less-messy salad version to eat with a fork, check out this recipe for Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad) from Serious Eats.
Tortilla and Black Bean Pie
This will become a new family favorite! Layers of black beans cooked in beer, cheese, peppers, corn, and scallions, all in multiple layers of flour tortillas.The how-to video shows a spring-form pan, which keeps everything packed and stacked to perfection. And even though it’s from Martha Stewart, it doesn’t take all day to make!
Chicken Flautas & Beef Quesadillas
Like mini-chimichangas you can eat without a fork, the tender filling of these appetizer-sized finger-foods are stuffed inside tortillas, fried until crisp, and served with avocado cream sauce. Food Network shows you how to make them!
This hearty quesadilla from Damn Delicious is sure to please the under-10 crowd, who won’t even notice you snuck in the avocado! Ground beef cooked with taco seasoning, your favorite cheese, and thin slices of avocado make for a combination that is simply irresistible!
Scrumptious Salad & Ceviche
Two staples of Mexican food are combined in this tasty salad shared by Taste of Home: jicama (pronounced “HICK-ah-mah”) and mango. This versatile salad will become a fresh addition to all of your summer menus—Mexican inspired or not!
If you think fresh white fish marinated in lime juice and spices is one of those delicacies that only an authentic Mexican restaurant could make, think again! Feasting At Home provides the recipe and a video—and recommends you buy only sushi-quality fish for best results.
Sweet Drinks and Sopapillas
For an extra fun treat the whole family can take part in making, the traditional fried puffed dough called Sopapillas can’t be beat! They are fun to make (you watch the flat dough puff up into airy little pillows, right before your eyes!) and they are eaten with honey or sugar-and-cinnamon. What’s not to love?
You will be feeling extra-accomplished when you make this uniquely Mexican treat for your kids or anyone who doesn’t want to drink an alcoholic beverage! A traditional creamy drink, slightly sweet and flavored with cinnamon, Horchata is made only with rice, cinnamon, and sugar! Muy Bueno Cookbook tells you how to do it!
Bartender’s & Fancy Margaritas
For the kind of margarita you love, get the recipe straight from a real bartender! Downshiftology has a video and recipe for a simple classic margarita, served on the rocks or frozen.
Feeling a bit more festive? Life as a Strawberry uses fresh berries to give this Triple Berry Margarita its gorgeous color, and The Spruce Eats has recipes for 20 different fruit margaritas, including melon and peach!
Have a Fiesta in Crystal Valley!
There’s not a better place to celebrate Cinco De Mayo than your own backyard! For some exceptional places to have a party, check out the new homes at Crystal Valley. You’ll be impressed with models from Century Communities, D.R. Horton, and Richmond American Homes, and Kauffman Homes. Set in wide open natural surroundings with easy access to nearby amenities, there’s a floor plan to fit every home buyer — in ranch and two-story designs, priced from the $300s.
