Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Home with Easy Meal Ideas
Are you planning a special dinner for Cinco de Mayo? You don’t have to dine out in order to enjoy a tasty Mexican dinner on the 5th of May.
You can find everything you need to create a tasty occasion-specific dinner in your favorite supermarket. Here are two simple main dish and two easy side dish recipes you may want to try.
Two Main Dish Recipes: Tacos and Fajitas
Crunchy or Soft Tacos
Crunchy tacos are super-easy to make and fun to eat. You can create a tasty Cinco de Mayo meal for your entire with a few pounds of crumbled, browned ground beef seasoned with your favorite homemade taco seasoning recipe or store-bought taco seasoning mix.
For crunchy tacos, spoon the meat into crunchy corn taco shells, or try Ortega’s whole grain taco shells for something a little different. For soft tacos, instead of spooning the mixture into crunchy taco shells, use soft flour tortillas.
Place bowls filled with different toppings on the table, so that each person can top off his her tacos to taste. A few ideas for taco toppings include:
- Chopped black olives
- Diced tomatoes
- Guacamole
- Nacho cheese sauce
- Shredded cheese
- Shredded lettuce
- Sour cream
Beef or Chicken Fajitas
Slice beef or chicken into thin strips. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, put the chicken or beef into the skillet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little bit of cumin. Squeeze the juice of a fresh lime over the meat. Stir; add sliced green peppers and onions. Cook, stirring frequently until meat is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are soft.
Serve with flour tortillas and side dishes of shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole.
Two Side Dish Recipes: Creamy Refried Beans and Simple Cheese Dip Sauce
Creamy Refried Beans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Open a can of refried beans and place contents in a pie plate. Add ½ cup of sour cream and two tablespoons of homemade or store-bought taco seasoning mix. Sprinkle shredded Mexican cheese on the top. Bake 20 minutes or until dish is warm and bubbly. Serve as a side dish or dip for hearty tortilla chips. You can also use this dish as stuffing for bean burritos.
Simple Cheese Dip Sauce
Place the contents of a can of condensed nacho cheese soup mix into a microwave safe bowl. Add the contents of a can of Rotel tomatoes (or other brand of diced tomatoes with chili peppers). Stir. Microwave on high for 4 minutes; stir and continue microwaving until heated through. This is a perfect dip for tortilla chips or a sauce to spoon over tacos or burritos.
More Mexican Food Recipe Ideas
For more great Cinco de Mayo recipe ideas, visit Ortega.com.
