Top 15 Cinco de Mayo Recipe Ideas

Happy Cinco de Mayo.  For years I was not sure what Cinco de Mayo was.  Probably because I was living in the UK.  You may not know what it is either.  Now that I am living back in North America, I thought it was about time I learned about it!

Cinco de Mayo happens every year on the 5th of May. It is a holiday that commemorates the Mexican army’s victory at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Although a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, the day is a popular celebration in the United States. And what better way to celebrate than to eat delicious Mexican food?  

I may not be Mexican or American, but I do love Mexican food and any excuse to eat seems like a great idea to me! In honor of it I thought I would share my favorite Tex Mex recipes with you today.  All are delicious or I wouldn’t be sharing them. Who knows, you may discover a new favorite of your own! 

ENCHILADAS CALABAZA -  These are my favorite enchiladas. Totally vegetarian the filling is made with roasted butternut squash, cheese, spring onions, etc  

The delicious filling is then rolled in corn tortillas and then topped with some tomato salsa and more cheese before baking.  These are quite simply fabulous!   

MEXICAN CHICKEN SPAGHETTI – I really REALLY love this dish. Not only does it contain pasta and chicken, two of my favorite things, but it is also one of those recipes that cooks all in one pan. No fuss no muss!

Add to that really fabulous Tex Mex flavors and you have a winner winner chicken dinner!  (Sorry could not resist!)

CHEESY CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE -  This is a simple and quick recipe to make, which involves layering chicken, cheese, and enchilada sauce between layers of corn tortillas, along with some onion and green chilies.

I also include a recipe to make my own from scratch homemade enchilada sauce. Its really simple to make and very delicious.

EASY CHILI MAC & CHEESE -  This is quick, easy and really delicious. Its  a store cupboard meal that is a bit of a cheat but nobody seems to mind.

Boxed mac and cheese, canned chili, salsa and plenty of cheese.  Simply yummilicious! 

BEEF BARBACOA TACOS WITH SWEET PICKLED ONIONS - Something I came up with to use up leftover cooked roast beef. These are delicious to say the least! 

You can make the onions up the day before if you wish. They will keep for quite a while. If you don’t have any leftover roast beef, you can use ground beef and just cook as per the recipe.

CHIPOTLE LIME CHICKEN FLATBREAD TACOS – A baked taco with a fabulously tasty chicken chipotle lime filling. Just fill and bake in a casserole.

Delicious served with your favorite toppings. I created a lush chipotle sour cream sauce to serve on top with some guacamole and spring onions!  Very tasty!

MEXICAN CHICKEN CLUB FLATBREADS – This is like a Tex Mex, Latin American Open Faced Chicken Club Sandwich.  This is a flatbread topped with a layer of saucy black beans,  melted cheese, topped with some zingy chicken, my own special sauce, crisp bacon, another drizzle of sauce and garnished with guacamole and sour cream.  Whew!

Now that’s one tasty mouthful of fusion cooking at its best! 

BBQ FLAT CHICKEN TACOS FOR TWO -  Blistered wheat tortillas slathered in a rich spicy BBQ chicken, topped with plenty of cheese, sprinkled with red onions and baked.  

I like to serve these with a saucy coleslaw which adds color and crunch! 

TIJUANA TACOS -  Blistered flour tortillas folded around a delicious spicy beef filling with refried beans, onions, peppers, crushed tortilla chips, olives, etc.  Served with sour cream, spring onions, cheese and more crushed chips for crunch.

Deliciously simple and a great way to use up the bits and bobs in the refrigerator at the end of the week! 

GREEN CHILI CHICKEN ENCHILADAS - I make the filling with plenty of chopped cooked chicken, grated cheese, some spices and seasonings and green enchilada sauce. Wrapped up in wheat or corn tortillas, placed into a casserole dish, slathered with more sauce and cheese and baked.

Delicious served hot with sour cream and a splash of green tabasco.  You could also use pork instead of chicken if you wanted to  This is a small batch recipe that is very easily doubled to feed more.

CRISPY TWO POTATO TACOS – for the vegetarian in your life, but so delicious even the carnivores will be fighting over them!

These vegetable tacos are fabulously tasty with both white and sweet potatoes, and plenty of zip. Serve with your favorite taco accompaniments for a real family pleaser!

CHEESY TACO PUFFS – I have never had anyone turn their noses up at being presented with one of these fabulously tasty hand pies.

No small wonder with a crisp flaky biscuit/scone type of pastry filled with a spicy beef filling and cheese.  Baked until crisp, they always go down a real treat! Children love them also!

CREAMY WHITE CHILI – This is my absolute all time favorite chili recipe. This is an incredibly flavorful version of a white chili filled with  hearty beans, tender juicy pieces of chicken, green chilies and a delicious variety of spices.

With some crusty rolls, or tortillas on the side and a mixed salad, it makes for one beautiful weeknight supper!  I  like to serve it with some white rice and cheese for sprinkling on top.

QUICK AND EASY CHILI – Its simple. It uses store cupboard ingredients.  Its quick and easy. Most important of all, its DELICIOUS!  With beef, beans, tomatoes, etc.

Quick, easy, delicious.  It doesn’t get much better than this!  With some cornbread or garlic bread for sopping up all that tastiness, it makes for a fabulous rib sticking meal.

And finally dessert, because it makes every meal that little more special! 

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES – These lush chocolate puddings are meant to be enjoyed warm, with or without a scoop of ice cold vanilla on top.

The perfect ending to any meal Trust me on this. Moreish.

And there you have it, some of my absolutely favorite of the favorite Tex Mex dishes. It is by no meals all of the Tex Mex recipes on my page.  I could have kept going forever, but . . . to be honest, if you can’t find something to whet your appetite amongst this bunch, then there is no hope.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Debunking the myths of English Cookery, one recipe at a time.
The English Kitchen
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