Cinco De Mayo Recipe Guide
Get the piñata out and gather your friends and family together and Celebrate Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Style! Featuring appetizers and party bites, cocktails and beverages, entrees and main courses, and desserts - these tasty Mexican recipes are fun to make and are sure please the entire crowd!  About Cinco de Mayo
     Appetizers & Party Bites       
   Cocktails & Beverages     
Entrées & Main Courses  
Desserts
For Mexican recipes visit our:
 Enchilada Recipe Guide       Southwest Vegetarian & Vegan Recipe Guide

Appetizers & Party Bites
Guacamole      Mrs. Chapman’s Hot Bean Dip      Sonoran Fry Bread

Guacamole
2 very ripe avocados
1 medium fresh tomato
1 small onion chopped  or 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite Salsa
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt
1-2 teaspoons of chili powder

Peel and mash avocados, and add to chopped tomatoes and onions or Salsa mix.
Add lemon juice, salt and chili powder and mix.
If you are not serving right away, chill the Guacamole in a covered bowl with the avocado pits immersed in the guacamole to keep the dip from darkening.
Remove pits and serve as a dip with tortilla chips, on a salad, or as a condiment for tacos.

Mrs. Chapman’s Hot Bean Dip
Serving a large group of dieters or a small group of dedicated dippers, this recipe by Marj Linton, is from the Brandon Gallery’s ‘Edible Art’ Cook Book. Located in Fallbrook, California, Brandon Gallery is a co-operative gallery that showcases regional art and fine art crafts. Read more. 

1 can Frito Jalapeno Bean Dip
3 drops Tabasco Sauce
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
½ cup chopped green onions
¼ tsp. salt
½ package Taco seasoning mix

Topping: Lots of grated Cheddar and Jack cheese to taste.

Mix all the ingredients until smooth. Cover thickly with cheeses.
Bake at 350 degrees, just until warm and cheese is melted (10 to 15 minutes).
Don’t let cheese bubble or it will become stringy.
Serve with large-size Fritos or your favorite chips.

Sonoran Fry Bread
A traditional bread great as a snack.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp ground toasted cumin seed
1cup warm water
8 cups vegetable oil for frying

Mix dry ingredients and then slowly add water until dough forms.
If sticky add a little more flour. Knead gently then let dough rest for 15 minutes.
Heat oil to 375 degrees. Roll dough out 1/2 inch thick and pull off 3-inch pieces.
Carefully drop into hot oil, a few at a time. Cook until they float to the top. Remove and drain.

Cocktails & Beverages
Doug’s (not Dave’s) Margaritas       Jalapeño Colada       Original Margarita 
Sangria       Tequila Cocktail

Doug’s (not Dave’s) Margaritas
One cannot celebrate Cinco de Mayo without a Margarita! This fun recipe is from Doug Fuhs, as published in Amado Territory Ranch Inn's Cookbook. Amado Territory Ranch Inn is a popular Southern Arizona destination featuring a charming western-themed Bed & Breakfast Inn, fine dining, art and shopping, and birding. Read more.

1 (12 oz.) can frozen lime juice
1 (12 oz.) can of your favorite beer…don’t laugh until you’ve tried it!
12 ounces of your favorite Tequila

Pour all three ingredients into a blender with ice cubes.
Blend briefly until ingredients are mixed.
Rub the edge of a Margarita glass with a slice of lime and dip in a saucer to coat the glass edge with salt.
Put the lime slice in the glass with several ice cubes.
Pour the Margarita mix in the glasses and enjoy!

Jalapeño Colada
4 ice cubes
2 ounces Jamaican rum
1 ounce coconut cream
4 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 tsp Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
Slice of pineapple (optional)

Place all ingredients except pineapple in a blender and blend until frothy.
Serve in tall glass garnished with slice of pineapple.
Makes one serving.

Original Margarita 
This mixture has been named Cointreau's official drink of Cinco de Mayo. According to Cointreau, this is the original recipe as created by Margarita Sames, a Texas socialite, in 1948.

1part Cointreau liqueur
2 parts tequila
Fresh lime juice
Ice

Mix Cointreau, tequila and lime juice with ice. Stir, strain into a Margarita glass and serve.

Sangria
1 Bottle Dry Red Wine
1/3 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Peach or Plum, sliced
Ice

Mix lime juice and orange juice with sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour into a pitcher with the wine, and chill for a few hours.
Pour into glasses filled half way ice. Add peach or plum slices to Sangria.
Decorate the rim of the glass with a peach, plum, orange or lime slice and serve.
Serves 4.

Tequila Cocktail
1½ ounces Tequila
Juice of one lime
½ ounce of Grenadine
Crushed ice

Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake until well chilled.
Strain into glass. Serves 1.

Entrées & Main Courses
Chicken Olé Mole       Mexican Layered Tostada Pie      
Mexican Tart & Salsa Fresca

Chicken Olé Mole
2 tbsp olive oil
3 lb chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1- 2  garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp Tabasco or Pepper Sauce
1/2-3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet and brown chicken pieces over medium-high heat.
Remove and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet, and sauté onion, pepper and garlic 3 to 5 minutes.

Finely grind almonds, raisins and sesame seeds to paste in a food processor or blender.
Add mixture to vegetables along with 1/2 cup of broth, tomato sauce, chocolate, Tabasco or Pepper Sauce, cinnamon and allspice. Cook, stirring, until chocolate melts.

Return chicken to skillet, coating pieces well with sauce. If sauce is too thick, add a little more broth, about 1/2 cup.
Cover and simmer over low heat 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Serves 4.

Mexican Layered Tostada Pie
This recipe from Teresa Johnson is a Fiesta Favorite!

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup tomato puree
1 (15 ounce) can refried beans
2 cups freshly grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup freshly grated Jack cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
½ cup chopped red or green onions
1 (4-ounce can) sliced ripe olives
¼ cup pickled sliced jalapeno peppers, drained
1 large avocado, diced, tossed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup sour cream
4 cups assorted yellow, white, and blue corn tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 13x9-inch casserole with non-stick cooking spray. 
In a 12-inch skillet, sauté the ground beef until it loses its red color. 
Drain any fat from the pan, add the onion, chili powder, and cumin, and sauté until the onion turns translucent, about 4-5 minutes. 
Add the tomato puree, and bring to a boil.

Mash the refried beans and spread them in the bottom of the prepared pan. 
Sprinkle the beans with ½ cup of the cheddar cheese, top with the beef mixture and the remaining cheeses.  (If you plan to serve this later, refrigerate it until ready to bake.)  Place the pan in the preheated oven, and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 
Remove the pan from the oven and top the pie with the remaining ingredients, in the order listed. 
Tuck the tortilla chips around the casserole and serve immediately.

Mexican Tart & Salsa Fresca
This Mexican Tart recipe from Teresa Johnson would be a great way to celebrate the taste of the Mexican culture.  Bring out the margaritas, the Mariachi Band, do a little Mexican hat dance and have some fun with this one!  Ole!  Enjoy

Mexican Tart:
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell or l large tortilla (12inches)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten, or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 boneless chuck roast (1 pound)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup chopped green onions
1 can (4 ounces) whole green chilies, drained and coarsely chopped or roasted New Mexican green chilies
3 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
sour cream
avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced

Salsa Fresca
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup minced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup tomato juice
Salt
juice from ½ fresh lime (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  If using pastry, fit into 9-inch tart or pie pan.  Brush with egg white and bake 5 minutes.  Let cool.  If using tortilla, grease 9-inch pie pan, add tortilla, and brush lightly with oil.  Bake until top is very lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Combine paprika and chili powder.  Sprinkle on meat.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add meat, onion, and garlic, and brown well.  Reduce heat, cover partially, and cook (do not add liquid) until tender, about 1 to ½ hours.  If meat begins to stick, cover pan completely.  If liquid has accumulated when meat is tender, remove lid and cook until moisture is evaporated.  Remove from heat.  Let meat cool, then coarsely shred, using fingers or fork.  Reserve onion and garlic.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine meat, onion, garlic, cheese, sour cream, green onion, chilies, eggs, salt, and pepper in large bowl.  Mix well.  Spoon mixture into prepared pastry, spreading evenly.  Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is nicely browned.  Cool slightly.  Garnish with sour cream and avocado slices.  Serve with salsa Fresca. 

Desserts
Mexican Chocolate Flan         Three-Milk Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)

Mexican Chocolate Flan
Cool, smooth and not too sweet, this custard dessert recipe from Teresa Johnson is even more elegant with grated orange zest sprinkled on top.  Enjoy!

4 ounces Mexican chocolate or 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate plus ¼ tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
Hot water

In top of double boiler, melt Mexican chocolate.  Cool slightly.
In 3-quart pot, combine 1/3 cup sugar, milk and heavy cream.  Warm over medium heat.  Stir in chocolate.  (Add cinnamon now if using unsweetened chocolate.)  Stir until sugar is melted and chocolate is evenly distributed.  When warm, remove from heat.
In bowl, combine egg yolks and eggs.  Gently add to milk mixture, whisking continuously.  Add liqueur.
In skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 1 cup sugar to make caramel.  As sugar begins to liquefy, keep it moving.  Stir so all sugar crystals melt.  Cook until sugar is melted and amber colored.  Remove from heat.  Immediately pour among 6 ramekins, turning them to cover bottom and sides.
Divide milk mixture evenly among ramekins.  Place ramekins into baking dish.  Add hot water halfway up sides of ramekins.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until set.  Cool to room temperature.  Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap.  Chill for 3 hours.
To serve, run knife around edge of ramekin.  Invert plate on top of ramekin and flip. Caramel will flow over and down side of flan.  Serves 6

Three-Milk Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup milk
Fresh strawberries and mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Topping Ingredients
1(12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups milk
1 (16-ounce) carton sour cream

Meringue Ingredients
1cup sugar
1/2 cup water, heated
3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan.
Sift flour with baking powder. In large bowl beat egg whites until frothy.
Gradually add sugar beating to form stiff peaks. Add yolks, 1 at a time.
Slowly add flour and milk. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. Prepare Topping by gently combining milks and sour cream without beating.
Pour Topping over cake and let sit until all the mixture is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes.

Prepare Meringue by combining sugar and water in a saucepan and letting it sit until sugar dissolves. Using clean bowl and beaters, beat the egg whites in mixer bowl. Slowly pour dissolved sugar water over egg whites while beating constantly until meringue holds stiff peaks, and refrigerate. Make a day in advance for best results. Before serving, cut cake into squares and spread Meringue over each. Garnish as desired with fresh berries and mint leaves.