Cinco de Mayo is a minor holiday on the Mexican calendar, but North Americans look forward to it as it’s a reminder to indulge in some of our favorite ethnic foods.
There was a time when we didn’t eat much Mexican-style food here in Pennsylvania. Today it’s easy to pull together tacos, no matter where you live. Beef, chicken, fish and vegetarian fillings are simple to put together and appeal to most family members. Even kids like building their own tacos, although sometimes they want to exclude vegetables and only include meat and cheese.
Cinco de Mayo is on a Sunday this year, so Mexican food will be easy to make whether it’s for a family or a party. Salsa and dips such as queso are easy to make and serve with tortilla chips. And who doesn’t like that lovely crunch? Burritos also are fairly easy to put together using many of the same ingredients as tacos.
For those who like to know what they are celebrating, Cinco de Mayo celebrates the military victory of Mexico against the French forces of Napoleon III despite huge odds. Translated it means “Fifth of May.” In Mexico it is called the Battle of Puebla.
Here is a simple recipe for enchiladas from the website weelicious.com. Double it and freeze half before baking and you will have an easy meal on a future busy weeknight because Mexican food is great any time of year.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
2 chicken breasts or 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 ½ cups Mexican cheese blend
1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce
8 flour tortillas
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook onions and salt for 3 minutes.
3. Add red bell pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes.
4. Add cumin and garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
5. Remove the mixture from the pan and place in a bowl. After the mixture has cooled, add the chicken, corn, and 1 cup cheese and mix to combine.
6. Pour half of the enchilada sauce in a 9-x-11-inch baking dish.
7. Divide the mixture (about ½ cup each), placing it in the middle of each tortilla and rolling it up like a wrap (burrito shape).
8. Place the rolled enchiladas close together, seam side down in the sauced baking dish. Continue to roll the rest of the filled enchiladas.
9. Once you have finished making the stuffed enchiladas, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over them and top with ½ cup cheese. (*If you’re planning on making this dish another day, cover it and freeze at this point.)
10. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes (30 minutes if you are starting with frozen enchiladas).
11. Serve.
*Enchiladas will stay in the freezer for up to 4 months. For best results, prepare enchiladas, then freeze. Do not bake.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
