Essential Menu for a Cinco de Mayo Feast

Mexican food and culture are irresistible to me – the warmth, the spices, the influence of the ancient. Cinco de Mayo is a day to celebrate it all. Often confused with Mexico’s Independence Day, the holiday actually commemorates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla and has evolved into a broader celebration of Mexican culture, particularly in the U.S. Here are my essential recipes for a Cinco de Mayo inspired feast.

The Appetizer: Stuffed Jalapeño Skins

No need to fry these stuffed jalapeños, since they get a crispy coating during a bake in the oven. They also have three kinds of cheese, fresh herbs, and chorizo, satisfying so many cravings all at once. Golden, toasty, and delicious, these are a crowd-pleasing appetizer that disappears quickly.

While most jalapeños fall in the mild to moderate range in terms of heat, individual peppers may be strikingly different, which means your skins will have some natural variation.

The Drink: Spicy Blood Orange Mocktail & Cocktail

This spicy blood orange drink heats things up from the inside out with tart-sweet juice, honey jalapeño syrup, and a smoky chipotle salt rim. The best part is that whether your guests are imbibing or not, everyone can enjoy this citrus indulgence. If you’ve been to one of my mocktail classes (or hosted one!), you know that I love making sure that everyone at a gathering has something delicious to sip. For a proper margarita, replace the seltzer in the mocktail version with tequila.

The Salsas: Roasted Pineapple and Salsa Verde

Fresh salsa is so much tastier than canned varieties that you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making it all along. Since some like their salsa on the fruity side and some like it on the bold, tangy side, you might want to make both of these.

For the pineapple salsa, I roast all the ingredients on baking sheets to deepen their flavors before combining them. The pineapple becomes even sweeter this way, and the tomato skins blister, becoming even more delicious. All the other ingredients benefit as well, including perfectly roasted garlic. Save the lid and hollowed out pineapple for a whimsical serving dish. When dinner is ready, pop off the lid to surprise your guests with what’s inside.

When it comes to salsa verde, I prefer the raw variety, which retains freshness of the ingredients. Cooking tomatillos cuts down on the tang, but that boldness is the reason I turn to them in the first place, so a raw, all-green salsa is what you’ll create if you make this recipe.

The Filling: Mexican Chorizo

Mexican cuisine encompasses diverse regional styles, which are reflected in the varied fillings you’ll find in tacos throughout the country. While they enjoy carne asada in Sonora, cochinita pibil is more likely to fill corn tortillas in the Yucatan Peninsula. For this Cinco de Mayo menu, I recommend Mexican chorizo, not to be confused with the dried Spanish variety. Made with ground pork and a host of delicious spices, this filling is packed with flavor and downright delicious.

The Side: Mexican Street Corn with Chile Butter

Vendors in Mexico top grilled corn with a creamy sauce, cheese, and chile powder, creating a meal unto itself. Here I use chile butter in place of the mayonnaise that traditionally coats the Mexican street food known as elotes. Crumbled Cotija cheese adds the right amount of saltiness. Use a skillet or grill to encourage the corn kernels to develop a nutty, charred flavor before layering on the delicious toppings.

The Dessert: No-Churn Mexican Ice Cream

No ice cream maker is required to whip up this ice cream, which includes the flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, honey, and smoky tequila. You can skip the tequila altogether to make this dessert suitable for everyone, but I recommend making one batch for adults and a separate one for kids, since it adds a flavor you won’t want to miss. Everyone will love the crunchy cinnamon mixture and swirls of honey that bring classic Mexican dessert flavors into the mix.