Happy Cinco de Mayo + Taco Tuesday!

Cinco de Mayo + Taco Tuesday

CincoDeMayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo! How fun that this holiday falls on #Taco Tuesday! Here are the #recipes you need to be cooking right now, today, and this week to celebrate the fiesta…along with a few of my other favs including #margaritas, #cocktails, #party ideas – anything and everything to get your #Mexican-style party started. And yes, please enjoy a #Corona or two – quite appropriate at the moment, yes? We’re getting through this together slowly but surely. Might as well celebrate something fun while in #quarantine..have fun and enjoy the day!

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

Plan the perfect last minute, stylish Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, StyleCaster 

Blogger, entertaining expert, and all around chicster Athena Calderone of Eye Swoon‘s take on why Cinco de Mayo has caught on in such a big way? “It’s really a time to let loose, think colorfully, and it’s just so festive,” she says. Vibrant colors, music and lighting, make-ahead recipes, gorgeous tablescapes, signature cocktails and the right guest list are just a few things to make the perfect Cinco de Mayo fiesta at home. OR, do a virtual fiesta at home!

get more ideas here

Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa – Williams Sonoma 

Easy-to-make, flavorful and made with simple and easy ingredients, these colorful tacos are perfect to start the occasion off with a bang.

get the recipe

Chipotle Braised Chicken Nachos

Chipotle Braised Chicken Nachos, Half Baked Harvest

These extra cheesy, spicy, chicken filled nachos feature chicken breasts braised in a mix of cider beer, chipotle peppers, and enchilada sauce served over tortilla chips with cheddar and pepper jack cheese, topped with a homemade avocado salsa, cilantro and lime. Yum!

Get the recipe 

Taco Pizza

Seriously Delish Taco Pizza

This is a super fun twists on tacos in the form of pizza that’s super easy and seriously delish. The pizza is topped with all the goodies you would make tacos with – salsa, ground beef, taco seasoning, black beans and onions, with a layer of fresh veggies like black olives, tomatoes, jalapenos; and of course plenty of shredded cheddar cheese, then garnished with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and some wavy corn chips for extra crunch.. The crescent dough crust is super buttery and flaky and a delicious canvas for this Taco Monster Pizza creation. You will never be the same!

get the recipe

Beef Enchilada Tortilla Casserole

Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortilla Casserole

This delicious cheesy casserole is made with ground beef and taco seasoning, onions, garliccorn, jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, beef broth and LOTS of cheese, all baked in layers of spicy, cheesy, ooey-gooey goodness with the flour tortillas in a 9-inch pie pan. Then it’s served cut into wedges and topped with some fresh green onions. Serve it with some sour cream and cilantro for extra garnish. 

get the recipe

Roasted Chili Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Roasted Chili Verde Chicken Enchiladas, Cooking Light

These chicken enchiladas skip the store-bought red enchilada sauce and instead are made with a homemade chili verde sauce: tangy tomatillos and roasted poblano chiles and fresh cilantro that give a bright, fresh flavor, then blanketed with gooey, melted cheese. DELISH!

get the recipe

Classic Margaritas

Classic Margaritas – Williams Sonoma

get the recipe along with some other Cinco de Mayo-inspired fun cocktails

Taco Soup

Southern-Style Taco Soup

This Tex-Mex inspired recipe is one of my favs – similar to chili, yet a warm flavorful soup with corn, black beans, kidney beans and green chilies and diced tomatoes. It’s all cooked in one-pot too, then topped with sour cream, cilantro, jalapeños, cheese and a dash of hot sauce. Don’t forget the Fritos for extra crunch!

Stovetop recipe

Crockpot version by @girlonbloor

Quesadillas

Easy Quesadillas, Two Peas in their Pod

These quesadillas are loaded with lots of healthy ingredients like beans, avocado, fresh veggies, and cheese as a base but feel free to customize them any way you like with beef, chicken, shrimp,  carnitas, and all the fresh toppings of course. 

get the recipe

Classic Paloma

Classic Paloma Cocktail, The Tidy Mom

This classic Mexican cocktail is another one of my favs and an alternative to margaritas. Made with silver tequila, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, fresh lime juice and club soda. It’s light, refreshing and absolutely delicious

get the recipe

Taco Mac+Cheese

Taco Mac + Cheese

A twist on a family favorite, this mac and cheese is amped up with chili seasoning, salsa, Velveeta cheese and ground beef. Ooey-gooey and super delish. Perfect for the kids and easy to make.

get the recipe

Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas

Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas, Gimme Some Oven

This crispy flavorful pork mojo carnitas are made in a flash in the Instant Pot – giving you more time to drink and eat and celebrate the holiday with friends and family! Serve the pork in tacos or burritos, or in a quesadilla or salad, along with chips and salsa, margaritas, refried beans, guacamole or with some Mexican Street Corn Elote dip. Heavenly!

get the recipe

Micheladas

Micheladas, Leite’s Culinaria

For a Mexican-style Bloody Mary – a michelada is calling your name. Made with Mexican beer (cerveza), tomato juice, Tabasco, garnished with a rim of sea salt, a wedge of lime and ancho chile powder. It’s bubbly, spicy, and refreshing and hits the spot on this special day. YOWZA! 

get the recipe

Cowboy Queso Dip

Loaded Cowboy Queso Cheese Dip, The Cookie Rookie

Who doesn’t love a cheesy delicious queso dip? This one is loaded with black beans, shredded monterey jack cheese, Velveeta, tomatoes and cilantro and sausage…all cooked together in the slow cooker and served with homemade taco tortilla chips. What’s not to love? 

get the recipe

Mexican-Fajita-Steak-Salad

Steak Fajita Salad, The View From Great Island

This delicious and healthy salad is the combination of a cool, crisp romaine salad with juicy steak marinated in a homemade fajita seasoning along with seared peppers and onions, topped with juicy corn, tomatoes, cheese and crunchy tortilla strips. Healthy, filling and the perfect mix of flavors. YES PLEASE.

get the recipe

Enchiladas Chicken Mole

Chicken Mole Enchiladas

These Oaxaca-style enchiladas are served bubbling hot with a melted layer of Chihuahua Queso cheese, velvety mole sauce (made with chili peppers and rich dark chocolate) and shredded chicken with onions inside corn tortillas, baked to perfection. Inspired by a fav Mexican restaurant I used to go to in NYC. Spicy, complex, cheesy and delicious. 

get the recipe

Air Fryer Mini Chimichangas

Air Fryer Mini Chimichangas, Taste of Home

These little cuties are mini bite-sized chimichangas that you can make in your air fryer for less mess, but twice the flavor. Made with taco seasoned beef, chilies, Monterey jack cheese all tucked up inside mini egg roll wrappers and air fried to perfection, served with salsa and sour cream for dipping. Love!

get the recipe

Seriously Delicious Taco Pizza

Taco Pizza

I’ve been on a spicy food kick lately. Maybe it’s the pseudo-Spring weather. Or maybe I’m just addicted. I decided to make a fun twist on pizza and make a seriously delicious Taco Pizza. Yes, TACOS. And PIZZA. All baked into a bubbling pile of goodness. This Taco Pizza is the easiest thing to make, and the best tasting thing on the planet. Like a fiesta in your mouth.

Taco Pizza 2

I had a bunch of Pillsbury Crescent Dough in the fridge, as well as a ton of fresh ingredients I wanted to use up. Yes, I could have made Nachos. Or Burritos. Or Enchiladas. Or even a Taco Salad. But why not make a Taco Pizza? It was Friday after all. And Fridays are made for FUN FOOD, arent’ they?

Taco Pizza_OH 2

The crust is super buttery and flaky and a delicious canvas for this Taco Monster creation.

Toppings 1

The pizza is topped with all the goodies you would make tacos with – salsa, ground beef, taco seasoning, black beans and onions,

Toppings 2

with a layer of fresh veggies like black olives, tomatoes, jalapenos; and of course plenty of shredded cheddar cheese.

Taco Pizza 3

Just layer all the goods on the dough, pop it in a 375 degree oven and bake for about 13-16 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melty-ooey-gooey.

Taco Pizza 5

Then, top it with some chopped cilantro, a few dabs of sour cream and some wavy corn chips for extra crunch.

Serious YUM. And perfect for a Friday afternoon. With a margarita or two, of course. 🙂

Seriously Delicious Taco Pizza

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 1-2 slices/squares

A seriously delicious Taco Pizza made with ground beef, tomatoes, jalapenos, olives, black beans and cheese, topped with sour cream, cilantro and crunchy corn chips baked on a crescent dough crust.

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (8 ounce) Pillsbury crescent dough
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped (or 1 tablespoon minced dried onion)
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
  • 1 cup chunky salsa
  • 10-12 cherry or plum tomatoes, halved
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced
  • 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup wavy corn chips, for garnish
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, for garnish
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Separate dough into 2 long rectangles and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press perforations to seal into one large rectangle of dough. Repeat for second pizza.
  3. In a large skillet, saute ground beef, onions and black beans until cooked through and meat is no longer pink. Drain grease, and add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water, mix together well and keep warm, covered.
  4. Prep the veggies and pizza topping ingredients.
  5. Layer the dough with the salsa, 1/2 cup for each pizza.
  6. Top dough with the taco beef and bean mixture, olives, tomatoes, jalapenos and shredded cheese on both sheets.
  7. Bake for 13-16 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.
  8. Garnish pizzas with corn chips, sour cream and fresh cilantro.
  9. Cut each pizza into 6 squares and serve hot.

Notes

You can also substitute shredded chicken, ground chicken or turkey or pulled pork for the ground beef. A regular pizza dough crust can also be used in place of the crescent dough.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2015/03/seriously-delicious-taco-pizza/

All recipes, photographs, copy and content on this post and website are copyrighted © 2010-2015 by Kristen Hess/The Artful Gourmet. Please do not use, share or distribute this content in any way without expressed permission from me first.

Tequila, Sunsets and a Mexican Feast in San Diego (Story + Recipes)

San Diego Sunset
San Diego Sunset

I recently got back from an amazing trip to San Diego – one so lovely and rejuvenating that the sunsets are burned into my brain, leaving me wishing for more of the bright colorful skies, fresh air, palm trees swaying in the wind and cool sand between my toes.

The San Diego Crew
The San Diego Crew

This is a fun trip that started last year with an amazing group of friends and has now turned into a yearly tradition.

Beach House
Beach House

Seven of my friends and I rented a gorgeous beach house on Mission Beach in San Diego –

Beach House Room
Beach House Room

Our house had two levels, two kitchens, five bedrooms, a beach front patio, two grills, plus another two patios outside,

Upstairs
Upstairs

all with stunning views of the ocean from every angle and every room.

Windows
Windows

It all started as a birthday celebration trip for my friend Suzanne last year and now with another birthday girl, my dear friend Linda. Plus five other cool cats I’m proud to be friends with: Paula, Cris, Jackie, Janis and Andrew. What a crew.

Kristen and Paula
Kristen and Paula

great friends..

Janis-Paula-Suzanne
Janis-Paula-Suzanne

great times…

Andrew-Cris
Andrew-Cris

enjoying each other’s company with a Corona or two…

Mission Beach
Mission Beach

taking in the stunning views..

Mission Beach Boardwalk
Mission Beach Boardwalk

people watching on the boardwalk..

Seagull at Dusk
Seagull at Dusk

and making new friends.

Kristen-Paula-Linda
Kristen-Paula-Linda

There’s something about California that makes me feel relaxed, happy, and in a totally different world than the one I live in New York City.

San Diego
San Diego

No crazy traffic or cars honking, just beautiful beaches and cool, relaxed people up early for morning jogs and bike rides, swaying palm trees,

Magenta Sunsets
Magenta Sunsets

hazy blue and pink sunrises, and breathtaking bright magenta and orange sunsets that will blow you away.

Beach Houses
Beach Houses

The boardwalk is lined with colorful pastel houses and bungalows that look like Jordan almonds lined up in the sand.

Sand Volleyball players
Sand Volleyball players

We took daily walks down the beach, watching the surfers and volleyball players,

Surf's Up
Surf’s Up

catching some rays down by Crystal Pier while gazing out into the turquoise blue water.

Foodie Excursions
Foodie Excursions

To satisfy our foodie fix, we grabbed a fish taco and a Bloody Mary (or two) at the little beach side cafes and food stands on the boardwalk while soaking in the sunshine.

Patio Surfing
Patio Surfing

We took advantage of our gorgeous views and drank plenty of tequila and margaritas out on our beach front patio playing penny can, laughing and telling stories,

Frolicking on the beach
Frolicking on the beach

and frolicking on the beach at sunset like fools.

The Bar
The Bar

With a large group of eight people that all love to eat and drink, we spent over $1500 on our grocery bill and stocking our bar so we could take advantage of our two kitchens and grills and had massive amounts of cooking and eating (and drinking) going on each day. I swore after this trip I would never eat again – but that didn’t last long.

Jackie's Famous Eggs
Jackie’s Famous Eggs

Jackie made her Famous Eggs with Sausage, Mushrooms and Cheese, served with my Spicy Fried Potatoes, toasted bagels and plenty of bacon and mimosas to go around and feed the masses. Best Breakfast EVER.

Sunset Grilled Feast
Sunset Grilled Feast

Cris was our designated grill master, who made us a delicious feast at sunset with heaps of tender grilled steak,  shrimp and veggies – love those baby peppers on the grill!

Cooking up a storm
Cooking up a storm

Paula made us a yummy Chicken dish stuffed with Prosciutto, Sage and Provolone which I gladly assisted with while multi-tasking by drinking my Sauv Blanc with a HUGE mitt (just in case that wine glass gets too hot – LOL).

IMG_3376

She also made us a Flaky Egg Bake for Suzanne’s birthday breakfast – with layers of buttery phyllo dough filled with sausage, eggs, cheese, peppers, mushrooms, onions and baked into a yummy casserole fit for a Queen (ahem, Suzanne..)

Andrew's Chicken Marsala
Andrew’s Chicken Marsala

Janice and Andrew made their delicious Italian lunch of Caprese Salad made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar with prosciutto, olives and fresh Italian bread, accompanied by a few bottles of great wine. They also made a delicious Italian meal of Chicken Marsala over pasta with fresh parmesan cheese, parsley and Sauteed Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts for our last night in town – totally delicious and gone in five seconds FLAT.

Mexican Feast
Mexican Feast

My designated meal was to make a feast for Mexican night – when i say feast, i mean FEAST – we had enough food to feed the entire Mission Beach strip and enough leftovers that we seriously thought about donating it to a homeless person so we didn’t have to throw it out if we didn’t finish it all up the next day!

Guacamole
Guacamole

My Mexican menu included fresh Pico de Gallo, fresh Guacamole with lots of cilantro and lime and some jalapeno,

Tequila Lime Shrimp
Tequila Lime Shrimp

Grilled Marinated Steak with Lemon and Herbs and Sauteed Lime and Tequila Shrimp to go with the tortillas for tacos and burritos,

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I also made a cheesy baked Chicken Enchilada Casserole,

Mexican Sides
Mexican Sides

Red Mexican Rice, Tortillas, Sour Cream, Warm Queso Cheese Dip, Hot Sauce and PLENTY of Margaritas to go around for at least three more days.

Pool sharks
Pool sharks

I think we all fell into a serious food coma by Night #3 and decided to kick it up a notch and wake ourselves up with some music and a few games of pool after dinner, and even some video games with the help of services as overwatch boost.

Stunningly Spooky Sunset
Stunningly Spooky Sunset

After all the eating and feasting, a breathtakingly spooky view appeared when the sun went down. We missed the Green Flash though – which apparently happens for a split second as soon as the sun goes over the horizon line and sinks into the abyss.

Night Out on the Town
Night Out on the Town

Jackie, Cris and I headed out to the bars for some debauchery and drinking activities at the local bars, involving Cinnamon Whiskey shots (ordered by Cris)..FIRE IN THE HOLE! 🙂

Breathtaking bask in the glow
Breathtaking bask in the glow

My favorite moment of the entire trip was basking in the glow of that big orange fireball in the sky one evening, dreaming of the day I can return to this lovely, lovely place. Until then, I’ve had my fill of tequila and Mexican feasts to last me another year. The sunsets? I never get tired of those – especially when they look like this.

California Guacamole with a Kick

Ingredients

  • 6 avocados
  • Juice from 2 limes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 purple onion, minced
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, minced fine, stems and seeds removed
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Dash of hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Cut avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl and squeeze lime juice on immediately (to prevent the avocado from oxidation and browning). Mash avocado well with a fork until slightly smooth but still a little bit chunky.
  2. Add garlic, onion, tomatoes, jalapenos, cumin, salt and pepper, and hot sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap tightly and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more to let the flavors meld.
  4. Serve with tortillas, chips, veggies or crackers with fresh made salsa (tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper) and plenty of margaritas to go around.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/02/tequila-sunsets-and-a-mexican-feast-in-san-diego-a-true-story-recipes/

Sauteed Tequila Lime Shrimp

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup tequila, divided in half
  • Juice from 2 fresh limes (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, deveined and seeded, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil for marinade, plus 1 tablespoon for cooking
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and drain shrimp, and place in a medium bowl.
  2. Mix together 1/2 cup of tequila, lime juice, cayenne pepper, chile flakes, chili powder, jalapeno pepper, and olive oil in a separate bowl and pour over the shrimp. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and discard marinade off shrimp in a colander or with a slotted spoon and set shrimp aside.
  3. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat for a minute or so. Add additional 1/2 cup of tequila to the saute pan (with pan removed off the burner to avoid flames!).
  4. Add 1/2 of the marinated shrimp to the heated saute pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add the rest of the shrimp to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes until pink.
  5. Add two tablespoons of butter to the saute pan and return first batch of shrimp, adding it to the shrimp in the pan and saute while tossing the pan for another 2 minutes or so. Sprinkle salt and pepper into the shrimp to taste and mix through for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  6. Serve the shrimp on a platter with the tequila-lime-butter sauce on top with a side of tortillas and all the dressings: guacamole, cilantro, hot sauce, sour cream, rice to make tacos or burritos.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Oprah.com

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/02/tequila-sunsets-and-a-mexican-feast-in-san-diego-a-true-story-recipes/

Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 8-10

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), poached and shredded
  • 1 32-ounce container of chicken stock (for poaching chicken)
  • 2 cans of red enchilada sauce
  • 9 flour tortillas (large burrito size)
  • 2 cups of shredded Mexican-blend cheese
  • 1 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
  • Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, cayenne, salt and pepper and hot sauce. Saute for about 5 minutes until onion is soft and golden. Add minced garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Remove onion-garlic mixture from heat and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
  3. To poach chicken breasts, heat chicken stock in a large Dutch oven or high-sided saute pan and cook chicken breasts in the stock, covered, for approximately 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let chicken sit in the pot (still covered) for another 10-15 minutes.
  4. Remove chicken breasts from the stock on to a platter and let cool for a few minutes. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and add to the onion-garlic mixture in to the mixing bowl.
  5. Spread 1/2 of the enchilada sauce from one can on the bottom of a rectangular glass casserole dish. Place three tortillas over the sauce, overlapping.
  6. Top the layer of tortillas with 1/4 of the chicken-onion mixture, spreading evenly over the casserole dish. Top with 1/4 of the crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.
  7. Repeat 3 times until you have four layers and have used up all the enchilada sauce, tortillas, chicken-onion mixture, crushed tomatoes and shredded cheese. (Like making a Mexican Lasagna!)
  8. Place casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden brown.
  9. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with chopped cilantro and sour cream.

Notes

Can also make casserole with ground beef or steak, and it can be made in a circular or oval casserole baking dish rather than rectangular if preferred.

Recipe inspired by Williams-Sonoma.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/02/tequila-sunsets-and-a-mexican-feast-in-san-diego-a-true-story-recipes/

Spanish Red Rice with Jalapenos and Cilantro

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, deveined and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cups of long grain rice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
  • Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute jalapenos, garlic and onion about 5 minutes in a large saute pan.
  2. Add the rice to the saute pan and cook, stirring often, until rice is browned slightly another 5 minutes.
  3. Pour water, chicken stock and crushed tomatoes into the pan and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes until rice has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked through.
  5. Remove rice from heat, uncover and fluff with a fork. Add rice to a large serving bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro for serving.

Notes

Feel free to add some fresh cooked corn, red or green peppers or peas to the rice for additional flavors.

Recipe inspired by Saveur.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/02/tequila-sunsets-and-a-mexican-feast-in-san-diego-a-true-story-recipes/

All photographs, copy and recipes are copyrighted by Kristen Hess/The Artful Gourmet © 2010-2013. Please do not share, use or distribute this content without granted permission from me. Thanks!

Chicken Enchiladas de Mole Negro

chicken enchiladas mole

chicken enchiladas mole

Last year I took some friends from out of town to a great Mexican restaurant in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, and sampled their classic Oaxacan-style Enchiladas de Mole Negro (Chicken Mole Enchiladas). Served bubbling hot with a melted layer of Chihuahua cheese, velvety mole sauce and shredded chicken with onions inside corn tortillas, this delicious dish was baked to perfection. I decided they were so good I need to make them myself at home.

Mole (pronounced Moh-lay) is a common dish in Mexican cuisine, prepared with a rich, reddish brown chili-chocolate sauce using dark chocolate and guajillo peppers (you can find these at your local fresh market or online at Marx foods or Penzeys Spices). Slightly spicy with a touch of smokiness, Mole Enchiladas are usually prepared with chicken but can also be made with pork or shredded beef, (or vegetarian with corn, beans and rice filling). To save time, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time, and use pre-made shredded chicken, beef or whatever filling you decide on. Bake them in a clay or ceramic casserole and serve directly from the oven in the dish, garnished with cilantro or green onions, along with a side of chips and a variety of salsas and a tangy lime margarita.

Chicken Enchiladas de Mole Negro

Enchilada Ingredients:

8-10 corn tortillas, small size
1 ½ cups shredded chicken (can substitute shredded beef or pork if desired)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
2 cups grated white cheese, halved in 2 equal parts (queso fresco or chihuahua)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Mole Sauce Ingredients:

2 slices thick-cut bacon
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 dried guajillo peppers, seeds & stems removed
4 cloves garlic
1/4 c warm water
1 – 14 oz can stewed Mexican tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 c premium dark chocolate, chopped fine
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Cilantro and diced white onions, for garnish

Directions for Mole Sauce:

Preheat a saucepan over medium high heat and cook bacon until fully cooked and crispy. Remove bacon from pan and save for another purpose. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree chilies, garlic and water in a food processor. Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer, reserving juices. Add tomatoes, broth and strained chili puree to vegetable mixture in the saucepan and cook on high heat for 20-30 minutes. Let the sauce reduce and thicken, then strain the sauce again, pressing on solids.

Stir in the dark chocolate to the sauce until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste; keep warm.

Directions for Enchiladas:

Mix chicken, sour cream, green onions and half of the cheese in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lay out the tortillas on a baking sheet and fill each one with chicken mixture down the middle. Roll the tortillas tightly and lay in a ceramic or clay baking dish that has a thin layer of mole sauce already spread on the bottom (to prevent sticking and burning).

Cover with remaining sauce and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Serve with chopped cilantro and green onions for garnish and extra sour cream, if desired.

Serves 4.