!!! CINCO DE MAYO !!!

It is Tres de Mayo…and you know what that means!! Cinco de Mayo is coming!! I thought it would be fun to celebrate with a Mexican recipe roundup. We LOVE good Mexican food in the Crazy Happy household. So, I love any excuse to celebrate the yummy goodness that is Mexican food.

If it wasn’t for my husband, my kiddo and I could eat Mexican food every day. My hubby loves it, he just doesn’t want it every day. We forgive him. In fact, the last time he went out of town, we ate fajitas for an entire week straight. No shame there!

My appreciation for Mexican food grew even more after I went on a mission trip to Mexico City. I love to travel and see new places. I especially love to visit non-touristy areas and see how people really live in cultures around the world. Mexico City was such a great experience. If you like Mexican food here, you would be enamored with “for real” Mexican food. It is legit.

There are several reasons why Mexican food is such a hit in our house:

• Kid Friendly – My Crazy Happy kiddo is a picky kiddo. Most Mexican dishes allow you to pick and choose your toppings. For my kiddo, I prepare his first taco or fajita (with yummy goodness and veggies) and he can pick whatever he wants on the others. I get him to eat veggies and he feels like he is in control of his dinner destiny. It’s a win-win!
• Gluten Free – I avoid gluten in my diet. Mexican food is super easy to make without the dreaded gluten ingredients. The main culprit is flour tortillas. My solution – corn tortillas. Problem solved!

Here are some of our FAVORITE Mexican food recipes:

1. Southwest Garlic-Lime Chicken Fajitas

These fabulous Southwest Garlic-Lime Chicken Fajitas (Recipe & Image by McCormick) are the Crazy Happy family go-to for Mexican food night. They have a light citrus flair and just a little kick. They are the perfect thing to make on the day we pick up our co-op produce. There is nothing better than a mouth-watering fajita made with fresh organic peppers, onions, and limes.

2. Baked Tacos

These are a very recent addition to our Mexican food rotation. These Baked Tacos (Recipe & Image by One Good Thing by Jillee) are WOW-mazing!! This recipe is also a BONUS. Not only do you get a super yummy baked taco recipe, it gives you instructions on how to make your own hard taco shells in your oven. <<< What!?! Make your own taco shells?! YES! And they are SO much better than those you buy in the store…you know, the ones that are so hard and crunchy that the moment you bite into them they crumble to pieces and leave your precious taco middles lying on your plate. These homemade taco shells are a cinch to make and have a nice crunchy/chewy thing going on. Um…YUM!

3. Mexican Not-Fried Rice

This Mexican Not-Fried Rice (Recipe & Image by Tiffani Faison & Health.com) is super versatile. It is a good base for your favorite toppings. The addition of rice makes it more filling. We usually serve it over tortilla chips as a taco salad. We serve the leftovers on taco shells. So, even if you have this one two nights in a row, it feels like two different meals!

4. Good Ol’ Basic Mexican Rice

No meal is complete without a fabulous side! This Good Ol’ Basic Mexican Rice (Recipe & Image by The Pioneer Woman) is nom..nom..nom good! Actually, EVERYTHING by The Pioneer Woman is nom…nom…nom good! Her recipes might not be the lowest in calories, but they usually involve fresh, whole foods prepared in a home cooked way. I can definitely get on board with that! Once you make this rice, you will never want to buy packaged Mexican rice again!

5. Mexican Rice Bowl with Fried Eggs

Our final Mexican food favorite is the Mexican Rice Bowl with Fried Eggs (Recipe & Image by Cassie Craves). This one makes our list for several reasons. First, it can be made super quickly for those crazy rushed nights when you don’t have time to cook, but you don’t want to eat like you are living the dorm life again. Second, this is a meatless meal. We try to toss a few of those into our rotation here and there to provide variety and save some money. Third, it is really crazy good. There is something about a runny fried egg mixing with all of the Mexican food goodness that just makes me smile. You can top it with whatever you want! We generally make it with quinoa instead of rice to provide a little more protein in this meatless meal.

So, there it is! Our Crazy Happy household Mexican Food Fab Five! We love ’em and hope you will too!!

Also, don’t forget to stock up on avocados. You know those suckers will be on sale for the next week. Check out my Ode to the Avocado for tips and recipe ideas!

What are your favorite Mexican food recipes? I’m still looking for “the” guacamole recipe. You know, the one that will put all other guacamole recipes to shame. Share it if you have it! I will definitely give it a try!

Peace, Love & Happiness,