Need mexican dish (main or side) ideas for a party!

[julietchicago]

My cousin is throwing a 25th wedding anniversary party for my aunt and uncle next weekend and it's going to consist of mexican food. My cousin is asking everyone to bring a dish. She said they already have the usual tacos, fajitas, enchiladas.

Any good recipes? Nothing too complicated, but something yummy. Thanks!

[sublime311]

Calabacitas

1 tbsp plus 2 tsp canola oil
1 small zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch thick in half-moon shapes
1 small yellow squash, sliced 1/2 inch in half-moon shapes
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a sheet pan with 1 tbsp oil. Lay zucchini and yellow squash on sheet pan and roast 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Lightly coat a sauté pan with 2 tsp oil. Add zucchini, squash, tomato, onion, and corn. Sauté over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add oregano, salt, and pepper.

Here is another version of the same dish:

CALABACITAS

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Mexican Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 ea Zucchini or yellow squash,
1 ea Sliced
1 ea Large onion, chopped
3 T Oil
1/4 t Garlic salt or
2 ea Cloves garlic minced
4 oz Can chopped green chili
16 oz Can whole kernel corn
1 c Grated cheddar cheese

Saute' squash and onion in oil until barely tender. Add garlic salt (or
fresh garlic), chilies, corn and cheese; mix well. Put in buttered 1-quart
casserole and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Green Chile Corn Cakes

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup Masa Harina (or additional cornmeal)
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs well beaten
2 long hot green chiles, roasted, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup sweet corn kernels and juices scraped from one medium ear
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (if you can't get fresh, please just omit this, dried just won't do)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for the griddle

In a large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, Masa Harina, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, green chiles, corn and juices, and oregano. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and partially combine. Add the melted butter and stir until just combined, do not over-mix.

Warm a pancake griddle over medium heat. Butter it and working in batches, drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto the heated griddle. Spread the batter into 3-inch rounds and cook about three minutes or until puffed and golden. Turn the cakes and cook until lightly colored and cooked through, about two minutes more. Serve hot.

Yields: Sixteen 3-inch cakes

CHILIES RELLENOS
Printed from COOKS.COM

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6 Anaheim or any mild long green chili
2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tb chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
2 T milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup mild or hot tomato salsa

Make a slit with the tip of a paring knife in the pepper at the cap.
Place the oil in a deep saucepan and heat to a temperature of 375F.

Have a bowl of ice water handy.

Fry the peppers a few at a time for about 1 minute, or until the skin is blistered all over. Remove with tongs, and plunge into the ice water.

Repeat until all peppers are fried.

When cool enough to handle, gently rub off the skin.

Cut a slit in one side of the pepper, and remove the seeds, keeping the pepper whole. Set aside, reserving the oil.

In a bowl, mix together the mozzarella, Monterey Jack, garlic, thyme, oregano, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Gently stuff the mixture into the peppers, securing them with toothpicks.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Beat the egg with the milk.

Roll the peppers in the mixture, and then roll in cornmeal.

Heat the reserved oil to 375F.

Fry the peppers for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.

As you fry, be careful not to crowd the pan. Remove the peppers from the pan with tongs, drain on paper towels, and repeat until all peppers are fried.

Serve immediately, accompanied by salsa, if desired.

Serves 6.

Note: The peppers can be prepared up to the point of being dredged in cornmeal and fried up to two days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered with plastic wrap.

Dredge with cornmeal and fry just prior to serving.


Appetizer

Hot 7-Layer Dip

1 can of Refried beans

1 can of black beans, drained

1 package of taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 cup of Salsa

1 can (4 oz.) of Diced green chiles

2 tablespoons diced jalapenos

1 cup of shredded cheese

2 large green onions

1 pack of chips

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine refried beans, black beans and seasoning mix in medium bowl. Spread bean mixture in ungreased 8-inch-square baking dish.

Spread sour cream over bean mixture. Top with salsa, chiles, jalapeños and cheese; cover.

Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and dip is bubbly. Garnish with green onions. Serve with chips.

Serves 10

[Pineknot]

This side dish is absolutely addicting. I went to a catered mexican party years ago and a guest at the party was a major news channel food critic. I watched him go back twice for this and I decided I had to try it myself. INCREDIBLE!! I have made it a few times for Cinco de mayo and I never have any left over. There are many recipes around for this that are basically the same. This is the El Torito restaurant chain's recipe.

El Torito's Sweet Corn Cake

1/4 C. butter, unsalted
2 T. shortening
1/2 C. masa harina
3 T. cold water
1 10 oz. package frozen corn kernels
3 T. cornmeal
1/4 C. sugar
2 T. whipping cream
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

Whip butter and shortening in mixing bowl until fluffy and creamy. Add masa harina gradually and mix thoroughly. Add water gradually, mixing thoroughly.

Blend corn kernels until coarsely chopped. Stir into masa mixture.

Mix cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add butter-masa mixture; mix until blended. Pour masa mixture into 8" greased baking pan.

Cover with foil and bake at 350°F. until corn cake is firm, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to stand at room temperature 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Or use ice cream scoop to serve.

Yield: 10 Servings


(the only thing I do differently is cook it in a water bath) I would make two cause this could never feed 10

[jimmysgirl424]

Fiesta Dip

1 package cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 package shredded cheddar or 'mexi-blend' cheese (the fine-shred works best)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 medium red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium or large white or red onion, finely chopped
3-4 small tomatos, chopped
1 can chopped green chiles


Combine sour cream and cream cheese in a mixing bow. With electric mixer, beat 3-4 minutes. Add packet of taco seasoning. Beat another 2-3 minutes. (the trick is to make it as light and airy as possible!) Cover bowl and refrigerate. Combine red and green pepper and onion in bowl. Combine tomatoes and green chiles in a separate bowl. Refrigerate dip and all veggies at least one hour.

Spread cream cheese mixture into 9x11 pan or 13x9 pan. You can also use a large round or square glass dish. Sprinkle tomato and chile mixture on top of dip. Add pepper and onion mixture. Cover entire surface of dip with shredded cheese. Keep dip covered and cold until serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

*I usually chill the pan or dish that I assemble the dip in as well. I have been making this dip for years and whenever there is a party, it is always requested! An additional hint; the finer you chop the pepper and onion, the better the dip will taste! :D

[Medako]

*mexican layer dip & chips
*spanish rice (rice with salsa)
*guacomole & chips
*taco pizza (crust topped with salsa, refried beans, taco meat & cheese ~ lettuce & tomato can be added after it's baked)
*mexican lasagna (corn tortillas, refried beans, salsa, taco meat, cheese, and sour cream ~ layered and baked)
*sopapilla (sp?) chips (triangle cut flour tortillas, dip in melted butter, sprikle with cinnamon & sugar, bake at 350 for about 7-9 minutes. Serve with honey, chocolate sauce, etc)

[julietchicago]

Thanks so much for the suggestions ladies! They all sound very yummy, it will be hard to decide!!

[shaqangel]

try Rachael Ray's Mexican Lasagna - its really good!

also this dip that i make (its a friend's recipe) is really good and extremely simple:

Mexican Dip
1 pound ground beef
1 block (large) velveeta cheese
1 medium-size jar Pace Picante sauce (u can do mild, medium or hot)
1 can pinto bean - rinsed (this is optional)

brown the meat and drain fat
chop up the velveeta cheese and stir into the meat until it melts
add the Picante Sauce and the beans

serve with Tostito Chips!

ETA: its pinto beans NOT kidney beasn - sorry!

[Brady]

I just made this courtesy of Rachael Ray. SUPER EASY and really yummy. I used ground turkey instead of chicken.

Mexican Lasagna Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (14-oz) can stewed tomatoes or fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
1 cup medium heat taco sauce
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of
market
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil – twice around the pan. Add chicken and
season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5
minutes. Add stewed tomatoes or fire-roasted chopped tomatoes and
taco sauce. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to
3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil,
about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to
make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and
beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese
again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and
bubbly.