From Sangria to Homemade Dulche de Leche – A Recap of The Best Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Derby Day festivities are in full swing in Louisville, Kentucky and other folks around the country will soon be joining in on the fun with tomorrow’s big race, the best two minutes in sports.  When everyone has had enough of those Mint Juleps, Hot Browns and bourbon (well, maybe not the bourbon…), it just might be time to bring on some Cinco de Mayo dishes for Sunday.  How about a little Sangria, guacamole, and homemade Dulche de Leche?!

Here is a round-up of some great recipes to make your Cinco de Mayo celebration a whole lot tastier.  From cocktails to appetizers and main dishes to dessert, these recipes will make your family or guests very happy that they came to your home on the first Sunday in May. 😉

There’s a secret ingredient in this Sangria and I’m not telling, so check out the recipe to see what it is.

This recipe for Sangria is from a wonderful tapas restaurant in Barcelona, Cerveceria Catalana, which was highly recommended to us.  We enjoyed their unique recipe for Sangria so much that we wrote in down on a cocktail napkin and brought it home with us to the United States.  With it’s surprising and unique ingredients, it has become one of our favorite recipes for Sangria while bringing back fond memories of our travels to Spain several years ago.

Ina Garten’s guacamole is the best. Don’t mess with perfect.

Guacamole is always great to serve at a gathering and not just for Cinco de Mayo.  This recipe from Ina Garten is the only one I use.  It is the best one I have found.  If you like avocados but have never made guacamole, you need to do it.  It couldn’t be any easier to prepare and the flavors in a homemade guacamole do not even compare to the stuff you purchase in the grocery store.

Full of flavor, these enchiladas are worth the time it takes to make them

This picture does not do the dish justice, but trust me, these Chicken Enchiladas with a homemade chili sauce are excellent and worth the extra effort it takes to make them.  By the way, fresh tomatillos are slippery and slimy little buggars.  Just thought I’d give you a heads up if you haven’t worked with them before.  It’s always good to know what you’re getting in to before you start cooking.

This recipe is delightful and has great textures and flavors

If enchiladas aren’t your thing, but soup is, you will love this Chicken Tortilla Soup.  The recipe is from a small and very popular Mexican restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee called Mas Tacos Por Favor.  Their recipe for soup is full of wonderful smoky flavors with a bit of heat.  It also has lots of great textures and interest in each and every bite with crispy tortilla chips, roasted corn, fresh avocado, and crumbled queso cheese.  The combination of flavors and fresh ingredients will keep you satisfied all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

One of the best desserts. Ever.

Of course, no Cinco de Mayo menu would be complete without dessert and this one is to die for.  First, whip up a batch of Coffee Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks.  It is absolutely decadent.  While it is churning away in your ice cream maker, combine and start stirring the ingredients together for your homemade dulche de leche.  Add then keep on stirring.  And stirring.  This one takes awhile and I’m not kidding.  Like a few hours.  It will give you plenty of time to get your ice cream to the proper consistency since you will want to store it in the freezer for a bit to firm it up before serving.

Do what I did and pour yourself a large ice cold glass of sangria (and keep the pitcher close by), get ready to hang out by the stove awhile, and just keep on stirring.  You will be oh, so glad you did.

Have a great weekend and Feliz Cinco de Mayo!