An at-home Cinco de Mayo Celebration is the best, and easiest way, to be loud, have fun and not annoy a neighboring table when you are raising toddlers and preschoolers.
So, we know this now, I love off the wall, any weekday reason to celebrate and have a fun dinner at home on a food celebration night.
- St. Patricks Day
- Easter
- Valentines’ Dinner at home
- Guac Star Halloween Party
- Halloween Menu
- Simple Holiday Celebration with Teenagers
- Sisters Celebration that works for Mother’s Day festivities too
I’ll take any excuse to love my people or love extra people with food, fun, laughter, and some seasonally appropriate music. So, when Cinco de Mayo falls on a school night it’s super easy to do drive-by taco night at a local, favorite stand. Or, hit up a favorite Mexican food restaurant and take advantage of the “deals” they are no doubt having tonight. But, why not save the hassle and heartache of wrestling your toddler at the dinner table and just set up your own fiesta?
Ideal At Home Fiesta for Cinco de Mayo
Leave off the dessert and this meal is also a WW-friendly way to enjoy the comforts of Mexican food without all the heavy calories. I’m pretty sure our menu this year will look something like this!
- Mexican Fruit Cups
- Stacked Enchiladas aka Mexican Casserole
- Homemade Cantina Style Salsa and Chips
- Sopapilla Cheesecake – recipe below
- Mexican Punch
Sopapilla Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2 tubes crescent roll sheet
- 2 8 oz. cream cheese
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 stick butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Beat together cream cheese and 1 ½ cups sugar.
- Add in vanilla.
- Beat until light and fluffy.
- Spray bottom of 9x 3 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place on a crescent sheet in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Top with cream cheese mixture.
- Top with a second crescent sheet.
- Melt butter and pour over top.
- Mix together ½ cup of sugar and the cinnamon.
- Sprinkle over top of butter and crescent roll.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until crescents are browning on edges and cooked through in the middle.
- Let sit 20 minutes before serving.
Other recipes that are great for an At-Home Fiesta
- guacamole
- Tacos – whatever variety your family enjoys
- Mexican Chicken Rice Bowls – Chicken, Rotel, and Taco seasoning in a crockpot on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice. Add corn and black beans if your people like them.
- Fajitas
- Spicy Taco Deer Meat Dinner
- Mexican Chicken Stew
- White Chicken Chili
- enchiladas
- Chili Lime Snack Mix
- Ranchero Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Taco Salad
- Mexican Pile-ups – all the toppings for nachos/tacos and people can make it like they want to – tacos, nachos, salad
- Baked Tacos – a new favorite
Remember to make it fun. Don’t overthink it. Do things you know your family will like (tacos usually take that spot). Decorate with things you already have at home – paper cut-outs or simple decorations from a dollar store. Place authentic music, encourage everyone to wear bright colors, or play dress-up if you have something that’s appropriate. If you are feeling crazy, pick up a pinata and invite the neighbors over.
Fun everyday moments at home as a family are the memories kids hold with them the longest.
-Keisha McKinney aka @bigpittstop
