Recipes for Side Dishes

For the kids who aren't interested in traditional tacos have some pita like bread and PB & J for untraditional tacos, also you can have diced fruit with fruit dip to make fruit tacos.

Hope it all is fun and tasty.
B. A. Roseville

How about Mexican refried beans with tortilla chips. My kids love them.

You could also do a cheesy Mexican dip. The one that I use all the time calls for Velveeta Mexican cheese. Hormel chili with no beans. The recipe is usually inside the box. I think it is two boxes of cheese to one can of Hormel chili. I usually serve this with the frito big scope chips. It a easy recipe that does not take a lot of prep time and I usually do not have much left over. The recipe would also be on there website. hope that helps M.

We make a cold corn salad. You can used frozen or canned corn. The canned kind is saltier. Mix two cans with a 1/2 a jar of chunky salsa and if you have fresh cilantro and you like the taste chop it up and add it. Chill and serve as a side dish. Quick and super easy plus you don't have to worry about temp of the dish.

We make what we call corn cassarole. Which is just a stick of butter melted, one can of cream corn, one can of regular corn, 8 oz of sour cream, and a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix. Just mix everything together and put it in the oven for about half an hour. It's really cheap to make and really good. It taste like the stuf Chi-Chi's use to serve. My sister in law just did the whole taco bar thing for my neices birthday and she had fruit and veggies and stuff to make taco salads and nachos, she also had potato salad.

Dear C.,

If you have an Aldi store near you, they sell rice in the box near where the rice is that is like Rice A Roni, and it is for Spanish rice. I would not say that it is as good as made from scratch (because I have only eaten that and never cooked it) but all you add is tomatoes and it tastes quite good and does not take much time to cook.

So sorry you lost a baby! I can't imagine how hard that was because I was blessed and never had anything really bad happen to my kids. My one daughter has had 5 miscarriages but she was an active alcoholic so maybe that was God protecting those precious little ones from having fetal alcohol syndrome.

L. C.

L. C.

I have a 7 layer taco dip or bean dip recipe if you're interested let me know. You can also do salsa, guacamole, and chips on the side.

Corn cakes are good and very original, you can find Chi CHi's brand corn cake mix and recipe in the store. Also something not so hot. Like jello salads like ambrosia or just a simple fruit and jello or even a fruit plate or fruit salad. Hope this helps...

We have done a taco bar for 3 of our kids graduation parties. It is always a hit. We provide ground beef and grilled chicken along with Mexican Rice and refried beans (you can buy both at Gordons). We have also provided small and large soft tortillas for people who prefer a soft taco or burrito. I also have Nacho cheese and chips for anyone who prefers to make nachos. It's filling, easy and everyone loves it!!
Good Luck!

Not a recipe, but an idea... refried beans and also rice. The other idea might be to make a taco salad. I use ice burg lettuce, taco meat, cheddar cheese, tomato and doritos.

I hope this helps a litlle.

D. SAHM of two boy 2 and girl 4

I've done a taco bar before, too. Along with the tacos, I served corn cake (super easy - just buy the ChiChi's corn cake mix next to the taco seasoning), refried beans, chips and salsa, mexican rice (or I've also done rice mixed with salsa), and watermelon. This goes over very well with my family and we usually don't have much left over. :)

Spanish Rice & Refried (low-fat or homemade) Beans would go nicely. Make sure you have Avocado Slices & guacamole dip, too!

I love serving spanish rice with this. I use the boxed kind, however I make it my own by sauteeing canned black beans with some red onion and adding to the rice when it is done and then top with chopped up fresh cilantro before serving. It is delicious and I have gotten rave reviews from friends and family. A fresh fruit salad alongside or for dessert is always nice now that everything is in season as well. Good luck

Everyone has had great suggestions so far! I would definitely do beans, rice, chips and salsa and cornbread! Have a fun party!

What about refried beans in a slow cooker to keep them warm, people could eat them with corn chips, I use Old El Paso refried beans. Add some shredded cheese to make them creamy.

Try peeling and slicing pickle cucumbers and tossing with fresh lime juice and chili powder. Also you can make Horchata out of Rice Dream very easily (very refreshing Mexican drink that tastes like rice pudding - kids love it).

I just went to a birthday party for a 4 year old with Mexican food. They had soft and hard shells, taco meat, refried beans, some sort of rice soup, quesadillas, queso dip, bean dip, tortilla chips, taco salad, and all the taco toppings including guacamole. It was great!!

Tostitos or Taco Flavor Doritos works for me. Or maybe something soothing to the stomach after the hotness of tacos and stuff.

There is a taco dip you can make using refried beans. You could set out salsa and chips. Have fun.

I would make sopapillas for dessert. I also have a recipe for a fruit salsa and cinnamon/sugar chips, which can play on the sopapilla idea.

Have fun. Sounds yummy to me. Make sure to have a pinata!!

C.

Here is a corn bake that is like the one that was served at Chi-Chi's. Remember that old gem of Michigan? Nonetheless, if you google Sweet Corn Bake you come up with plenty of recipes. Have a nice party.

Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup masa harina (Quacker Oats Company)
1/4 cup water
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen corn, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Garnish:
sliced chiles
Chopped parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Beat butter or margarine until creamy. Gradually beat in masa harina. On low speed, beat in 1/4 cup water. Process corn in food processor, pulsing until coarsely chopped. Stir into masa mixture. Combine sugar, cornmeal, heavy cream, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Stir into corn mixture. Pour into prepared pan and cover with foil. Place in a larger baking pan and pour boiling water halfway up sides of pan. Bake 50 minutes or until set. Uncover and let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sliced chiles and parsley. 8 servings
8 servings.

hi C. ...
i'm having the exact same thing this saturday (for my husbands softball team & families)! i'm serving taco chips & salsa along w/ mexicali dip (can get it at any grocery store in the deli area or costco). also serving doritos so people can make taco salad if they prefer over tacos. i'm also making up chiken fajitas and as a dessert i am serving a dirt dessert ... it's chocolate pudding and cool whip served w/ crushed oreo's on top to look like dirt along w/ gummy worms all inside a new kids bucket w/ shovel as the serving spoon. Good Luck!! Let us know how it all turns out!
T.

Kids and adults love cornbread with taco bars. There are some great southwestern twists you can put into them also - search online for one that would suit your tastes and I think it would be a big hit!

Some thoughts are: Spanish rice, refried beans, corn on the cob (or corn cake), corn bread, soup (tortilla soup, gazpacho), salsa (think outside the box - fruit salsa, salsa with corn), guacamole dip, cheesy potatoes (not quite mexican, but a favorite and you can add black olives, red & green peppers or other things to make it fit the theme better!)

Sounds like an awesome idea!! :)

Basic sides could be a easy Spanish Rice (Rice,canned tomatoes, etc...) There is also a yummy Avocado Salsa to serve with chips....has beans, corn & yes, avocado's...very filling! I could give you recipes if you'd like. Salsa could be made a day ahead and the rice could be assembled and ready to cook!

I'd serve a rice dish, and maybe raw veggies w/dip and some seasonal fruit.

I did this for my sons 1bdy since taco were his new and favorite food. Everything everone said sounds awesome. Instead of the salad and all the dressings (save yourself some work), let people make taco salad if they want. I used lettuce, meat, cheese, colored peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chips crushed on top and either ranch or salsa and sour cream.
Good luck and hope you have a great Fiesta!!!

A layered dip and tortilla chips. Salsa and chips, Rice and beans.

You could always do a side of spanish or mexican rice or a platter of nachos.....or I've done enchiladas.

Use ground beef or chopped chicken
packet of seasoning mix (Chi-Chis with diced onions,garlic,andgreen chiles tastes great)
refried beans
colby/jack cheese or a mexican blend
tortillas (fajita size)
old El Paso green chile enchilada sauce

cook meat with seasoning as directed and let cool
combine beans, 1/3 or 1/2 cup of cheese, 1/4 cup of green chile sauce. Add meat and mix together.

place heaping TBS. of filling towards one side of tortilla and roll. place in a shallow baking dish(spray w/Pam) seam side down.
continue rolling until all mixture is used or you run out of tortillas.
Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through.

Good luck!! My family loves this recipe and I hope yours will too.

Take a can of hormel chili, top with cream cheese and put regular shredded cheese on the very top and bake it until all cheese is melted. Serve with chips...

Spray some PAM on flour tortillas then sprinkle with cin&sugar then you can use a pizza cutter and make then into chips, bake(or deep fry) at 350 for a few minutes until they are crunchy,then make a fruit salasa with green apples, strawberries,kiwi and a squirt of lemon and a pinch or 2 of sugar.Always a favorite, have a great party!

I don't have any recipes but i do have a few suggestions. I did this for my son's party we had over family and friends with kids and we did tacos, salsa queso and chips, spanish rice ( i used rice a roni I think) refried beans and a cake. You could also make a corn side dish with sweet corn and onions and peppers sauted together. Good Luck!

Corn bread, spanish rice, refried beans, salsa & chips or guacamole. Those are the things I make to go along with our weekley taco night!