Oh, hey there, Cinco de Mayo! One of our favorite parts about this day, like most holidays, is undoubtedly the food. We rounded up a list of go-to restaurants in Little Rock that will definitely give you enough reason to celebrate. However, if you’re down to throw a home fiesta, we’ve got just the recipes to get the party [Mexican] jumping [bean].
Here are some of our staff faves.
Sandra’s Salsa
The Ingredients:
- 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes (doesn’t matter if they’re crushed or whole)
- 6, count them 6 cloves of garlic (Give them a whack, then toss into food processor or blender.)
- Squeeze of whole lime
- A few shakes of pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
The Process:
Combine ingredients in food processor or blender, pulse until mixed.
Queso Blanco Dip
The Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 lb. block White American Cheese (Land O’Lakes brand preferred), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2/3 c. whole milk
- 1/2 c. cold water
- 1/4 c. diced green chiles, from a can
- 2 pickled jalapenos, chopped
- 1 oz. pickled jalapeno juice
- pinch of cumin (optional)
The Process:
Stir together the cheese cubes, milk and water into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for five minutes, stopping to stir after every minute. The mixture might seem watery during the first few stirs, but should come together as a nice runny dip after all the cheese is melted. Remove from the microwave and stir in the rest of the ingredients.
Serve immediately as a dip with tortilla chips or as a sauce over your favorite Mexican dish. If using for a party dip, transfer to a small crock pot on the warm setting.
The Blue Margarita
The Ingredients:
- 3 oz. fresh lime juice
- 5 oz. silver tequila
- 2 1/2 oz. blue curacao liqueur
- 2 oz. agave nectar (or to taste)
- coarse salt for glass rim (optional)
The Process:
Dulce de Leche Cookie Bars (the easy way)
The Ingredients:
- 2 rolls (16.5 oz. each) Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- 1 c. quick cooking oats
- 1 c. packed brown sugar
- 1 bag (14 oz.) caramels, unwrapped
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
The Process:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine one roll of sugar cookie dough with 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup brown sugar (the original author added a couple extra scoops of oats). Knead together until combined.
Flour the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan and press the dough until pan is covered. Bake for 14 minutes and remove from oven.
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine caramels, sweetened condensed milk and butter. Stir often to avoid burning. Once smooth, remove from heat. Pour over cookie crust in 9×13 pan.
Combine second cookie dough roll, 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup brown sugar and knead until combined. Roll out and lay over top of caramel on 9×13 pan. If it doesn’t all roll out into a perfect 9×13 shape, just cover the caramel with the dough. Return to oven for 22-25 minutes.
Let cool in refrigerator for at least an hour. Don’t expect them to cut into perfect squares. They’re meant to be gooey.