Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Appetizers & Drinks

Main Dish

Sides

Desserts & Coffee

Festive Decorations

• Decorate with bright colors, such as hot pink, orange, lime green and yellow, and use them for mix-and-match tableware.  Hang crepe paper streamers.
• Use a combination of small pots of cactus, maracas, crepe paper flowers (available at Mexican markets) and brightly colored ribbons for a centerpiece.
• Make Ruffled Paper Baskets to hold Margarita Chex® Fiesta Mix or extra tortilla chips.  Or serve the snack mix in baskets, bowls or Mexican sombreros lined with brightly colored napkins. 
• String lights inside or out.
• Arrange groupings of cactus or succulents in pots around the party area. 

Music and Dancing

• Mariachi music is a must!  Rent, borrow or purchase CDs or tapes from Mexican markets, or buy at mainstream music stores or online. 
• Purchase inexpensive maracas and tambourines from a toy store or party store so guests can make their own music.
• Find someone who can teach and lead dancing, and include both kids and adults.
• Hire a real mariachi band and dancers for a true Mexican fiesta. 

Piñatas

• Blindfold a guest, and spin him or her around; then hand a stick to him or her and have the guest try to break a hanging piñata.
• Hang one or more piñatas. Make your own piñatas (look to library or online for directions), or purchase from party stores or Mexican markets.

Up to 2 Months Before

• Make Smokey Chipotle Corn Bread; cool completely. Freeze bread tightly covered.
• Make Frozen Cinnamon-Chocolate Dessert (if served), but do not make sauce; store tightly covered in freezer. (For a crowd-size dessert, double the recipe and put in a 13x9-inch baking pan.)

Up to 1 Week Before

• Shop for sodas at Mexican market. You’ll find fruit flavors that may be new to you and your guests. Or, stock up on lemonade.
• Make Margarita Chex® Fiesta Mix; store tightly covered.

The Day Before

• Make Tortilla Straws for Santa Fe Salad with Tortilla Straws; cool completely and store tightly covered.
• Make Cilantro-Lime Salsa to serve with grilled chicken; store covered in refrigerator.

The Morning Of

• Remove corn bread from freezer; let stand covered at room temperature.
• Make Cinnamon-Chocolate Sauce for Frozen Cinnamon-Chocolate Dessert (if served); store covered in refrigerator.
• Prepare salad greens, veggies, olives and shredded cheese for Santa Fe Salad with Tortilla Straws; store tightly covered in separate containers in refrigerator.
• Cook and crumble bacon, shred cheese and chop parsley for Pepper Jack-Bacon Mashers; store tightly covered in separate containers in refrigerator.
• Measure dry ingredients for Mexican Coffee; cover.

About 2 Hours Before Guests Arrive

• Prepare and bake Orange Flan Cakes (if served), and want them served warm. (Cakes can be prepared in the morning or day before, stored in refrigerator and served cold.)

About 1 Hour Before Guests Arrive

• Salt rims of margarita glasses.
• Make Creamy Avocado Dressing for Santa Fe Salad with Tortilla Straws; store tightly covered in refrigerator.

About 1/2 Hour Before Guests Arrive

• Prepare Portabellas with Corn Salsa.

When Guests Arrive

• Heat charcoal for grilling, if used.
• Mix Mangoritas; serve. Offer lemonade and sodas.
• Serve Margarita Chex ® Fiesta Mix and Portabellas with Corn Salsa.

About 30 Minutes Before Serving the Meal

• Prepare and grill Grilled Taco-Barbecue Chicken.
• Prepare Pepper Jack-Bacon Mashers; keep warm.
• Heat corn bread (wrapped in foil) on grill or in oven until hot.

Just Before Serving the Meal

• Assemble Santa Fe Salad with Tortilla Straws.

About 20 Minutes Before Dessert

• Make Mexican Coffee.
• Remove dessert from freezer, and place in refrigerator for easier cutting.