Every year I always look forward to Cinco de Mayo. This is a time of fun, celebration and, most importantly, delicious food in honor of Mexico and its culture.
So what is Cinco de Mayo?
It may come as a surprise, but Cinco de Mayo (May 5 in Spanish) is not much celebrated in Mexico. It’s also not Mexico’s Independence Day. It’s September 16th. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the surprise victory of Mexico over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
At that time, Mexico was indebted to France. Ruled by Napoleon III, France decided to use Mexico’s financial weakness as an opportunity to establish an empire in Mexico called the Second Mexican Empire.
According to Center for the Study of Hispanic Health and Culture at the University of California, Los AngelesCinco de Mayo started celebrating when Mexican miners in California heard that Mexico had defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla. They were “so overjoyed at the news that they spontaneously fired rifles and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu speeches.”
Writer David Hayes-Bautista writes, “Cinco de Mayo was created in America by Hispanics who proudly carried the flags of the United States and Mexico to show their support for the Union and its values, and Mexico’s victory over the French, who sought to undermine those values.”
Thus began Cinco de Mayo.
Why is Cinco de Mayo important?
Historian Justo Sierra wrote in “Political evolution of the Mexican peoplethat if Mexico had not defeated the French on May 5, 1862, France would have gone to the aid of the Confederates during the American Civil W*r. Today, the history of the United States would most likely look very different.
In addition, after the Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla, no country in the Americas was again invaded by European military forces.
How do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
This year at Cinco de Mayo we are planning to invite some relatives and friends to celebrate Mexico and its culture. I love decorating in festive and beautiful Mexican colors. Playing Mexican music for my guests is one of my favorite ways to get everyone into a really festive mood. If you need Mexican music for your next holiday but don’t know where to get it, try Pandora. They have a radio station in Mexico that plays a wide variety of artists and musical styles. Last but not least, this Cinco de Mayo we will be serving a lot of delicious Mexican style food.
When there is something to celebrate, I always think about food. This is what really brings people together. And Mexican food is something I can never get enough of. Fresh flavors like cilantro, lots of spices and who can forget everything…cheese!!! What’s not to love?
In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo and Mexican-American traditions, I decided to make these Mini Chicken & Poblano Enchilada boats. For this recipe, we headed to our local Walmart to pick up some of the Old El Paso Taco Boats serve as a shell.
These Old El Paso Mini Tacos are super versatile and perfect for everything from tacos to salads and even ice cream and desserts.
While traditional Mexican enchiladas are made with corn tortillas, these flour tortillas allow your guests to pick one up with their hands and eat it like a taco. A fork is not required. There’s no way you can eat the corn tortilla version this way.
There are two types of people in this world right now. Some people like green enchiladas, while others like red ones. In my house, we are partial to greenery. But if you have guests over and you think some of your guests will enjoy red enchilada boats instead, it’s easy to make half red and half green.
We used Sauces Old El Paso Enchilada for this quick party recipe. You can always make your own, of course.
For this recipe, we simply take a grilled chicken, chop the meat and mix it with fried garlic, poblano peppers, cheese and sour cream.
Put some in Old boats El Paso Mini Taco with enchilada sauce, grated Mexican cheese and garnish with diced fresh tomatoes, chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Simple and delicious!
If you’re serving them at your next fiesta, prepare your guests with a selection of Mexican hot sauces that love spiciness.
Light and delicious, these Mini Green Chicken & Poblano Enchilada boats will be your next holiday favorite!
Get the recipe!
Boats Mini Green Chicken & Poblano Enchilada
These simple and tasty Old El Paso Fiesta Enchilada boats are the perfect appetizer to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We used green enchilada sauce in this recipe, but you can easily use red if you prefer.
Ingredients
- 12 El Paso Taco old boats
- 2 10 oz cans of enchilada sauce, green or red
- 2 cups divided in half grated cheese, we used a Mexican mix with Monterey Jack, Asadero, Queso Quesadilla and Cheddar
- 1 big poblano peppers, about 1 cup chopped
- 3 carnation garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, about 2 grilled breasts
- 1/2 cup sour cream or mexican crema
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- salt to taste
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- sour cream or mexican sour cream
- diced tomato
- cilantro, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Boat assembly Enchilada
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the baking sheet and place the boats on the baking sheet.
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Saute the chopped poblano over medium heat for about 7 minutes or until it starts to soften. Add garlic and fry for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and then add the butter to melt it. Stir.
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Add shredded chicken, sour cream, cream cheese and 1 cup shredded cheese to skillet. Mix to combine. The mixture should be thick and creamy. If it seems a bit dry, add some chicken broth or water to hydrate. Season with salt if necessary.
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Pour 1 tablespoon of the green enchilada sauce into the bottom of each boat, followed by 2 tablespoons of the chicken poblano mixture. Top with another tablespoon of green enchilada sauce. Evenly sprinkle the boats with the remaining 1 cup of cheese (about a heaping tablespoon per boat).
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Bake the boats in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the boats are browned around the edges.
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Serve: Garnish each bowl of enchilada with a dollop of sour cream, diced tomato, and chopped cilantro.
MORE CHINCO DE MAYO RECIPES!
15 SIMPLE CINCO DE MAYO RECIPES
REAL FISH TACO IN BACH STYLE
SPICY JALAPENO MARGARITA
REAL TACOS DE ASADA (TACOS STEAK)
Mexican-style street vendor’s corn (Elota)
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