Cinco de Mayo - but on the Cuatro

Cinco de Mayo is… Mexico’s Independence Day, right? No? Well, then, why is it celebrated? Simply put, to celebrate Mexican culture as you enjoy the good times with tu familia y tu amigos, and to throw a great party. This made it a perfect fit for our Crock-Pot Thursday meal, even though Thursday was technically Cuatro de Mayo… Check this week’s video to see how we celebrated, y disfrutar.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

INGREDIENTS

• 4 flour tortillas (10 inches)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add beans and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
4. Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove side of pan; sprinkle pie with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Unroll 1 can dough. Place in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Stretch to cover the bottom of the dish, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
3. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Spread over dough in baking dish.
4. Unroll the second can of dough. Carefully place on top of cream cheese layer. Pinch seams together.
5. Pour melted butter evenly over top. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter.
6. Bake about 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate for easy cutting. Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars.

Recipe courtesy of Pillsbury.com.