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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- 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.
- 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.
- Unroll the second can of dough. Carefully place on top of cream cheese layer. Pinch seams together.
- Pour melted butter evenly over top. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter.
- 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.