Have children scrub those hands and put on those sombreros! Here’s a fun and colorful Mexican dish for the kids to assemble. (If you have Spanish/Mexican music available, have it playing in the background for extra effect. Food always tastes better when it’s made to a good beat….Wouldn’t you agree?)
Mexican Nachos
4 cups Tortilla chips
2 cups Mexican style shredded cheese, divided
1 cup shredded, cooked chicken
1 cup salsa
1 small tomato, chopped
½ cup sliced black olives
2 green onions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chips in bottom of a 9x 13 inch baking pan (or a few small baking dishes if you want each child to assemble their own.) Sprinkle 1 ¾ cups cheese over tortilla chips.
Combine chicken and salsa in separate dish. Spoon mixture over chips and cheese. Top with tomato, black olives and green onions. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cups cheese. Bake for 10-14 minutes until cheese is melted.
Pina Colada
Thanks to gourmetsleuth.com
6 fluid ounces pineapple juice or fresh pineapple chunks
2 fluid ounces Coconut cream
3 to 4 cups of Ice
Cherries (decoration)
Slices of pineapple, orange or lime (decoration)
Paper umbrellas (optional)
In a blender, crush ice while gradually adding the pineapple and the coconut cream. The ice should be thick enough to hold a cherry on top without sinking into the drink. Serve in a tall glass with a straw. Garnish with one cherry and a slice of pineapple. Insert a paper umbrella for that tropical, exotic touch.
After Lunch...
Have children decorate a paper lunch sack, then fill it 1/3 full with candy. Use yarn to tie it to a tree (or in our case, a broom stick) and give everyone a few turns to break the candy free.
Note: There are much more sophisticated ways of making a pinata, but when you don't have the supplies (or the patience) this has proven to be a fun alternative.
And here are a couple of books that will help children gain a better understanding of Mexican culture:
Mexico ABC's: A Book about the People and Places of Mexico by Sarah Heiman
Off we go to Mexico by Laurie Krebs
