Cooking Mexican for a Crowd

Cooking for a large crowd can always cause a fair amount of anxiety to the person who is cooking. Not only do you have a herculean task at hand, you also have to worry about if the food will be enough. Unexpected guests can always put the host in a soup! In order to pull off the task of cooking Mexican for a crowd with a flourish, it is best to prepare some of the food the previous day. Ideally get the dish almost ready and then wrap and refrigerate it. Hours before the guests are to arrive, you can take it out and bake it. Even if you are used to cooking traditional Mexican food recipes, the quantities can often get confusing. With one serving per head, these recipes will serve 24 people. Modify the quantities according to the number of people you are expecting.

Chicken Enchiladas (24 enchiladas)

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
• 2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
• Salt and pepper
• 24 corn tortillas
• 3 tsp cumin powder
• tsp all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1 tsp Mexican spice blend
• 6 canned chipotle chilies, seeded and minced
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 7 canned whole green chilies, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

For Garnishing

• Chopped cilantro leaves
• Chopped scallions
• Sour cream
• Chopped tomatoes

Directions

Drizzle oil onto a large saute pan. Poke chicken with fork multiple times and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to pan and cook on both sides for 7 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices on chicken before turning. Transfer chicken to a platter and let it stand. Put onions and garlic in the same pan and saute until tender. Add corn and chilies to the pan and once cooked, add canned tomatoes, cook for a minute and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Shred chicken breast into strips. Add strips to the pan and place back on heat, stir it all together and then dust mixture with flour. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. Cover the bottom of 3 (13'' x 9'') pans with a scoop of enchilada sauce. Lightly coat each tortilla with enchilada sauce, and fill each tortilla with cup chicken mixture. Close (fold) over filling, and with the seam side down, place 8 enchiladas in each pan. Coat them with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese melts, and garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Carnitas

Ingredients

• 24 warm corn tortillas
• 6 pounds pork shoulder, skin and bone removed
• Salt and Pepper
• Water
• 4 tsp ancho chili powder
• 2 medium white onions, medium diced
• 2 tbsp salt
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• Tropical avocado salsa

Directions

Slice the meat along with the fat into 1'' cubes. Place the meat in a wide pan and fill with water, till meat is barely covered. Sprinkle salt and bring the water to boil without covering. When the water begins to bubble, lower the heat, and cook until all the water is gone. By this time the meat should be cooked through. Now lower the heat slightly, continue to cook the meat until all the fat has rendered out of it. To ensure that it gets evenly browned, keep turning the meat. The entire process from start to now should take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Transfer meat to a separate container and drain all the oil, except for 2 tablespoons. Place over low heat and saute the onions in it. When translucent, add the garlic, reserved meat, and chili powder. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with corn tortillas and tropical avocado salsa.

Mexican Fiesta Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups crushed tortilla chips
• 18 ounces grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 pounds shredded cooked roast chicken meat
• 18 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 cans garbanzo beans, drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 cans kidney beans, drained
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 cans corn kernels, drained
• 3 green bell peppers, cut into '' dice
• 3 cans tomato sauce
• 3 cups chopped red onions
• 3 cups prepared salsa
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic

Garnishes

• 6 cups diced ('') ripe tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 13'' x 9'' baking dish with oil and then cover the base with a thin layer of crushed tortilla chips. In a bowl, mix together the chicken, beans, corn, tomato sauce, salsa, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Use half of it as a layer over the layer of crushed chips. Mix the cheeses and sprinkle half over the mixture. Add another layer of the chicken and bean mixture, using up the remaining half. Cover with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve the garnishes in separate bowls.

With these recipes, I hope that you will no longer dread cooking Mexican for a crowd. Ensure to get a bulk of the work done before the day of the party, so that you are able to entertain your guests hassle free.