The Background of Cinco de Mayo and . . .

a yummy taquito recipe!


I was born and raised in Southern California. Frequent visits to historic Olvera Street in Los Angeles were a part of my life----specifically the little taquito spot located at the top of the street.  They were the best!!!


Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla).

The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War.In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to 
commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.


Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo  is not Mexico's Independence Day—
the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is actually celebrated on September 16th.

   From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Since this is a "celebration" dish I am including it even though it isn't as cheap as I usually offer. Our daughter-in-law Kris shared this recipe with me. There are quite a few ingredients but I hope that doesn't stop you---most are probably in your pantry; and the recipe goes together quickly. Plus they can be made ahead and frozen! 

The recipe is from Our Best Bites and Pennies on a Platter.  They may not be "authentic" but they are definitely  delicioso.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Yield: 12 taquitos

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup green salsa (or green enchilada sauce)

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (about half a lime's worth)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro (I left it out)

2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Mexican-flavored cheese (Kris used Pepper Jack &I used Colby-Jack)                        

small flour or corn tortillas (I used corn)

Kosher salt

Cooking spray

In large bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic, mixing well.  Next stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese and mix thoroughly.  

At this point you may proceed or cover the mixture and refrigerate until you are ready to make them.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20-30 seconds). 

Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon 2 to 3 Tablespoons chicken mixture onto the lower third of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can. Place the rolled tortilla seam-side-down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Make sure there is a little space between each so they do not touch each other.

Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt. (I am sure you can use regular salt but I happened to have some Kosher on hand. Doing this really adds to the taste.) 

Bake 15 - 20 minutes until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

To Freeze: Before baking, (but before spraying and salting -- or at least that is how I did it) flash freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet until they are hardened. Then, when you place them in a freezer bag they will not stick together. You can freeze them for up to three months. 

To bake (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray and salt them if you didn't do it before freezing, and bake for 20 minutes. 

'til we eat again, 

     Simply, Gail