Last-Minute Cinco de Mayo Party Food

May snuck up on us and that means we have some Cinco de Mayo party planning to do in a hurry! But don’t worry — you can get it all done with a little help on the food and drinks. Here are a few last-minute Cinco de Mayo party food ideas.

Two-minute Chili con Queso Cube a 16-ounce brick of processed American cheese. Pour 1-½ cups of your favorite salsa over your cheese cubes. Microwave on high for two minutes. Stir. Microwave for another two minutes. Stir again. Continue these steps until the all the cheese is melted. Serve with corn chips.

1-2-3 Guacamole Mash two ripe avocados add 1 cup of your favorite salsa. Stir together. Add a squeeze of lemon. Stir some more. Add salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Quick Chicken Quesadillas Cut up a rotisserie chicken into chunks.  Add the chicken to a large skillet with a ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently. Add 1 tsp ground cumin and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper. Stir until everything is well combined. Remove from heat. When you’re ready, heat (high heat) a clean skillet with just enough vegetable oil to coat the pan. Lay a tortilla in the skillet. On half of the tortilla, toss a handful of shredded cheddar. Top the cheese with a ¼ cup of the cooked chicken. Fold over the tortilla so the chicken and cheese are covered. Let it heat up for about 30 seconds before flipping it. Let the other side cook for about another 30 seconds. Serve.

Brisk Beef Tacos Over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large skillet. Add ½ onion, diced, and stir until the onion is soft and translucent. Add 1 pound ground beef. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin over the beef. Stir and work the beef with a wooden spoon until everything is mixed well and the beef is cooked. Set aside and keep warm until it’s time to serve with taco shells.

Garnishes Chop up a white onion, a bunch of cilantro, slice a few limes, shred some cheddar and lettuce and put them in small serving bowls alongside a bowl of sour cream. The garnishes will make your food fancy and your guests will think your party was planned weeks in advance.

All of the above makes enough food for about eight people, but all of the recipes can easily be doubled or cut in half to make Cinco de Mayo parties of any size spectacular!