1) “Frijoles Refritos” or Refried Beans

Let us start with a basic component of a lot of Mexican dishes. Refried beans are used in a lot of other Mexican dishes like Huevos Rancheros, Huevo a la Mexicana, and Migas Norteñas. It is helpful to know how to make it from scratch as it can be used when making Mexican food at home.

Ingredients

● 2 cups of canned beans (explore different types of beans as they differ in taste and you might find one most suitable for your liking)
● 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
● 1 finely chopped garlic clove
● 2 tbsp. oil
● A pinch of black pepper
● Salt 1/2 tsp. + to taste

Preparation

● Heat oil in a medium-sized pan and add the onions. Cook until it becomes translucent.
● Add the garlic and fry it but make sure that it does not turn brown as it will get bitter.
● Pour in the beans with a little bit of water and salt and pepper to taste.
● Let it sit in the heat for around 2 minutes before mashing the beans in the pan.
● Mash the beans to your desired consistency and continue to cook for a few more minutes.
● Let it cool before serving or adding to other dishes.

2) Chicken Tostadas

Tostadas are small crispy tortillas that are flat. It is a favorite snack in Mexican parties and it is easy to prepare and eat. Similar to Tacos, Tostadas are topped with several ingredients like refried beans, chicken, lettuce, onions, cream, salsa, cheese, and many others you can add based on your preference.

Ingredients

● Shredded chicken
● Refried beans
● Lettuce
● Onions
● Sour cream
● Cheese (queso ranchero, queso panela, queso fresco or grated mozzarella)
● 1/2 cup Mexican cream, crema or sour cream
● Salsa
● Tostadas

Preparation

Tostadas do not need any fancy method of cooking to be prepared. It is basically assembled together with ingredients of your preference.

3) Classic Quesadillas

Quesadillas may be the second most popular Mexican dish around the world next to tacos. It is a staple in every Mexican household and small restaurant across their country.  In its simplest form, Quesadillas are like tortillas filled with cheese. It is pan fried and simple to make like a lot of Mexican dishes. The basic ingredients usually included in Quesadillas is whole grain tortillas, cheese, and one of the three main fillings such as chicken, beef or vegetables. But if you want all three, why not?

Ingredients

● Tortillas
● Cheese (Monterey Jack with Cheddar is highly recommended)
● Meat fillings (Chicken or Beef)
● Vegetable fillings (Tomato, shredded lettuce, and onions)
● Salsa
● Guacamole

Preparation

● Start with warming a medium-large skillet pan with a bit of oil to cook the tortilla. If you have a large enough non-stick iron pan, you can also use this and forgo the oil.
● Do not put the heat on too high, cook the tortilla with the ingredients on one side and fold it on itself to make a half circle. This way, it is easier to flip it without the struggle of the ingredients falling off compared to using two tortillas for each side that needs to be cooked.

4) Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Another Mexican dish that incorporates tortillas, Enchiladas are tortilla rolls that are packed with a savory filling, topped with chili sauce and sometimes cheese, and then baked. There is a different variety for its filling but this recipe includes the simpler version

Ingredients

● 2 tbsp canola oil
● 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
● 1/2 tsp salt
● 1/2 tsp black pepper
● 1 pack enchilada sauce, or homemade Mexican red sauce
● 2 cups chicken broth

Enchilada stuffing:

● 1 lb. ground beef
● 1 finely chopped onion,
● 1/2 tsp salt
● 10 to 14 corn tortillas
● Two 4 oz. cans diced green chilies
● 1 cup chopped green onions
● 1/2 cup chopped black olives
● 3 cups Cheddar cheese

Preparation

There are three components of an enchilada dish that needs to be prepared separately:

o Sauce:
Warm a saucepan in medium to low temperature and add oil. Put in flour and mix together for about 1 minute to evenly distribute the flour powder. Add an enchilada sauce of your choice or your own homemade red sauce. Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.

o Meat filling:

Cover the saucepan while the sauce is simmering down and start to prepare the meat filling. In a medium to high temperature, heat another skillet and add a little bit of oil. Add onions and ground beef and stir to cook until brown. Add salt to taste and turn off the heat once filling has been cooked.

o Tortilla

Heat canola oil in a medium-sized skillet. Do not put the temperature too high and fry the tortilla lightly in the skillet until it is fairly cooked but not crispy. Remove it from the pan and make sure to drain any excess oil on the tortilla. Repeat this process if you wish to make more tortillas.

Baking the enchilada

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F for around 10 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the baking dish by spreading the sauce on the bottom. Use a baking dish that can hold the side of enchilada you wish to make. Dip the tortillas into the sauce made and set it aside on a plate. Top the individual tortillas with the meat stuffing and additional ingredients like green onions, chilies, and black olives, if you wish. Others include cheese in the filling as well. Roll up tortilla to cover the stuffing and be careful not to break it so that it can be moved to the baking dish. Place each stuffed tortilla into the baking dish face down to secure the cover. Once all of them are in the baking dish, top with more sauce and cheese if you wish.

Bake the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the sauce starts bubbling and you are done!